A farmer picks tea at a plantation in Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/tianmunews.com]

The spring tea harvest in Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, has lasted for nearly a month. The city's tea production saw an increase of 9 percent in the first quarter compared to last year, according to the Quzhou agricultural and rural bureau.

The yield of black tea in Kaihua county and green tea in Jiangshan city and Longyou county significantly increased.

Meanwhile, various activities revolving around tea were recently held in the city.

In mid-March, the 2023 China Kaihua Longding Tea Culture Festival - Spring Tea Picking Contest was held in Taoyuan village, Changhong township. More than 70 tea picking experts from 15 towns in Kaihua county participated.

The 3rd Tea King Competition was held at Zhejiang Quzhou Tourism College. Twenty tea stir-frying experts took part.

The tea industry is a pillar industry of Kaihua county. In 2022, the county's annual tea output was 3,314 metric tons, with an output value of 1.33 billion yuan ($193 million), increases of 2.9 percent and 2.5 percent year-on-year, respectively.

In an evaluation of the public brand value of tea in China, Kaihua Longding tea was valued at 3.17 billion yuan.

As of March 15, four enterprises in the city, including Kaihua Baona Tea Co Ltd and Quzhou Pingshan Tea Co Ltd, exported 20.35 million yuan worth of tea to Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, a year-on-year growth of 78 percent, which can be attributed to factors such as a decrease in sea freight.