With the warmth of spring comes the peak season for the production of new tea in North China. In the Zhucheng Green Tea production area, located in Taolin town, Zhucheng, Weifang, Shandong province, high-tech products in the tea fields are particularly eye-catching.
The standing cameras, temperature and humidity sensors and automated irrigation systems in the tea fields are showcasing the tea industry’s new quality productive forces.
“We have achieved digitized management in various aspects such as planting, irrigation, fertilization and harvesting. It enables our tea fields to have intelligent management,” said Wang Zerong, head of a tea field in Taolin.
From relying on weather to grow tea to depending on digital tools, a safe and reliable power supply is a crucial factor. To ensure the large-scale production and sale of spring tea in the local area, starting from March, State Grid Zhucheng Power Supply Company organized a spring tea service team to enter the fields and conduct inspections in the 48 distribution substations connected to the tea fields. During the spring inspection, any potential safety hazards are eliminated immediately.
“During the peak power consumption period in the tea fields, we use drones, infrared thermometers, digital monitoring and other means to inspect the facilities in the tea fields. It greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of the inspections,” said Wang Ruining, head of the Taolin Power Supply Station of the State Grid Zhucheng Power Supply Company. Since March, they have discovered and dealt with a total of 12 safety hazards.
In the fried tea workshop of Zhucheng Yiming Tea, more than 10 types of machines such as tea fryers, dryers, sifters, strip machines and packaging machines are running efficiently and preparing fresh green tea for sale nationwide. Compared to South China’s green tea, northern green tea is widely recognized by its full leaves, resistance to brewing, strong and fragrant taste and excellent quality.
“From hand-fried tea to electrically fried tea, we have achieved precise control over the heating process. The tea has a strong aroma and a mellow taste after processing. We can easily fry more than 50 kilograms of tea in a day. Reliable electricity is the key to the quality of tea. Good electricity ensures a good frying process,” said a staff member surnamed Wang, who has been engaged in tea production for more than 20 years.
Currently, there are more than 500 green tea production enterprises in Zhucheng, with tea fields covering about 2,467 hectares. In order to strengthen the Zhucheng Green Tea brand, the State Grid Zhucheng Power Supply Company has taken multiple measures to facilitate the production, processing and sale of green tea in recent years. Using digital system platforms, they are collecting the electricity usage information in real time and can tailor scientific plans to meet customers’ personalized electricity needs.
In addition, they have opened a green channel for serving tea farmers and provided one-stop services for enterprises. Customers can ensure reliable electricity without having to visit service windows. Moreover, the use of electricity is being promoted well in the key processes of irrigation, baking and others in the green tea industry.