Tea is an important beverage in India. The ideal maximum temperature for the growth of the tea plant is about 24–30°C. The tea plant grows well under shade. The tea plant grows well in humid climates. It needs adequate annual rainfall of about 150 cm distributed throughout the year. It grows well in regions of well-drained loamy soil or forest soil rich in humus. There are four types of tea and each is processed differently.
Types of Tea #1
Black Tea
- Withering: Tea leaves are dried under the Sun to extract moisture.
- Rolling: Leaves are then rolled mechanically between steel rollers to break the fibers.
- Fermentation: The leaves are fermented, reducing the amount of tannic acid in tea by half.
- Drying: Leaves are then dried over a fire or in an oven until they are black.
- Blending: Blenders then give blend grades of tea to give it a special aroma.
Types of Tea #2
Green Tea
- The picked leaves are heated immediately by roasting them.
- There is no fermentation process and leaves remain green even when they are dried, graded and packed
Types of Tea #3
Oolong Tea
- This tea is prepared by partially drying and fermenting the leaves.
- Much of this tea is exported to the United States.
Types of Tea #4
Brick Tea
- Inferior and coarser leaves and stems are compressed into rectangular blocks of brick tea.
- This tea is mostly consumed in Tibet and Russia.
YOU MAY READ
8 Types of Agriculture in India
Some types of agricultural farming in India are shifting agriculture, subsistence agriculture, intensive agriculture, extensive farming, plantation farming, and mixed farming.
Major crops in India
There are two major agricultural crops in India —rabi crops and Kharif crops. In India, there are three main types of cropping seasons. They are rabi, Kharif, and Zaid.
Problems Faced by Indian Farmers
Problems Faced by Indian Farmers include Lack of irrigation facilities, Unreliable rainfall, Soil erosion, Reduction in net sown area, Exploitation of farmers