Motueka green tea grown for Japan

Press, 17 February 1983, Page 13

Motueka green tea grown for Japan

From BRUCE ROSCOE,

Tokyo correspondent

Sumitomo Corporation is preparing an agreement for presentation to the New Zealand Government on the export of green tea to Japan from plantings in Motueka, Nelson.

The drafter of the agreement, Mr Shigenori Takizawa, manager for Sumitomo’s business promotion department, said New Zealand was the only country where Sumitomo was promoting the development of green tea for export.

The New Zealand climate and soil, he said, were suited to green tea and Sumitomo was impressed with the “good scientific backing” the Government gave to horticulture. He said that the Motueka venture, a five-year project begun in 1981, “must stay at a certain size. It is not going to be a second kiwifruit industry. It is not going to be that big. “We are anticipating placing the tea at the high-end of the market, but we are not sure of the quality yet. It may need to be blended in Japan.” The project is being managed by the D.S.I.R. at Riwaka. Mr Takizawa said Sumitomo would send a tea culture specialist to the Riwaka research station at Motueka in April to inspect progress. About 1500 green tea cuttings have been planted from specimens from Japan and

many more plantings are to be made on a total area of lOOha. Export hopes are held for the tea by a group of 40 Motueka farmers. There are some doubts in Tokyo, however, on the project. Mr P. D. Gunatilaka, commissioner of the Ceylon g Tea Promotion Bureau in Tokyo, sees limited growth prospects for green tea sales to Japan. At least two major green tea suppliers had diversified into black tea in response to the Japanese opting for a Western-style breakfast and Mr Gunatilaka believes the trend will continue. Moreover, the section in charge of green tea within the horticulture department of the Agriculture, Forestry

and Fisheries Ministry says it does not want to encourage more foreign development of green tea for export to Japan. In 1981, the section says, the supply and demand of the tea were perfectly balanced, with consumption at 13,770 tonnes, production, 12,300 tonnes (on 61,000 ha), imports, 4143 tonnes, and exports, 2673 tonnes.

Mr takizawa said Sumitomo, the second biggest importer of New Zealand kiwifruit, had also imported hops from New Zealand last year for testing by Asahi Breweries. A decision on whether to use the hops in Asahi beer in addition to European hop varieties would be taken before June.