Spring tea leaves will hit the market 10 days later than usual due to the cold weather while the price of top green tea is expected to drop, experts said yesterday.
They said the leaves, including reputable Longjing produced in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and Biluochun planted near Dongting Lake, Jiangsu Province, will reach stores at the end of the month or early next month.
"The delay is caused by the unusually cold weather in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, where snow fell earlier this month," said Xu Yongcheng, a senior adviser at Shanghai Tea Import and Export Company.
The price of top-grade green tea, produced before the Day of Pure Brightness on April 5 - when Chinese visit relatives' tombs - is expected to be a little lower than normal.
"The earlier tea arrives, the more expensive it is as it means there is less supply," said Xu.
Zheng ming, general manager of Xuyou Tea House, predicted a high quality crop this year due to good soil conditions.
Common teas are usually around 100 yuan (US$12) per kilogram while top green teas can fetch 10,000 yuan per kilogram. Tea quality is determined by the softness of its leaves. The softer the tea leaf, the better.