Tea farm back on boil

Plantation recovers from frost damage

A TABLELANDS tea plantation is set to harvest its crop for the first time in about two months after experiencing the biggest wipe out in about a decade.

Nerada Tea Plantation at Malanda produces about 1.5 million kilograms of black tea a year.

But with the mercury dropping to single figures in June, 50 per cent of the plantation was wiped out.

Plantation director Tony Poyner said the cold snap brought operations to a standstill for about two months.

“It was probably the second biggest (wipe out we’ve had),” he said.

“It was right up there and, with the scale of how much of the farm was affected, it puts a big dint in your income.

“The fear is always that you might get another one so you wait all that time.

“We did clean up the worst areas, we went in and ran the harvester over those areas to clean them up a bit.

“But most of it is just a waiting game just to see what the weather is going to do.”

But things are now looking up for the Far Northern tea plantation. Harvesting is set to start up again next week.

“We’re going exceptionally well,” Mr Poyner said.

“The areas that were worst affected, which was a big part of the farm, have regenerated.

“We’ve taken a little bit of material off the estate about a week and a half ago but we will be harvesting next week in those areas and most of it has regenerated back to the ability to harvest again. We’re thrilled.”

Mr Poyner said the latest he’d seen frost at the farm in the past year had been the second week of September.

“In fact, last Monday and Tuesday morning we had a very sneaky little frost and we got a touch just in the lower area of the farm,” he said.

“But we pretty much missed it again.”

“We’re almost there, we’re holding our breath.

“It’s just the cyclone season we’ve got to get through and hopefully we’ll get an monsoonal rain to keep things going along.”

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