Long-lasting aftershocks

When the southwestern province of Sichuan was hit by that big earthquake in May, the immediate urgency was to save lives. Right after that the whole country’s effort was to bring people to safety and give them a shelter. It is now time to evaluate all the damages caused by that natural disaster. The most obvious damages are, of course, the buildings and infrastructures that have been completely or partially destroyed. But the material damage goes far beyond destroyed buildings and roads. Many economic activities have been hit in various ways.

A big part of the land around the earthquake epicentre is used for tea cultivation. It is one of the major industry in the region. Sichuan has a very long tea tradition and its capital Chengdu (成都) is known for its teahouses. Among others tea varieties, the areas around the cities of Ya’an (雅安) and of Mianyang (绵阳) are two important production centres for 边销茶 (literally: “tea sold on the borders”). 边销茶 is a designation for compressed tea. The name comes from the fact that it is sold to the various ethnic minorities who live in western China, for whom it is an important part of their alimentation.

Production as well as consumption areas of 边销茶 have been severely hit by the earthquake. Obviously plantations have been damaged, but more sadly the workforce has suffered losses. Even where the tea plantations have not been affected, the harvest is in jeopardy, because many of the roads that lead to them are still impracticable. It is very clear that the aftermath of the quake will be felt for a long time. Among the damaged plantations, were a fair amount of young tea bushes, that would have been ready for picking in the years to come. This represents quite a big loss for those who make a living in the tea industry. Unlike with the damaged buildings, where the reconstruction will at least benefit to the building industry as soon as it starts, the investments made in replanting tea, will not benefit to anyone until a few years.

Chinese sources: 700万公斤鲜茶无人收购 北川7万茶农盼客商, 情系四川地震茶区 “天下茶人”心手相连