Tea Management : Introduction
Tea is one of the most refreshing and popular beverages of the world.
India being the world's largest producer, exporter and consumer of tea,
there is wide scope for careers in this field. Though not a very well
known career option, jobs in this area can be interesting.
There are a variety of jobs one can specialize in a tea industry. The
jobs put together is known as tea management. Tea tasting is one of the
highly specialized area of work. Other areas are that of researchers,
plantation managers, tea brokers, consultants etc.
Work in the Tea industry includes plantwork, processing, auctioning,
branding, marketing and research. Plantation work involves nurturing tea
plants in the plantations which includes preparing the soil, applying
the appropriate fertilizers, choosing the right variety best suited for
the prevailing conditions and supervising the pinching and plucking of
the leaves. Processing work involves the crushing, tearing and curling
of the leaves, which takes place in the factories. The tea is then packed
and dispatched to auction centers. The various samples of tea from different
plantations are tested, blended and branded by the tea tasters in the
auction centers. Tea brokers who have a background in planting, tasting
and a know how of market trends, auction the tea and the Marketing personnel
market the final product. Although computers are now used for blending
varieties of tea, the tea taster’s verdict is still considered the ultimate
test for determining the quality of tea.
In India, best tea growing areas are Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiris. Several
varieties of tea can be grown in one garden. As tea is a seasonal plant,
the same leaves from the same bush, plucked in different seasons, have
different bouquets. Each of these varieties require different ways of
handling.
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