Gaoshan harvest outlook?

[Rickpatbrown]

Any locals @Bok have any insight into the upcoming harvest? How has the rain been? Are we in for a good year?

[Bok]

There has been no rain... to a point that almost all parts of Taiwan, except the North have imposed water rationing measures. Not sure how that panned out in the high mountains, but no water is probably not good.

Haven’t looked into buying any either, I’ll report back if I hear something.

[Rickpatbrown]

Does low rain make better tasting tea, but in lower yields? Or is the lack of rain so substantial that the tea might be pretty bad.

[LeoFox]

Here is a taiwan sourcing perspective on spring 2015 harvest that also endured drought

https://taiwanoolongs.com/blogs/news/29 ... t-and-cold

So what makes this year's (2015) Spring High Mountain Jade Oolongs teas so good? 

First thing of all, as a lot of tea lovers already knew, there was a drought this year that seriously decreased the production quantity.  This drought was so serious that it forced some counties to limit their water usage just like California did.  However, this serious limitation of production and the lack of humidity in air enhanced the overall quality of tea because the tea leaves didn't  suffer from excessive water content.   Excessive water content in the tea leaves makes the tea harder to process and often results in a watery taste that puts a damper on taste and aroma.

[Bok]

It’s true, usually less rain means more flavour in the tea, but not so sure how it will affect the yield. High mountain also still has moisture from mist in the morning and night time, but not sure how far that goes if it keeps being so dry...

Awaiting a typhoon to bring some rain.

[Ethan Kurland]

Yesterday's New York Times had an article on the drought in Taiwan. Rice farms are not irrigating (& farmers are being compensated). The water is going to the manufacture of semi-conductors which brings in more income & may keep China from severely bombing Taiwan. (I'm sorry, TeaForum is not the place for that.)

[Rickpatbrown]

Yesterday's New York Times had an article on the drought in Taiwan. Rice farms are not irrigating (& farmers are being compensated). The water is going to the manufacture of semi-conductors which brings in more income & may keep China from severely bombing Taiwan. (I'm sorry, TeaForum is not the place for that.)

Oh wow. It says the drought is one of the worst in the last 50 years. Water is always an interesting topic. Who gets to use it, how we protect it and what happens when there is none. Its S
something that a lot of us probably take for granted.

Typhoons?? Cant we pray for something a little less intense?

[Bok]

Oh wow. It says the drought is one of the worst in the last 50 years. Water is always an interesting topic. Who gets to use it, how we protect it and what happens when there is none. Its S
something that a lot of us probably take for granted.

Typhoons?? Cant we pray for something a little less intense?

It also seems that a typhoon is not necessarily the solution... it tends to suck out and away the surrounding clouds. The damage done by typhoons in Taiwan is usually not too bad, infrastructure and people are used to it and hold up fairly well. I feel most for the poor employees at 711 who are the only ones who don't get off on a Typhoon day.

There are quite a few longstanding issues with water management it seems and it does not help that water is way to cheap in Taiwan, encouraging wasteful usage. You should see the street stands washing their veggies and dishes over constantly running water... that and the big factories using and wasting(and polluting) a lot of water as well. Same-same everywhere in the world.

[Bok]

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/ ... 2003755581

local news

[belewfripp]

Oh wow. It says the drought is one of the worst in the last 50 years. Water is always an interesting topic. Who gets to use it, how we protect it and what happens when there is none. Its S
something that a lot of us probably take for granted.

I agree that a lot of us take it for granted - you just assume you turn that faucet on and you have water, not only water but safe and potable/usable water. Some of us, including myself, are also kind of spoiled - I'm going to Target every week and buying bottled water...so i can make custom teawater so my imported tea tastes better . It's an incredibly privileged position to live somewhere where I can effectively say, "My water is safe and healthy but I require more from my water than mere sanitation and life-preserving hydration."

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/ ... 2003755581

local news

Meanwhile, in Taiwan, two days out of the week there just isn't any because it has to be rationed owing to severe drought. I hope the financial impact on the tea farmers in Taiwan is not too severe - that's certainly more important than the tea itself - as it sounds like at the least the harvest will be much smaller.

Quite a number of years ago when I was in the southern U.S. (which does, in fact, get cold in the winter depending on where you are) my pipes froze in the winter and it was something like $300 to have someone come out and fix it that night, so I went without until the temps warmed up. That was just 3-4 days, but it was enough that every once in awhile I do think, "If the <insert global environmental disaster> hit tomorrow, what would I do for water?" I'm not sure I have an answer to that.

[Bok]

Actually, financial impact for general agriculture is a much more important issue. Vegetables, fruit and crops are essential (by extension animals), tea is a luxury.

The high mountains should fare better though they get some moisture from the mist. Lower elevation it’s a different story... aka Oriental beauty, Hongcha and so fourth.

[belewfripp]

Actually, financial impact for general agriculture is a much more important issue. Vegetables, fruit and crops are essential (by extension animals), tea is a luxury.

The high mountains should fare better though they get some moisture from the mist. Lower elevation it’s a different story... aka Oriental beauty, Hongcha and so fourth.

Thanks for the additional information. I was thinking of the welfare of the tea farmers themselves, as opposed to overall economy, but appreciate your point that the latter is of much more general concern.

[Ethan Kurland]

Actually, financial impact for general agriculture is a much more important issue. Vegetables, fruit and crops are essential (by extension animals), tea is a luxury. ...

..."tea is a luxury" Is one allowed to say that on TeaForum?

[LeoFox]

https://eco-cha.com/blogs/news/tea-farm ... -in-taiwan

[Mountain Stream Teas]

East coast, both above and below 1000m, are doing fine, if a little dry. Higher elevations are doing ok, maybe on the dry edge of normal. The cold snap we have had the last couple days mixed with some rain might mean an amazing tasting, slightly below average yield, 2021 harvest. None of my friends in the high mountains(1000m+) have mentioned the drought and I have been in touch with every region so far except the south west, but that area has been in drought for 2+ years so me phoning usually just adds stress.

There absolutely are some farmers suffering but they are in the lower, dryer plains areas of Taoyuan/Miaoli and some areas of Nantou. No one I source from has stopped harvesting or been strongly impacted.

Drought in Taiwan is very strange. It can build slowly and seriously for a long time, but one big rain 'fixes' it for a couple months. Not to say it can't get very, very bad in some areas of the west side of the island, but the relief usually comes before long. That being said, we haven't had a large typhoon hit the island for 4 years and that has never happened in recorded history. If one of those big rain events doesn't hit us soon there will be some population centers, and farms, that will be hard hit.

I will be doing a grand tour of the mountains in the next couple weeks. Off to Lalashan tomorrow to help with the harvest. Will most likely head to Alishan after a day or two as things are getting started seriously there this week as well. Shanlinxi in early May. Then the high stuff starts. I will post if the weather conditions become more serious/widespread.