ISTANBUL, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Due to climate change and rising temperatures in Türkiye's Eastern Black Sea region, the fresh tea harvest has been extended into December for the first time, according to local media reports on Thursday.
The Hurriyet Daily News reported that warmer temperatures, above seasonal norms due to climate change, have led to an increase in the harvest period, with producers now collecting fresh tea in four pluckings instead of the usual three.
In the provinces of Rize, Trabzon, Artvin, and Giresun, fresh tea production continues during the winter season, with 1 million producing families cultivating tea on 830,000 hectares of land, it said.
In Rize, known as the "capital of tea" in Türkiye, a high-quality tea harvest is still being produced, according to Rize Chamber of Agriculture President Bunyamin Arslan.
Arslan said, "We have never experienced such a long harvest. This is, of course, related to the warm weather and the climate crisis."
About 65.6 percent of Türkiye's dry tea is produced in Rize.
In previous years, the tea harvest typically ended in October.
According to Türkiye's Food Engineers Chamber report released in 2023, Türkiye ranks 7th in the world in terms of the size of tea cultivation areas, 5th in dry tea production, and 4th in annual per capita consumption.
