Fifty years ago, three industrious Turkish brothers in Havza, near Türkiye’s tea-growing region along the Black Sea, fabricated a modern chromium steel version of the traditional samovar. These storied vessels, fired by wood or coal, brew tea while keeping large volumes of hot water on tap.
The Sözen brothers were skilled copper, bronze, aluminum, and steel metalworkers. Their compact, easily disassembled design for Sözenler Semavers (the Turkish word for tea-urn) is now the nation’s most popular brand.
Years ago, my wife, Susan, presented me with a four-liter Sözenler samovar, ideally suited for enjoying the setting sun. We set it up under the flagpole at our family cottage on Lake of the Woods, a deep and clear 300-mile-long lake in Western Ontario.
In September, as the summer days shorten and the sun begins to fade, our grandchildren stuffed kindling and split pine branches to stuff into the samovar’s gated furnace. We toasted marshmallows before I placed the reservoir over the fire. Next, I extend the chimney. The young boys stoke the furnace with hardwood hickory chips until it burns red hot. Then, I scoop a fine Ceylon tea into a metal teapot that sits neatly in flue amid a steady stream of steam from the boiling reservoir.
Once the tea is brewed into a potent concentrate, we pour it into tin cups and add hot water, sugar, jam, honey, and cream. Unlike an English teapot, everyone can dilute the tea to their taste. Strong or light, creamy or clear, the tea tastes lovely as we sit back in our Adirondack and bid farewell to the sun.
Steam in flue heats teapotRed copper teapotCopper teapot
Ornate Russian samovars, whose name is derived from “camo” samo, meaning “self,” and “varit,” meaning “to boil’,” are better known, but samovars were invented in Central Asia. The utilitarian, easily disassembled version originated in Bukhara, Türkiye. Caravans carried samovars to the Caucasus, where different styles evolved in Russia, Iran, East and Far East Asia, and Anatolia. Turkish samovars are seen at weddings, family picnics, public ceremonies, and outdoor social gatherings in sizes up to 50 liters, with flues supporting four large teapots.
Co-founder Azmi Sözen writing on the company website, describes Sözenlar samovars as “especially for picnics, evening chats, hosting guests specific to Turks, village houses, weddings, associations, and coffee houses. Samovar tea is very famous, and it is drunk in palaces, mansions, hunting parties, and special ceremonies.”
The first documented Russian samovars appeared in the mid-18th century. By 1778, the craftsmen in Tula, located about 200 kilometers south of Moscow, were famous for producing heavy urns of ornate sterling silver, bronze, and distinctive copper teapots. Symbols of Russian hospitality and domesticity, Samovars were family heirlooms.
Co-founder Azmi Sözen
In paintings, copper and bronze samovars with a capacity of 5 to 15 liters appear at the foot of the table, spread with cakes, sugar tongs, and jam, with young and old in conversation over tea.
Persian samovars can be seen in chaikhanas (chaykanas – tea houses) in Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan. “Samovar is an indispensable pleasure of Islamic society during Ramadan and long winter nights,” writes Azmi.
Azem, Adem, and Azmi Sözen began making samovars in a small workshop in 1974 and have since expanded to a 6,000-square-meter factory with a public showroom and warehouse. “Our company, which accepts quality as a way of life, has established its power, discipline, self-sacrificing, and reliable trained masters and employees,” according to Sözenler.
“Market expansion did not occur spontaneously,” writes Azmi, but growth continues worldwide. Our mission is to popularize the samovar culture inherited from our ancestors and to pass it on to future generations,” writes Sözenler
“Tea is not just a drink of pleasure but also a culture. Poems, folk songs, and odes were sung in samovar tea ceremonies, which gave people peace and preserved their place in memories.”
Our company, which set out with this understanding, is primarily aware that it is a part of this culture and has increased its production every day to carry the cultural and historical heritage to future generations over time.
Sözenler Semaver showroom and factory, Havza, Türkiye
India Tea News | Aravinda AnantharamanTea bonus protests, arson and looting led to one death and several injured
Kenya’s Annual Tea Bonus Brings Strife
By Dan Bolton
Disappointing bonus payments angered tea workers at several Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) factories and led to violent and, in one instance, deadly protests. Protesting smallholders questioned the accounting and fairness of apportioned funds.
The Nation reports approximately 612,000 small-scale growers qualified for the estimated final bonus for sales through June.
Kenya Tea News reported that Principal Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Paul Rono has directed the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) to audit all KTDA financial commitments and operations and all its assets.
KTDA National Chairman Enos Njeru reassured smallholder tea farmers that the bonus figures announced by factory directors adhered to the established accounting standards.
Njeru said figures released by the factory companies are prepared in compliance with International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as governed by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (ICPK).
