New varieties of VP tea plants

The Kottawa Centre of Tea Research Institute recently introduced new varieties of VP tea plants for tea smallholders who engage in re-planting under the tea subside scheme of the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority, at the Kottawa Tea Research Centre. A part of the land is allocated for the growing of new varieties of VP plants such as 2022, 2027, 3025, 3055, 4049 and 4052. Tea pluckers are given a training in shear plucking on scientific methods. An employee could pluck about 50 or 60 kilograms of green leaf a day using this plucking shear. Here the new variety of tea at the Tea Research Centre (left) and all employee engages in shear plucking (right). (Pictured by Theja Vidyarupa - Akuressa group correspondent)