Anxi’s organic Tieguanyin tea exported to global markets
Renowned since ancient times for its oolong tea products, Anxi county in East China’s Fujian province has seized the fresh opportunities generated by the Belt and Road Initiative to gain a bigger share of the international market.
Anxi started producing Tieguanyin, a premium oolong tea variety, in the 17th century. In 2016, the county exported 16,000 metric tons of oolong tea — one-third of the country’s total — to more than 60 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Russia and the European Union.
In the first half of this year, the county exported more than 970 tons of tea through the Quanzhou EntryExit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, generating revenue of $9.38 million, doubling the figure during the same period last year, according to bureau statistics.
Anxi has more than 40,000 hectares of tea plantations, with tea output reaching 68,500 tons last year. More than 800,000 local residents are involved in the local tea industry, which generated an annual output value of 14.8 billion yuan ($2.25 billion) and provided 56 percent of the farmers’ income in the county.
In September 2010, the inspection and quarantine bureau in Quanzhou — the city which administers Anxi county — helped with the county government to build a national demonstration zone for quality exports and certified organic products.
The move has significantly supported the county’s tea exports and increased farmers’ incomes, according to local officials.
Anxi was officially named a national demonstration zone for quality oolong tea exports by the General Administration of Quality Supervision and Quarantine in November 2012.
In October 2015, the county was designated a demonstration zone for organic products by the Certification and Accreditation Administration.
At the 2016 China Brand Evaluation Press Conference, held in December, the brand value of Anxi Tieguanyin was estimated at 142.4 billion yuan, topping all the tea brands in China.
“Local farmers’ monthly income has grown by 30 percent since the demonstration zone was launched,” said Liu Qiuling, general manager of the Songxiangyuan Organic Agricultural Park in Anxi.
Quality assurance
The price of tea exports soared as more tea-producing enterprises in the county have obtained organic certifications from Japan, the US and the EU, Liu said. The progress should be attributed to the quality traceability system that monitors safety issues, including pesticide residue, he said.
To ensure the smooth operation of the system, Anxi has merged its agricultural resource companies and provided unified services for tea growers to prevent pesticide and fertilizers from being used at organic tea plantations.
The county has also reexamined the qualification of 111 tea producers that are eligible to use the geographical indication of Anxi Tieguanyin in their trademarks.
Liao Luxing, chief of food inspection at the Quanzhou Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, said pesticide residue is the biggest concern for Chinese tea producers and foreign consumers.
Overseas markets including Japan and the EU have tightened restrictions related to pesticide residue in tea products over the past decade, raising the requirements for Chinese tea producers, said Zhang Hua, director of the bureau’s Anxi office.
To tackle the issue, the bureau set up a national key laboratory for tea inspection in Anxi in 2007.
The lab checks more than 3,000 tea samples every year in accordance with Chinese and international standards, Zhang said. All tea products that have gone through the lab’s inspections have passed importers’ safety and quality checks since 2008, Zhang said.
The county’s efforts in encouraging tea export enterprises to focus on organic products have paid off, according to Liao from the bureau’s food inspection unit.
At present, about 100 enterprises in Anxi have adopted a number of authentication and labeling systems, including ISO9000, HACCP, GAP and GMP.
The number of organic tea producers in the county has increased from 13 six years ago to 21 today. The county’s total organic tea plantation area grew from 2,270 hectares to 2,640 hectares, outpacing all other tea-producing counties nationwide.
Anxi has also launched a range of seminars and forums to conduct research on overseas markets and to expand the international influence of Chinese tea culture.