“KTDA Management Service is an ISO-certified company and is bound to comply with these standards for the proper running of factory companies,” Njeru said in a statement.
At the end of the 2023/24 fiscal year, President William Ruto estimated that KTDA earnings had increased by KSh30 billion and predicted that farmers would earn a record average bonus of KSh 70 shillings. The average is far less.
Tea exports set a record $1.4 billion (KSh181 billion) in sales in 2023, a $950 million increase from an outstanding harvest totaling 523 million kilos. A further KSh16.4 billion was sold locally for a total of Ksh197 billion about $1.525 billion USD).
However, the improvement in farmers’ payments this year is mainly due to the devaluation of the shilling, as dollar prices remain flat.
Last October, tea farmers received a Ksh 44 billion bonus in addition to KSh 24 billion in monthly payments totaling Ksh 67.67 billion (about $525 million USD). KTDA manages 69 factories, of which 17 operate as satellite units. KTDA growers harvested 1.13 billion kilos of green leaf and produced 267 million kilos of made tea.
The large export sales total raised expectations, but the annual bonus, calculated for each of the 56 KTDA-owned factories, is based on average annual sales of tea, with fewer monthly payments to growers. The cost of operations and factory overhead is then subtracted, and the remaining sum is distributed based on how many kilos each grower contributed to the total. About 45 million kilos of tea (from roughly 225 million kilos of green leaf) remain unsold.
In Bomet County, a 28-year-old protestor was killed and two others seriously injured when anti-riot police fired on looters who breached the Mogogosiek factory gate In Kirinyaga County, hundreds of tea farmers took to the streets rejecting a KSh 46 per kilo bonus.
Growers carried signs reading “Reject the peanuts” and “Kwani ni mayai,” which in Kiswahili translates as “Is it a payment for eggs?”
At the Miciimikuru factory in Meru County, protesting workers angrily set fire to 12 acres of factory-owned fields after learning their annual tea bonus was only 35 shillings. Factory board chair Stephen Kathiri told Business Daily, “Since last year, we have not sold orthodox tea and are stuck with 786,000 kilograms worth KSh 353 million at the warehouse. This negatively affected our cash flow, leading to lower pay.”
In contrast, workers at the Ngere factory earned 62, those at Nduti 60.9, Imenti 60.3, and Gathuthi 57 shillings (an increase of 13 shillings compared to last year). Workers at the Githongo factory were happy with 56 shillings; at Githambo, they were angry despite a 42 shillings per kilo bonus. This is because the newly elected board estimated the bonus would be 60 shillings when running for election last month, only to disappoint.
At the Gitugi Tea Factory, the board approved the KSh 53 per kilo bonus payment, a KSh 4 reduction from what farmers were paid last year.
The bonuses at factories west of the Great Rift Valley were meager, with workers at eight factories earning less than 25 shillings. Nyamache workers received 20 shillings, as did those at Mokama, Mwamu, Mogogo, Kapset, and Rorok. The average bonus south of the Rift was KSh 23. Bonus payments at Nyeri’s five major KTDA factories ranged from KSh 45.5 to 57.3 shillings per kilo.
“The west of the Rift has been affected more by the building up of stocks due to the minimum price, and its factories are the ones paying the lowest bonus,” writes Alfred Njagi, former Managing Director of KTDA Management Services Ltd.
“There are a few exceptions like Momul, which has a high-quality culture, so it’s pay-is-the-best in the West and even beating some of the factories in the East,” said Njagi.
Nyankoba’s 19,244 growers will be paid a KSh40 bonus per kg of green tea sold by the factory, an increase of Sh5 from the Sh35 they earned from last year’s crop but nowhere near the hundreds of shillings per kilo in final bonuses that were paid to growers in past years.
SPOTLIGHT
Lakeside samovar at Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada
Samovar Tea at Sunset
Fifty years ago, three industrious Turkish brothers in Havza near Türkiye’s tea-growing region along the Black Sea, fabricated a modern chromium steel version of the traditional samovar. These storied vessels, fired by wood or coal, brew tea while keeping large volumes of hot water on tap.
The Sözen brothers were skilled copper, bronze, aluminum, and steel metalworkers. Their compact, easily disassembled design for Sözenler Semavers (the Turkish word for tea-urn) is now the nation’s most popular brand.
Tea festivals are enjoying a resurgence, basking in the renewed enthusiasm of health-conscious consumers and the joy of imbibing quality tea. The 14th Annual Northwest Tea Festival draws tea enthusiasts to Seattle for two educational and fun days at the Seattle Center on September 28th and 29th. The Northwest Tea Festival has a rich history in tea, evolving from a small local event to become the foremost social gathering for tea lovers in a region known for its beverages.
