Machine Harvesting of Tea 101 with Nigel Melican

Join Nigel Melican, tea industry technical consultant with over 40 years of experience, to learn about machine harvesting of tea and if it's right for you! 

More than half of the world's tea is mechanically harvested and even specialty tea growers are beginning to forsake hand plucking.  Done correctly, machine harvesting does not compromise quality, it's faster, and it's less expensive. But is it right for you as a US tea grower?  Let's get the facts out into the open and have a discussion about it.  

In this discussion, we will cover:

• Understanding the tea bush
• Selective hand plucking versus "grab and go"
• Why harvest mechanically?
• The types of mechanical harvesters - cut, mow or pluck?
• Is mechanical harvesting right for you?
• Planting for mechanical harvesting
• Can you afford it?