Tea Research Foundation (TRF) has reiterated the need for tea growers to adopt use of varieties tolerant to extreme weather conditions such as drought to boost output.
This came out during a field day the foundation held last week.
Farmers were oriented on how to deal with persisting challenges brought about by climate change and enhance marketing of tea products.
TRF Chief Research Scientist Nicholous Mphangwe said the objective was to raise awareness on technologies farmers can use to meet international tea market requirements and demand.
“If we have, for example, a delay in the onset of the rains it means our cropping season shrinks. If we also have an early cessation of rains it means the cropping window shrinks.
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“Those are some of the climatic challenges that we have in terms of droughts, extremes in temperature as well as the incidence of pests and diseases,” Mphangwe said.
Eastern Produce Malawi Group Manager Zacchaeus Maganga said tea producers benefit from the technology and information shared by TRF.
“We benefit from the foundation a lot. We are having crops that are high yielding. Some are going up to as much as 8,000kg per hectare from 3,000 in the past, which is very beneficial,” Maganda said.
Tea Association of Malawi Chief Executive Officer Tonda Chinangwa said due to Cyclone Freddy, tea output was affected last season.
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This year, according to Chinangwa, rainfall patterns have been favourable for tea production.