Founders Doug Livingston and Julee Rosanoff chat with Tea Biz Podcast Host Dan Bolton
How it Came About
Julie Rosanoff is a pioneer in specialty tea dating to 1990 when she co-founded the Perennial Tea Room near the Seattle waterfront. In 2004, Julee hosted tea-themed dinners there, with author Norwood Pratt narrating the story of teas as courses were served. Tastings and special events led to the founding of the Puget Sound Tea Education Association and the region’s first tea party featuring Barnes & Watson, Teahouse Kuan Yin, Tea Geek (Michael Coffey), Sa Tea, Village Yarn & Tea, and Choice Organic Tea. Inspired by the mass tastings hosted by Bay Area tea firms for the 50,000 foodies attending the first Slow Food Nation in September 2008, the Northwest Tea Festival, a not-for-profit venture, launched to wide acclaim later that month.
Dan: The Northwest Tea Festival is a genuine specialty tea experience, a social gathering of respected speakers and vendors with a delightfully appreciative audience. Julee, tell us what inspired you to get involved in hosting the event.
Julee: Author and tea expert Norwood Pratt inspired me to start the festival. He attended a meeting of several key vendors in Seattle then, and he said that no one was celebrating the 400th anniversary of the House of Orange importing tea to Amsterdam, which is the origin of orange pekoe. So we said, We’ll do it, and we spent a year sorting it out, and the following year, we had our first tea festival, and we’ve had them every year since then, except for COVID, where we were down for three years. Now we’re back. I didn’t know what would happen the first year we did it. The most exciting thing for me was having 500 people standing in line waiting to get in that first day, all having a wonderful time. I think we only had about seven booths, and it was a wonderful thing. Everybody had a good time. And they all said, We want to come back, please do it again.
On the morning of the first day, there is a line out the door, down the street, and around the block, and it is just fabulous to see all these people waiting to have tea.
That’s how it started.
Founders Julee Rosanoff and Doug Livingston with Author Norwood Pratt
Continued…
Joining us today are founders Julee Rosanoff and Doug Livingston.
Dan: Doug, has organizing the festival changed your view of tea?
Doug: My view expanded quite a bit when I considered how to present tea to somebody else and not just focus on myself. I also considered bringing in speakers to talk about the culture behind tea and all the various social aspects of tea nationwide. While working on the show, I became more engrossed in tea.
Doug Livingston
I did my homework and learned a lot more, and I was able to contact some amazing people, not only locally but nationally and internationally, either in person or via some media. So, yeah, it changed me and grew my understanding, appreciation, and love of tea. It’s hard to measure, but it had a huge impact.
Dan: That’s a wonderful story about the show’s origin. I’ve attended several events and found new activities as they matured. Will you give listeners a glimpse of what will happen this year? What makes this year’s show special?
Julee: We’re still coming out of COVID, reorganizing and getting ourselves, and Doug and I, after 17 years, are stepping back a bit. What makes this year special is that new people are in charge. They’re working very hard, and they’re doing an incredible job. Some things will be different, and some things will be the same. It will be very exciting watching them succeed with all this new experience and responsibility they haven’t had before. It’s going to be great to see.
Dan: Will you tell us, Doug, a little about the venue and the show’s layout? Doug: Over the years, we’ve moved around many venues. It’s always been centered in the downtown Seattle Center complex. The current venue is an exhibition hall. Our attendance right now is somewhere around 3500 people. Up to 5,060 have attended in past years, including vendors. It’s a large exhibition hall with space for a lot of presentations. An exhibition floor area and areas are partitioned around the perimeter for other events, presentations, or workshops.
Others on our planning committee brought in the tea lounge concept. They’ve developed it and turned it into a very exciting way of allowing people to experience tea rather than just walking around between vendors sipping tea, which is essential. This offers a little bit more interaction, which is kind of between the formal presentations and workshops. It’s very accessible to people, and it’s been very well received.
Dan: I want to focus momentarily on an emerging trend — retailing tea by offering memorable experiences. Everyone in America knows what tea is, but millions have simply not experienced or enjoyed the exquisite taste of high-quality specialty premium tea.
Julee, will you describe how the festival makes it easy for someone who is a commodity tea drinker to be awakened to the culture, style, and taste of tea?
Julee: First, people come in to see maybe 40 or 50 vendors, all of whom have their version of exquisite tea. Everybody who attends is given a teacup, which will hold about two ounces of tea, and as they walk around, they can sample all the teas that vendors are brewing all day long for two days. When they ask questions, the vendors will have plenty of information. They’re going to find a lot of samples if there’s something someone likes, they can take some home. If they don’t like it, they can throw it out and start again — that happens because our ability to taste must grow and develop, and you might not welcome specialty if you’ve been drinking Lipton tea bags. There is a wide range of what people can try and taste, just with the vendors.
