Affected by the unusual cold weather this spring, the harvest time for Longjing tea in Hangzhou was delayed to around the end of March, Shanghai Morning post reported Tuesday.
Some consumers are beginning to place orders directly from tea farms in Hangzhou, with the average price ranging from 2,000 yuan ($316) to 4,000 yuan per 500 grams. The first batch of tea is expected to be delivered to Shanghai markets this weekend.
The price for premium brands of Longjing tea will stay in line with the prices in 2017. Experts pointed out that location and timing are the most important criteria for premium Longjing tea.
Longjing tea harvested before Qingming Festival is considered supreme and can also be the most expensive. Shifeng Longjing costs 9,800 yuan per 500 grams, while Meijiawu Longjing costs 9,000 yuan per 500 grams.
