Is Australia the Next Big Green Tea Exporter?
Australia is a continent of diverse climates and growing zones. Once seeds of plants are imported, there is a great chance they’ll thrive somewhere in Australia. The Europeans transplanted their favorite lettuces, cucumbers, olives, and citrus trees when they settled. Fruits and veggies from the Americas, like potatoes and tomatoes, thrive in Australian soil. And, more recently, as large groups of Chinese and Vietnamese emigrated over that past 35 years, they brought with them seeds of their favorite food plants. Those seeds turned into vast plantations of durian, lychee, bok choy, and a wide variety of other fruits and veggies – their yellow mango is like heaven on Earth and is rivaled only by those grown in Thailand. Many of those climates were beautifully reproduced in northern New South Wales and in Queensland. I drive I took from Sydney up to Daintree saw huge swaths of land producing a cornucopia of Asian delights.
Now, a report released by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation has declared regions in New South Wales and Victoria as perfect for growing Camellia sinensis, the tea bush. According to the Business Spectator, the Federal Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke, is thrilled to add green tea to Australia’s long list of quality export food items.
While I lived in Sydney, I found so many wonderful sources for great quality green tea. Now, Australia is ramping up to produce its own. It will take a while for the Camellia plants to mature enough to have a production crop, yet I have no doubt we’ll see Australian green tea being exported to China and Japan within the next couple of decades. After all, Australia already exports olive oil to Italy and wine to France, it’s only a matter of time before the amazingly diverse soil and climates produce a top quality green tea. I have a great respect for Australia’s agricultural prowess and I’m excited to try whatever green tea they produce.
Breathe deeply,
Laugh with abandon,
Love wholly,
Eat well.
MiLady Carol
www.GreenTeaLady.com
http://miladycarol.com
Dazzling jewelry that reflects sparkling personalities!
This news was quite refreshing for me to read, too. The Aussies putting out their own green tea? Cool. That’s all I can say. Exporting, yes. But will Australians be able to buy the stuff or even me here in the US? I’d like to try it just to see how well they’ve done with it. I don’t expect to be disappointed. –Teaternity
They’ve done really well with their wine trade in the last decade, so I foresee some really great things for them with tea, too. Never underestimate the Australians. Ever. *smiles*
Breathe deeply,
Laugh with abandon,
Love wholly,
Eat well.
MiLady Carol
http://www.GreenTeaLady.com
http://miladycarol.com
Dazzling jewelry that reflects sparkling personalities!