And then, if they go to the Tea Bar, they can sit and try different teas and have them three or four different times; you know that they’ll re-steep because re-steeping is only possible with exquisite teas. People who are not used to it will find it a whole new experience. And so, people can have a wide range of varieties and experiences that will awaken their taste buds and their sensitivity to tea and its wonderful range of experiences and flavors.
Dan: Doug, what’s going through their mind when someone’s face lights up after tasting these teas?
Doug: Well, a lot of different things. As you know, giving somebody an experience that is new and different to them is one of the core things of the tea festival. Our tea festival isn’t a commercial event. It’s not a trade show where vendors sell to other businesses; our focus is on the person drinking the tea and when they light up and realize there’s an aspect to it that they didn’t realize before. That’s growth for them. That’s personal growth, that’s enjoyment, that’s delight, that’s education, and all of those are core goals of the event.
And when we see that happen, we know we’re doing what we’re trying to do.
There’s nothing wrong with drinking commodity teas. There’s nothing sacred about having to find the most exquisite oolongs and so forth. The idea is the experience and its social aspects. And that was also one of the biggest challenges with COVID: the social aspects. Being able to see that response from people and experience that exchange that back and forth was so truncated because socially, we couldn’t be social as much. And you know, with all the media that came in and became available, that helped a lot and certainly expanded the capacity to do that from a great distance. So yes, we can do a Zoom, Facebook, or FaceTime thing and share that experience with someone you know, who will smile and make noises of enjoyment. We can vicariously experience reaching out to somebody. Tea is a social beverage. That is why it’s so ingrained in so many societies at a very basic level. That is the core value of tea. Ours is not a tea culture where you don’t have meetings without tea. In some societies, it’s like being properly dressed; it becomes an important part of the experience.
So, yes, that is a long answer to describe the experience that tea is all about.
“For me, this is a way for 3000 people to reunite with friends. People always talk about who they’ve met. I can’t wait to see this person or that person. Boy, I came from St Louis or Montreal to hang out with these five people in a comfortable place, which is always accommodating. I share experiences with people I’ve known, in some cases, for almost two decades.” — Andrew Goodman
Doug: The festival celebrates this amazing beverage that has captivated the world. We, as organizers, try to maintain a setting and structure so everybody involved can have an enjoyable time, whether it’s an exhibitor, an attendee, somebody doing a workshop, a volunteer, or a staff member working at the festival. We really work to make this an enjoyable and learning event, and that’s why education is so important. We’re looking at the experience of everybody around this whole subject of tea and how people can share that experience, whether they’re a presenter or whether they’re a consumer, whether they’re somebody who’s trying to start a business.
Dan: Julee, picture yourself as a carnival barker inviting passersby to purchase a ticket to the show.
Julee: Come to the tea festival and learnabout a drink you probably already like. You’ll also meet people who share your enthusiasm and will show you new ways to drink and enjoy tea.
There will be more people to meet, new friends, and an opportunity to expand your cultural experience throughout the world. You will meet people from all over the world. It’s going to be very exciting. Don’t miss it!
Josh Brock of the Empty Tea Cup (standing), Barbara and Ward Everson, Charles Dawson, Anais Dawson (standing), and Diarmuid Fahy (baseball cap). The Eversons and the Dawsons are semi-officially representing Whatcom Tea, a Western Washington Tea Education Club we have run for almost 20 years. Anais Dawson is pictured assisting the main Tea Bar but typically runs the Tea Tutorial Table. Photo courtesy Charles Dawson
Tea Bar & Lounge
The Tea Lounge is on the east side of the Exhibition Hall. It is open throughout the afternoon and serves various kinds of tea at tables with fun themes.
Tea Tutorial Table
The Tea Tutorial Table is a space for a slower-paced educational exploration of teas lasting fifteen to twenty minutes. Participants will be guided in depth through a tea or series of teas.
Tea Bar
The Tea Bar is a space for short, three—to five-minute intensive tastings. These will typically compare two similar teas, contrast related but dissimilar teas, or focus on one very special tea. The Tea Bar was created by Charles and Laurie Dawson, founders of Whatcom Tea. All the teas they share are from their personal collection. The sharing is, without expectations, part of their mission to make tea accessible, affordable, and fun. The tea bar is kid-friendly, and children participating in the tea bar may walk away with something extra!
Tea Barista Table
The Barista Table is a place to taste a quick cup of one of the many teas found at the festival. We will brew finds from the festival and, if you like, point you in the right direction so you can acquire some of your own. Standing room only!
Tea Guest Table
The Tea Guest Table is a space for knowledgeable members of the tea community to share their love of and experience with aspects of tea. This may include in-depth tastings, demonstrations of teaware and techniques, fun contests, or blind tasting events. Depending on the presentation, session length may vary considerably.
