Ning'er of SW China's Yunnan ushers in booming tea-picking season

Photo shows an ecological tea plantation in Ning'er Hani and Yi autonomous county, southwest China's Yunnan province. (Photo/Rao Xuesong)

With the spring tea harvest season going into full swing, farmers from Ning'er Hani and Yi autonomous county, southwest China's Yunnan province, have been busy plucking tea sprouts in anticipation of better sales.

As of the end of 2020, Ning'er county was home to tea plantations covering a total area of 330,000 mu (22,000 hectares), including 204,800 mu of modern ecological tea plantations, 121,600 mu of communities for wild ancient tea trees and 3,600 mu of cultivated ancient tea plantations, with a comprehensive production value of 1.35 billion yuan ($205.87 million).

In recent years, the county has worked to upgrade the tea plantations and build its own tea brands, as part of efforts to turn the tea sector into a cash cow for local villagers.