People across the globe, especially the millennials and Gen Z buyers, loves to relish the Japan’s popular Matcha tea globally due to its unique flavour and potential health benefits. This Summer, they need to shell out more money from their pockets due to the decreased output and the increasing prices. According to the farmers in Japan, the soaring temperatures have caused a roadblock in the Matcha production.
What is the link between the increasing heat and decreasing Matcha production?
Soaring heat, especially during heatwaves, can significantly lessen the matcha tea production due to its detrimental impact on the tea bushes and the quality of the leaves. Increasing temperatures damage the tea bushes, reduces the number of tea leaves that can be harvested, and also affect the chemical composition of the leaves. This eventually impacts the flavor and antioxidant properties of matcha.
Problems for the Japanese farmers cultivating Matcha
Apart from the heatwaves, the Matcha farmers have to suffer other problems as well for cultivating Matcha crops. First, high-quality matcha has become scarce worldwide because of supply constraints while the demand keeps growing. Secondly, there are new extra rules for importing organic tea. Japanese producers are unable to meet the global demand even after they have adopted the advanced cultivation methods and acquired years of experience.
Why Matcha can be grown only in Japan?
The environmental conditions of Japan provide a conducive climate for the growth of Matcha. Countries like China and Kenya have tried to grow matcha but its quality and authenticity couldn’t meet expectations. For authentic matcha, meticulous shading, hand-picking, and stone-grinding practices are Japanese traditions that are cannot be scarcely replicated with the same care in other places. This makes organic Japanese matcha the gold standard, drastically limiting the global supply.
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