The Empty Tea Cup
The Empty Tea Cup is a place to rest. After participating in several aspects of the tea industry, Josh Brock concluded that the best way to support tea is to share it in its basic forms. To expose others to the fundamental element of tea that unites all cultures, generations, ceremonies, and sincere hospitality.
PS: Those coming to the festival don’t have to go to the market anymore to grab lunch. We have selectively added a few very nice people with delicious cakes, pies, and savories. So it can be an all-day event if you wish to do it that way. Some people pack lunch. In addition to the beautiful teaware, we have people who make honey, and all kinds of specialty products focused on tea. The festival is truly an immersive experience with Camellia sinensis. – Andrew Goodman
CLICK TO CONTINUE reading the interview and see a preview the new Tea Bar & Lounge
Northwest Tea Festival | Seattle Center: Exhibition Hall 301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109 Saturday, September 28 – 10 am – 4 pm Sunday, September 29 – 10 am – 4 pm
Lindsay Lohan TV Ad Advocates Office Tea Breaks | Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify | China Launches Global Tea Marketing Initiative | Kenya Suspends Auction Price Minimums on Old Tea | AI Models Predict Local Weather on a Planetary Scale. | Dan Bolton | Episode 182 | 23 August 2024
Lindsay Lohan TV Ad Advocates Office Tea Breaks | Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify | Botanists Identify the Gene that Causes Tea Leaf Droopiness | PLUS Revitalizing Kumaon | A century ago, Kumaon’s high-mountain estates were abandoned. The formerly productive tea fields lay fallow until an enterprising young entrepreneur marshaled the resources of US-based Frontier Co-op and USAID’s Cooperative Development Program to benefit hundreds of tea smallholders.
Raj Vable, founder of Young Mountain Tea in Marquette, Mich., inspired the villagers in the Kumar region to create a new era of economic resiliency and autonomy. The solar-powered factory with state-of-the-art equipment will process regeneratively grown certified organic tea in four styles available in retail locations by November. Vable writes, “We hope our model serves as a blueprint that can be replicated and improved upon so we can all collectively raise the bar on transparent sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and smallholder farmer equity.”
Actress and producer Lindsay Lohan appears in a new television commercial and social media campaign urging tea drinkers to take a break at work. The commercial, financed by the Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership, features Pure Leaf, the top-selling ready-to-drink tea brand in the US. The minute-plus spot is the first national multimillion-dollar tea advertising campaign since the pandemic.
The Pure Leaf brand also launched a US-only coupon giveaway of a free bottle to enjoy on your next tea break. Text 737-377-3774 between June 27 and July 25 to receive a bottle or visit. PureLeaf.com/TeaBreak
In the commercial, Lohan, who has starred in several Netflix original films in the past few years and is currently filming Freaky Friday 2 with Jamie Lee Curtis, asks, QUOTE “When was the last time you took a break? I mean a real break. It’s like we forgot breaks even exist. Standing on an office coffee table, she shouts “it’s time for a tea break.” We all deserve a moment to recharge and revitalize ourselves. Soon the office staff is headed out the door chanting “tea break, tea break” and chugging Pure Leaf.
Edelman made the humorous 90-second spot, supported by research that reveals “three in five workers struggle to take breaks during the workday, and more than half of workers feel too busy or interrupted by work to take a refreshing break. Nearly two-thirds of the 1010 full-time workers surveyed feel mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. However, sixty-three percent (63%) of workers surveyed noted that when they take quality breaks, they return recharged for what’s next*.
Pure Leaf sales exceeded $985 million in mass market and convenience outlets in 2023, compared to competitors Arizona’s $956 million and Lipton’s $561 million. Globally, the RTD market is forecast to increase by $27.7 billion, a 25% growth rate, from 2024 to an estimated $138.15 billion in 2028. An accompanying press release explains, “The Pure Leaf Tea Break campaign encourages workers to challenge today’s hustle culture with a centuries-old workplace ritual—a quality tea break—and the first bottle is Pure Leaf Iced Tea. Lindsay Lohan said, “We owe it to ourselves to take a moment each day to pause, recharge, and revitalize. I’m proud to partner with Pure Leaf to promote the importance of taking a daily tea break because no matter what you do, we all deserve the time to reset and refresh. For me, prioritizing breaks is essential for all of the roles I juggle, allowing me to return stronger and more restored.” Pure Leaf and Mind Share Partners are providing tips for making the most of work breaks and posting examples of “away on a break” messages online. “To support the cultural shift toward better breaks at an organizational level, Pure Leaf is also launching the Pure Leaf Tea Break Grant program in partnership with Mind Share Partners. This initiative will provide funding for small businesses and non-profits to implement break initiatives aimed at promoting employee revitalization,” according to the release. Julie Raheja-Perera, General Manager/VP – Pepsi Lipton Partnership North America, says, “At Pure Leaf, we are intentional about how we craft our delicious real brewed iced teas so you can feel refreshed and revitalized. We know many people are not taking enough quality breaks during the workday, so we’re launching the Pure Leaf Tea Break to remind people that a moment to reset is very important. Revitalization is just a sip away with our delicious, iced teas made from a few high-quality, simple ingredients and naturally occurring caffeine from tea leaves.”
