Drought affects tea production in China

Prolonged drought and persisting heatwave have affected tea production in China's Zhejiang province, authorities said.

The drought has hit 27,000 hectares of tea gardens across the province, reported Xinhua.

Tea farms in Hangzhou, Huzhou and Lishui cities were worst affected, the department said Friday.

The average rainfall since July has been only 58 mm in the province, down over 70 percent from the same period last year.

In Tonglu county, 40 hectares of tea farms have withered due to prolonged high temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius. It is estimated that tea output in the county will fall by 70 percent.