Climate Change Extends Türkiye's Tea Harvest

Climate change has extended Türkiye’s tea harvest into December, marking a shift in the country’s agricultural season.

Türkiye’s tea harvest has been reshaped by climate change, with farmers in the Eastern Black Sea region now picking fresh tea into December. Warmer temperatures are extending the harvest season and redefining the country’s agricultural calendar.

For the first time in Türkiye’s history, the tea harvest in the Eastern Black Sea region has been extended into December. This shift is a direct result of rising temperatures and climate change.

The *Hurriyet Daily News* reported that warmer-than-usual seasonal temperatures have prolonged the harvest period. Farmers are now collecting fresh tea in four pluckings, instead of the usual three.
Tea production is thriving in the provinces of Rize, Trabzon, Artvin, and Giresun, where nearly one million families cultivate tea across 830,000 hectares of land. In Rize, known as Türkiye’s "capital of tea," high-quality harvests are still underway, a trend attributed to the warm weather and the ongoing climate crisis.

Rize accounts for 65.6% of Türkiye’s dry tea production. In previous years, the tea harvest would typically conclude by October.

A 2023 report from Türkiye’s Food Engineers Chamber highlighted the country’s position in the global tea industry: 7th in cultivation area, 5th in dry tea production, and 4th in per capita annual tea consumption.

This unprecedented extension of the harvest season underscores the growing impact of climate change on agriculture. It presents both challenges and opportunities for Türkiye’s tea industry.
 

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