Red Sea Growing More Dangerous to Shipping
Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify
The Red Sea skirmishes, a significant factor in the ongoing shipping crisis, have increased sinkings, indicating that the crisis is far from over.
A surge in global freight rates, reaching over $4,200 per 40ft container in May 2024 – the highest on record – has put a significant financial strain on tea exports and other goods since October 2023.
Tea exports are currently at their peak following the spring harvest. India’s peak is from April through June, Sri Lanka’s is from May through August, and Kenya’s is from January to June.
Demand for tea in Europe is slack, which has helped avoid a serious shortage of tea imports, but the added cost of landing tea from Africa, South Asia, and the Far East cannot be ignored. One German-based retailer told Tea Biz that they are shipping tea by rail from China, which is faster and cheaper than shipping tea around Africa.
Since the beginning of the year, the Drewry composite container index has averaged $3,579 per 40-ft container, $831 higher than the 10-year average. Containers are in short supply and out of place because ships are not transporting empties. The cost of shipping tea from China to the US ports has also increased by 69% from April through May 24.
The Houthis have launched 50 missile and drone attacks since October, killing four. In the latest, the Yemen-based, Iran-backed militants used explosive-laden drone boats to slow or disable large vessels that are then targeted by ballistic missiles. A “double tap” on June 19 destroyed the Tudor, a bulk carrier. Two more successful missile attacks followed, disabling another bulk carrier. The Houthis sank their first ship in March. Fuel and insurance costs have increased due to higher risk and because ships spend more days at sea. Lloyd’s of London reports a £1.1 billion expense associated with underwriting unrecoverable planes and cargoes in Ukraine since the onset of the war.
Only 4% of war claims have been processed.
Egyptian authorities say revenue plummeted by several hundred million dollars due to the Red Sea skirmishes.
According to Egypt’s Minister of Finance, traffic through the Suez Canal declined by 64% in May, lowering revenue to $334 million, more than 50% lower year-over-year. Losses in late 2023 amounted to $150 million. Only 1,111 ships traversed the canal in May, compared to 2,396 ships in May 2023. Tonnage is down 68.5% to 45 million tons. About 15% of trade by volume transits the canal annually. The canal is the shortest maritime route between Europe and Asia.
According to the International Monetary Fund, ship traffic transiting the Cape of Good Hope has surged 74% above 2023 totals. A drought that limits the capacity of ships transiting the Panama Canal, where trade volume is down 32% compared to 2023, further complicates the situation for shippers.
Genetic cause of Tea Leaf Droop visible in tea plants
Botanists Identify the Gene that Causes Tea Leaf Droop
Researchers at the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences report finding a gene that could transform the tea industry’s approach to mechanical harvesting.
An estimated 70% of the world’s tea is now sheared or mechanically plucked, but in most instances, the leaves gathered are damaged, yielding a relatively small percentage of “perfectly plucked” two leaves and a bud. Instead of snipping whole leaves at their base, leaves on stems that bend or droop are cut into small pieces and later discarded during the sorting process.
The study identified the CsEXL3 gene and gene regulator CsBES1.2 as the source of weak stems. Their findings, first published in the peer-reviewed journal Horticulture Research, could improve harvesting by minimizing leaf damage, leading to better-tasting tea.
Planters turn to mechanical harvesters to reduce labor expenses and improve efficiency by increasing the number of rounds while lowering costs.
One of the lead researchers, Dr. Jiedan Chen, writes that discovering the gene and its regulatory pathway “offers a promising genetic target for breeding tea plants better suited for mechanical harvesting, potentially revolutionizing the tea industry.”
Haoran Liu et al. explain that CsEXL3 regulates mechanical harvest-related droopy leaves under the transcriptional activation of CsBES1.2 in tea plants, Horticulture Research (2024). DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae074
BIZ INSIGHT – In 1952, Agronomist Norman Borlaug learned of the sturdy stems of dwarf wheat in Japan. For his experiments, he obtained seeds with the stem-strengthening gene. Working with a USDA plant breeder at Washington State University, he developed disease-resistant plants that yielded more wheat per acre than any known cultivar. The wheat was first planted in Mexico, and by 1956, Mexico was producing enough wheat to be self-sufficient. Borlaug’s cultivars, which produced 14 times more wheat than previous cultivars, were introduced worldwide, averting famine and saving an estimated one billion lives, including several million people in India’s great famine. Borlaug would earn a Nobel Prize and became known as the father of the Green Revolution.
