Xiangxi has 3 major tea-producing counties

The survey result of 2023 Major Tea-producing Counties was announced during the 19th China Tea Industry Economic Annual Conference held in Xianning City, Hubei Province on November 18. Baojing County, Jishou City, and Guzhang County of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture were selected due to their rapidly increasing tea industry development strength and tea brand influence. In addition, Baojing County won the title of “County for High-quality Development of Tea Industry in 2023”, and Guzhang County was rated as the “County for Innovative Development of Tea Industry in 2023”.

Baojing, Guzhang and Jishou have made efforts to promote the high-quality development of the tea industry according to local conditions, and regarded tea as an important industry that consolidates the achievements of poverty alleviation and helps rural revitalization.

The Baojing Golden Tea base covers an area of 150,000 mu (10,000 hectares), with a comprehensive output value exceeding 2 billion yuan, which has helped increase the income of approximately 85,000 people in 11 towns throughout the county. Guzhang County has a tea area of 200,000 mu (about 13,333.33 hectares), and 48,000-mu (3,200 hectares) tea plantation base has adopted the pollution-free cultivation method to produce organic tea. There are currently 3 high-quality tea gardens and 18 standard tea gardens. The regulatory protection of Guzhang Maojian Tea has been selected among the second batch of typical cases of national geographical indication products for rural revitalization.

Jishou City currently has tea garden bases of 155,000 mu (about 10,333.33 hectares), and over 170 tea enterprises and cooperatives, including 2 national demonstration cooperatives and 2 national high-tech enterprises.

Xiangxi Prefecture has a total tea cultivation area of over 900,000 mu (60,000 hectares), ranking first in Hunan, with a production capacity of 15,900 tons and a comprehensive output value of 8.856 billion yuan. The population engaged in the tea industry exceeds 600,000. It has 29 geographical indication products, involving 273 enterprises, with a related output value of over 7 billion yuan.