Russia’s Native Tea Stands Despite Frost and Few Funds

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By Vladislav Vorotnikov

Krasnodar was once the tea of Tsars.

Russian tea culture dates to 1567, when court nobility returned with tea leaves from a trip to China. Russians have preferred tea to coffee ever since.

The dream of cultivating tea on Russian soil dates back centuries but a harsh climate and severe frost make it nearly impossible to grow commercially. The sole exception is the Black Sea coastal city of Sochi.

Determined innovators first tried growing tea toward the end of the 19th century in Krasnodar Krai on the Kuban River near Sochi. But a succession of hard frosts and the lack of empirical knowledge eventually killed even the hardiest bushes. By the end of the century Tsarist agronomists declared that it was not possible to grow tea in the Russian Empire, at least north of Georgia.

ALSO: Tea returns to Georgia

Peasant Judas Koshman didn’t heed these warnings and in 1901 despite frosts and snow was able to establish a commercial tea plantation of 800 plants in Solohaule, Krasnodar. Koshman had previously worked at several tea plantations in Georgia where he learned cold-weather practices that enabled his first tea harvest of 50 kilos in 1904. His original planting was from Georgian seed.

Sochi remains the only region in Russia where tea is grown commercially. At one time Sochi produced nearly 60,000 metric tons but today the harvest is a modest 300 MT, a decline over the past 20 years from 2,000 MT. Picturesque plantations that prospered at that time have become expensive resorts, roads or stadiums. Some predict the remaining gardens will sink into oblivion.

Tea cultivation is slowly dying

Despite fierce attempts by local businessmen to revive the industry it is hard to conclude things are going well. Since the millenium tea production near the city has collapsed five times, leaving only a few dozen tea-growing companies in Sochi, according to deputy mayor Oleg Yasuk.

“During the years 2005-15 production declined from 1,495 MT to 316 MT, according to our estimates. Yasuk estimates that 1,175 hectares of the 1,406 hectares set aside for the production of tea leaves “are overgrown with grass and not used for this purpose.”

Several dozen companies are licensed to manufacture tea on agricultural land, but few are doing so. Hope is not lost however. Russian advisors recently began working on this problem for the first time in several years, according to Yasuk.

“Rosselhoznadzor (the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) is now monitoring the activity of tea growers. Several companies have been fined up to RUB 450,000 (US$7,000) for failing to grow tea on land designated for tea cultivation.

“We expect that agricultural land from these failed companies will be taken away in favor of entrepreneurs who are actually willing to grow tea near the city,” he said.

The city council has 400 applications from companies interested in growing tea, but the land designated for tea cultivation is strictly limited. The largest tracts lie in Kransnodar Krai in the mountains near Sochi on land desired by developers of fruit orchards and tourist attractions.

He says “now is the time deal with the mess. Tea growers have no money to work with and some are now growing fruit to support their operations. However, this practice is not allowed by operating license.”

Once adopted, a program under review by the city council to assist tea growers “should give impetus to investors to bring money into the revival of plantations,” said Yasuk, adding that officials don’t expect the underlying issues to be resolved quickly.

Challenges and opportunities

There are six major tea-growing companies in the region: Matsesta Chai, Dagomys Chai, Adler Chai, Khosta Chai, Solohaul Chai, and Shapsugsky Chai, but only the first two listed are profitable. Khosta Chai has a license to cultivate 420 hectares but uses only half of this land for tea.

“We collect tea by hand or with the use of small-scale mechanization. It is hard work. Due to the mountainous terrain, we cannot work on tractors like in Japan,” says Konstantin Turshu, head of Matsesta Chai.

“We pluck every bush seven or eight times during the season. Weeding and harvesting follow with two weeks of exposure for the flush. During this time, the bush is getting fresh new leaves,” explains Vladimir Voronin, chief agronomist at Matsesta Chai.

“During the Soviet era the farms in Sochi reached peak production volumes of 50,000 to 60,000 MT per year, but the market collapsed in the 1990s and tea plantations were overgrown with grass. There was no harvesting or processing of tea at all.”

Statistics marking the decline do not accurately describe the situation on farms throughout the region, he said, adding, “most of the tea-growing companies are really depressed.” In contrast, Matsesta Chai is experiencing a revival.

“Production is reviving. Last year we employed eight growing specialists, today their number has reached 39. In the past year we brought an additional 15 hectares under cultivation. Now our plantations occupy 137 hectares,” said agronomist Voronin. The company could harvest as much as 700 MT.

With an increase in production, the next challenge is to modernize processing and reopen tea factories. It is very important that the processing capacities be located near the plantations, because fast delivery and processing preserves the most useful properties of tea leaves.

“During the season growers begin their work day at 5.30 a.m. By 8 a.m. the first tea harvested is already at the factory, where it is immediately processed using Japanese equipment. That evening we give the finished tea to the packing shop. The night shift packs the tea and by morning it is already on its way to the grocery shelves,” said Voronin.

Only 20% of the lands used to grow tea during the Soviet remains in agricultural use. Reclaiming this land is impossible in some instances, and prohibitively expensive.

“During the past two decades the cost of land here has risen nearly seven times. We do not actually own it,” explain representatives from Adler Chai. Tea companies are leasing for the most part from officials who are tempted to take our land for other more lucrative projects,” according to representatives of Adler Chai.

“Tea company directors have to bow down at the feet of officials regularly asking them to not take our land and keep it for the growing of tea,” confirms Konstantin Turshu, adding that this has resulted in legal threats, trials and thousands of fines, but so far tea companies manage to keep their land.”

A new niche

Turshu maintains that the secret for success at his facility is organic tea production. In the years to come he hopes to steer the company toward a new niche — tea export.

“For the past five years, we have not used any fertilizer except organic (typically cow and bird droppings) which we add to the soil,” he explained. “Our experience proves that organic fertilizers  can be as efficient as mineral [fertilizers],” he said.

He is optimistic. Matsesta Chai increased its production by 30% and introduced new advanced technologies. Several companies joined together to form the Association of Tea Manufacturers of Krasnodar Krai and named Konstantin Turshu to head the new organization.

“We are united to a larger-scale in order to better represent all our companies, as Krasnodar tea. We try to make a delicious product, save jobs and land for agricultural use too,” says Julia Konkova, deputy director general at Dagomys Cha. One of the key tasks of the new organization is to promote export opportunities.

At the moment, Krasnodar tea is only available in several cities in southern and central Russia. However, Turshu expects to change this situation by declaring the association’s intention of export ing Russian tea to England and China.

“Our tea won at the Shanghai Expo last year, and Matsesta Chai has entered The Guild of Fine Food in Britain. Recently we began receiving first offers. We believe that we are ready, since winning in China - that is worth something!” he exclaimed.

Kirillova, spokesperson of Agriculture Ministry of Krasnodar Krai said that at the moment there are still relatively few manufacturers in the world producing organic tea.

“We have studied the world market and with an advertising campaign and the combined efforts of our producers, we believe Krasnodar tea could really be successful in the international market,” she said. “The unique taste will be a welcome surprise for the foreign tea-lovers,” she said.