FEATURE
Raj Vable, Founder of Young Mountain Tea
Tea Rebellion: Anatomy of a Purpose-Driven Brand
By Dan Bolton
Raj Vable, founder of Young Mountain Tea in Marquette, Mich., inspired the villagers of Kumaon to create a new era of economic resiliency and autonomy. The solar-powered factory with state-of-the-art equipment will process regeneratively grown certified organic tea in four styles available in retail locations by November. Vable writes, “We hope our model serves as a blueprint that can be replicated and improved upon so we can all collectively raise the bar on transparent sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and smallholder farmer equity.”
Raj founded Young Mountain Tea in 2013 as a social enterprise to provide a sustainable future for farmers, 90% of whom are women. He graduated from the University of Michigan and later earned an MS in environmental science from the University of Oregon. He first traveled to Kumaon as a Global Partner with AVANI, spending a year developing a permaculture tea cultivation program involving 300 farmers. He was named a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in 2013 and worked in Almora, India, before returning to the US as a Rural Venture Catalyst in Oregon’s Regional Accelerator Innovation Network.
Lindsay Lohan TV Ad Advocates Office Tea Breaks | Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify | Botanists Identify the Gene that Causes Tea Leaf Droopiness | PLUS Revitalizing Kumaon | A century ago, Kumaon’s high-mountain estates were abandoned. The formerly productive tea fields lay fallow until an enterprising young entrepreneur marshaled the resources of US-based Frontier Co-op and USAID’s Cooperative Development Program to benefit hundreds of tea smallholders. | Episode 175 | 5 July 2024
India’s Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Jorhat announced the winners of the 2024 Tech Brew Hackathon competition, held on International Tea Day. The winning students received 50,000 rupees for tackling their choice of five industry challenges. Teams from 20 universities participated, submitting projects addressing tea waste, marketing and promotion, and climate change. A panel of nine tea industry experts judged the projects.
The top three teams are Team Orthodox, representing the Assam Science & Technology University with a novel non-chemical pest control solution; the second prize goes to Team Neuro Linga at the PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research in Coimbatore for designing an integrated weather and crop health monitoring system. Team Doodle, also from PSG, proposed a network of sensors that monitor plant conditions for growers, signaling areas of concern. A resource website with a chatbot informed by a machine-learning AI model will assess their concerns and suggest remedies.
Pranjit Barman demonstrates the Spectro Smoke Drone
Hackathon Focuses Youthful Attention on Pressing Problems.
By Dan Bolton
Tea Research Institute Secretary Joydeep Phukan said the “hackathon marks a significant milestone in bringing technological innovation to one of India’s most vital industries. I’m proud to announce the successful conclusion of the first-ever tea Tech Brew National Hackathon, a groundbreaking event aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the Indian Tea Industry.”
Phukan said the event was organized “under the esteemed leadership of Chairperson Nayantara Palchoudhuri, Tocklai staff, and industry professionals who judged the competition.”
Team Orthodox
The winning students, Team Leader Pragyan Sen Deka, 23, and Pranjit Barman, 22, designed a drone-mounted hyperspectral imaging eye that roams tea gardens, searching for indications of pest infestations. Suspended below the drone is a smoke chamber that delivers natural fumigants that pests avoid.
Pragyan Sen Deka
Fumigating crops with low-hanging smoke is an ancient, effective, and non-chemical method of driving pests away. Winning team leader Pragyan Sen Deka describes how a modern “Spectro Smoke” generator heats ferns and grass with electrically controlled nichrome wire, producing a downward-driven column of smoke that rises to the underside of leaves and drives away pests like the tea mosquito, one of several insects that reduces tea yields in India by an estimated 147 million kilos a year.
“This innovation promises to transform how we approach pest control, ensuring healthier crops and a more sustainable future for tea plantations,” writes Phukan.
The Spectro Smoke Drone has 1000kv 10-inch propellers producing around 3500g peak thrust. Its max payload capacity is around 2kg. The drone is powered by a 4000mah lipo battery, which gives it a flight duration of 15-18 minutes with no payload. The transmitter is the 2.4GHz FS i6, with a range of 1.5 km.
Team Neuro Linga (second place)
The second prize goes to Team Neuro Linga at the PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research in Coimbatore for designing an integrated weather and crop health monitoring system.
“Their innovative solution impressively combines AI and IoT to tackle pest control and crop health. Using sensors, cameras, and smart technologies, they’ve developed a comprehensive system that not only repels pests but also monitors and predicts pest outbreaks, ensuring healthier crops and a more sustainable future for the tea industry,” writes Phukan.
