1. In terms of the Construction Bureau, what are its plans for the tea industry in Taipei County?

Answer: Agriculture itself is primary production, secondary processing, and thirdly selling. Currently in Taipei , Muzha District produces Tieguanyin and Baozhong tea and Nangang produces Baozhong tea. Currently the Farmer’s Association directly assists the tea farmers in the two major tea districts. But because of limitations in human resources and funds, the Construction Bureau does not have statistics or research related to tea.

As for the role of the government, they do not have a specialized policy that plans the future direction of the tea industry, they respect the market mechanisms. Our government has the role of assisting, the tea related activities we promote are all cooperations with the Farmer’s Association, and the main activity promoted is the “Tea Leaf Competition.”

2. What are the actual benefits of having tea leaf competitions?
Answer: Having tea leaf competitions have the following meanings:

(1) Decrease the overuse or residue of pesticides: Through tea leaf competitions, the government will help the consumers control tea leaf quality, the amount of pesticides, and protect the safety of the public.

(2) Establish evaluation and rewards system: We invite professional tea masters and specialists as judges, to evaluate good quality tea leaves as verification for consumers when they buy tea, and it also honors good tea masters and tea farmers.

(3) Establish good quality tea leaf brands: After evaluating the good tea, the government will distribute quality assurance stickers, it is similar to the ID card of good quality teas, and it also helps the sales and marketing of the tea farmers.

3. Besides tea leaf competitions, are there any other activities?
Answer: We mainly focus on the education of the general public, for hardware there are promotional units such as the Nangang Farmer’s Association and the Nangang Tea Production Demonstration Factory. In terms of software we have a series of “Little Tea Master” educational promotion activities.

4. Why has tea slowly disappeared, and the number of tea farmer decreasing, what are the obstacles they face in the future?
Answer: Fast-food culture is currently popular, so it is natural that the tea leaf population is decreasing, tea needs to be tasted and it requires time, the number of consumers have decreased, but the main obstacle is “the mouth quality of modern people have decreased.” Flavored drinks on the market are mostly imported tea essence or flavorings; it does not equal tea culture. When you drink tea, do you notice the taste on your tongue and if there is a taste in your throat; after drinking it down, what does your body feel. Tea needs to be delicately “tasted,” and that takes time and understanding.