Let's 茶 茶 茶

Q:How is tea production changing now?

A:The number of tea growers is decreasing year by year due to lack of successors and declining tea prices.

Q:How is tea consumption changing?

A:Consumption of PET beverages is declining due to their widespread use. In terms of the amount spent, leaf tea is decreasing, but tea beverages (e.g., PET tea and matcha latte) are increasing, showing an overall upward trend. The amount of tea leaves used differs between teapot-brewed tea and PET bottled tea.急須茶は5g/120ml、Plastic bottles are at most 3 g/500 ml. There is about a 7-fold difference in the amount used.

Q:Has the coronavirus changed your production or purchases?

A:With the Corona disaster, events and meetings disappeared and consumption of PET tea decreased.I also no longer travel, and I drink less at inns and buy less as souvenirs.
In the individual phase, home time increased and the frequency of tea drinking increased.
Decreased consumption by tea dealers and inns has resulted in fewer purchases by intermediate wholesalers and lower purchase prices.

Q:I have heard that the price of tea leaves has declined due to various influences; what is the situation?

A:Production of first-grade tea leaves (tea leaves for drinking in a teapot) is declining, while production of tea leaves for drinks, third-grade and fourth-grade tea leaves is increasing.The price of tea is highest for the first tea, and gradually decreases from the second tea.Therefore, production of third and fourth teas increases and production of first teas decreases, leading to a decrease in income.

Q:What is the cause?

A:Consumers are moving away from leaf tea.More consumers drink coffee and tea instead of tea, and even tea consumers choose PET bottles for easy drinking instead of cumbersome teapots. PET bottle manufacturers want to keep raw material costs down, so the main raw materials they use are third and fourth-grade tea.Even if the label "ichiban-cha" is used, the amount of ichiban-cha used is only a small amount.In addition, extraction technology from tea leaves for PET bottles is improving, and the amount of tea leaves used is decreasing.

Q:I heard that the prices of equipment and other supplies used in agriculture are getting higher, what is the situation?

A:Due to the weak yen, the situation in Ukraine, and China's fertilizer export restrictions, the cost of raw materials for tea production, which uses a lot of fertilizer and heavy oil, has risen very steeply, putting pressure on producers' bottom line.

Q:I know this is a difficult story to tell, but if there is anything you are doing as a countermeasure, please let me know.

A:There are limits to the measures that can be taken at the JA and producer level, such as utilizing government and administrative subsidies (e.g., tea safety net construction projects, fertilizer price hike countermeasure projects, etc.), and we strongly request government support for such measures.
In addition, Mie Prefecture is advertising and promoting the "Ise-cha" brand through the Mie Tea Industry Association in an effort to inform and communicate to consumers as much as possible.

Q:I have heard that recently there is a shortage of successors among tea farmers due to the aging of seeds.

A:The average age of JA Ise producers is 70 years old, and the average age is only increasing. The decline in tea prices is still having an impact, and when running a tea factory, the equipment installed is expensive, so profits are low, and it is difficult to find people who are willing to liquidate their tea business now. Therefore, the number of big farmers is decreasing and only big farmers are remaining. Incidentally, the largest agricultural corporation in JA Ise grows 50 ha.

Q:What is the most difficult thing about farming that could cause a lack of successors?

A:Farming is often difficult to manage without operating on a half-scale or utilizing government or other subsidies for certain commodities.
It is also difficult to take a day off because you are working with living creatures. Although there are money and labor issues, I believe that there are many situations in which one can feel the joy of harvesting and interacting with nature, which are unique to farming.

Q:Are there any initiatives you are currently undertaking to address the lack of successors?

A:We will promote DX (Digital Transformation) of agriculture.This allows machines and IT to help with the tasks that humans do, leading to labor savings.JA also proposes cultivation plans that reduce the number of fertilizer and pesticide applications so that even elderly farmers can manage cultivation as easily as possible.

Q:What do you think about the shift away from tea (kyusu)?

A:Times are moving on and it is inevitable.However, we would like to continue to promote the deliciousness of tea brewed in a teapot, and furthermore, we would like to think together about and promote alternative ways of consuming tea to replace the conventional way of drinking tea, which will help tea producers to stabilize their income and expenditure.

Q:Please let us know if there is anything you would like consumers to do, know, or tell us.

A:Instead of drinking coffee, buy a teapot once and drink delicious leaf tea at home.You will be able to feel the goodness that only green tea can offer, which you cannot experience with coffee.