Team Doodle (third place)
Their innovative solution features a specialized RAG (retrieval augmented generation) model for tea pest detection, designed to minimize computational resources while delivering precise, domain-specific results. Utilizing a Phi2 model with 2 million parameters and an image classification model (ResNet), Team Doodle leverages research papers, and articles scraped via Jina AI to ensure accuracy and relevance. Additionally, minimal hardware is used to collect environmental data such as temperature and moisture, helping to prevent pest outbreaks with accurate and timely detection.
“Team Doodle’s approach represents a significant advancement in sustainable pest management for the tea industry. It combines cutting-edge AI with practical environmental monitoring,” writes Phukan.
Problems to Solve
Here is a list of problems students were asked to address:
Problem Statement 1: The tea industry faces significant challenges due to climate change, including water scarcity, temperature fluctuations, and soil degradation. Develop a technology-driven solution to help tea farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions, optimize water usage, and maintain soil health to ensure sustainable tea cultivation.
Problem Statement 2: Tea crops are vulnerable to various pests and diseases, which can devastate tea crops within a short period. Develop a predictive model using data analytics and machine learning to forecast outbreaks of pests and diseases, enabling pre-emptive action to protect crops and reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides.
Problem Statement 3: With climate change and changing weather patterns, the incidence of pest management has increased, with certain pests such as the Tea Mosquito Bug, Looper Caterpillar, and Green Thrips causing havoc in tea plantations. Develop technologies based on airwaves, sound waves, or biocontrol to control the outbreak of the Tea Mosquito Bug, Looper Caterpillar, and Green Thrips to showcase how it works in tea plantations.
Problem Statement 4: The tea plant Camellia sinensis is a wonder plant. Tea leaves are harvested to make various types of tea. The tea plant also produces tea seeds and flowers. Tea is high in various properties, such as antioxidants and flavonoids. Propose methods and technologies to convert tea into diversified products using tea leaves and waste using innovative technology.
Problem Statement 5: Tea is the second most consumed beverage after water globally. However, there is intense competition for tea as a beverage over other products. Some of the products sold as tea are not from the plant Camellia Sinensis. Develop technology-based solutions to promote tea amongst people from age 10 to 35 years, highlighting its many health benefits, which should be innovative and scalable to make tea the most sought-after drink. One may add non-technology-based suggestions to justify their technologies.
Hackathon Judges
Ms N Palchoudhuri, Chairperson TRA
Mr Dan Bolton, Tea Journalist, Canada
Mr S K Saria, Chairman, NBC TRA
Mr Kailyanjeet Borah, Vice Chairman Agriculture Committee TRA
Mr Abhijeet Hazarika, Tsigma Consultancy
Mr Jai Kejriwal, Council Member TRA
Dr Anoop Barooah, former Director TRA
Dr A Babu, Director TRA
Joydeep Phukan, Secretary TRA
Tea Research Association – Tocklai Institute
To delve into the science and processes behind a good cuppa, visit the Tocklai Institute, the world’s largest and oldest tea research center (founded in 1911). The labs there research microorganisms that inhibit plant disease and promote growth. There is also a tea museum and model tea factory exhibiting the machines that turn leaves into teapot-ready tea.
History
The establishment of the Scientific Department of the Indian Tea Association (ITA) in 1900 marked the beginning of a new era of tea research in India. This was consolidated with the creation of the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911.
The formation of the Tea Research Association (TRA) in 1964, with Tocklai at the center of all activities, further expanded the horizon of tea research to cover the entire Northeast India. Research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing is carried out at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat, the world’s oldest and largest research station. Transfer of technology to its member estates is carried out through its advisory network covering 1,076 tea estates occupying 341,049 hectares (1,317 sq mi) of land spread over The South Bank, North Bank, Upper Assam, Cachar, Tripura, Dooars, Darjeeling and Terai. Tocklai has its regional R & D Centre at Nagrakata, West Bengal.
The organization undertakes basic and applied research on tea cultivation and processing in northeast India. A large chunk of the research work is done at Tocklai, while area-specific research for Dooars is carried out at NBRRDC, Nagrakata. Research on the pharmacological properties of black tea is carried out in collaboration with Kolkata and other institutes across India. The technologies developed through R&D activities are disseminated to the member gardens through a wide network of advisory personnel who conduct regular hands-on demonstrations and workshops.
Photos courtesy Team Orthodox | Tocklai Tea Research Center
Share this post India’s Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Jorhat announced the winners of the 2024 Tech Brew Hackathon competition, held on International Tea Day. The winning students received 50,000 rupees for tackling their choice of five industry challenges. Teams from 20 universities participated. | Episode 171 | 7 June 2024
