Question

Why is tea grown mostly along the hill slopes?

Answer 1

Hint: Hill slopes have been found suitable to be adopted for tea gardens all over the tea regions of the monsoon lands, as it offers the best conditions for the cultivation of tea. Different grades of tea are found to be present at varying altitudes.

Complete answer:
The majority of the commercially managed tea plantations are situated in the highlands and on hill slopes which provide good natural drainage. Water stagnation can not be tolerated by the tea plants and thus waterlogged lowlands are the least suited for the cultivation of tea.

Hill slopes have been found suitable to be adopted for tea gardens all over the tea regions of the monsoon lands. It offers the best conditions for the cultivation of tea due to the presence of ‘Undulating and well-watered tracts’, where the water escapes freely without serious soil erosion. In addition, the tea plants grow well in the loamy soil which is found mostly over the hill slopes.

Different grades of tea are found to be present at varying altitudes. For example- The low grade “Low Crown Tea” is obtained from the tea plants grown below 610 meters, the intermediate grade “Medium Crown Tea” is obtained from the tea plants grown at an altitude of around 610-1,200 meters, while the best quality “High Crown Tea” comes from the estates located at an altitude of 1,220 meters and above.

Note: Assam is the single largest tea-growing region in the entire world. The low altitude, rich loamy soil conditions with ample rainfall form a unique climate that helps in producing some of the finest orthodox leaf teas. These are the unique environmental conditions that give the teas their special quality and characters and help orthodox Assam Teas to qualify as a Geographical Indication (G1).