Growing tea in Malawi

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Growing tea in Malawi
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Tea in Malawi

• Tea is one of Malawis most important exports
• Most of the tea grown in Malawi is grown near
  Mount Mulanje in the south
• This area has a wet climate and deep soils ideal
  for tea.
• Tea grows all year round but the best season for
  growing is November to May. Drought can lead to
  much lower production

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Mini Mini Tea Estate Mulanje
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Mini Mini tea estate

• The factory opened in 1928
• The total area of the estate is 560 hectares
• Tea bushes cover 345 hectares
• Mini Mini is one of 18 estates owned by the same
  (British/Kenyan) multi national company in Malawi
  17 produce tea, the other produces macadamia
  nuts

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Mini Mini tea factory
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Picking the tea
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Picking the tea

• Just the top two leaves and the bud are picked,
  but plucking standards are poor.
• The pickers are paid about 150 Kwacha a day (60p)
  for picking 100kg
• In the dry season they are paid by the hour.
• Mini Mini has 160 workers (some seasonal)
• No one under 18 is employed

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The tea is weighed and brought into the factory
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Transporting the Tea into the Factory
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Withering

• The leaves are put in withering troughs for 10-20
  hours to get rid of excess moisture.
• They are checked by sniffing! or by breaking-
  they should be soft and droopy

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Machines cut the tea leaves
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The leaves have air pumped in and go brown
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Drying

• The leaves are put into a drier which is heated
  by eucalyptus wood.
• The temperature starts at 140C and is reduced to
  65C
• The water content of the leaves is reduced to 2

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Eucalyptus

• Is grown on the estate to supply the driers
• It grows fast and has a high calorific value
• They stopped using local wood because of the
  problems of deforestation

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Piles of Eucalyptus
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The drying machine
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Tea Grading
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The tea is graded by size- the finest (smallest)
tea is used in tea bags
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Tea tasting
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Tea tasters

• Tea tasters have to train for 2-3 years
• They test the end product every 30 minutes
• When they taste they are looking for over 30
  characteristics

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The tea is packed for export
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Exporting

• Most of the tea goes to South Africa, the USA and
  the UK
• The price depends on supply and demand so varies.
  (In 2005 1.20 per kg)

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Care for workers

• On the estate there is a dispensary with a health
  worker and an ambulance to take people to
  hospital if necessary
• Housing and a mid-day meal are provided
• Despite this the workers are extremely poor
• and have a very low standard of living

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Dispensary