Chinese tea production to hit record high  

中國茶葉產量繼續創新高　廣州茶博會首設專業觀眾日

今年中國茶葉產量有望突破170萬噸，再創歷史新高。“全球茶葉第一展”-2012中國(廣州)國際茶葉博覽會22日開幕，本屆廣州茶博會會期為5天并首設專業觀眾日，以有效促進交易。

Guangzhou (CNS) -- China's tea production is expected to exceed a record-high 1.7 million tons this year, Zhang Liming, secretary-general of the Guangdong Tea Association, said on Thursday at the opening of the China (Guangzhou) International Tea Expo.

We saw a decrease in production due to adverse climate conditions in early spring, but luckily the weather quickly turned warm in most tea-growing areas of the country by the end of March, when production began to rebound, said Zhang.

Green tea is losing its traditional advantage while red tea, black tea and other types are becoming more popular, Zhang noted.

Guangdong Province is home to 40,000 hectares of tea plantations with steady output growth, he said.

The expo, which is recognized as a top tea fair worldwide, runs till the 26.