Day 201 - Tea Plantation

(Ursula) We are in the northernmost Province of Argentina, Missiones, driving south towards Buenos Aires. Today we are visiting a tea plantation.

Tea grows here as 4-feet high hedges planted in long rows. We saw the fields where workers cut off new growth with a particular machine. New growth is being harvested about every two weeks.

We were allowed to see the facility where the leaves were dried and processed.

The harvested green leaves shrink and curl up during the drying process. Once dry, they are transported via a conveyor belt and placed onto layered vibrating sieves. The tea that stays on the top sieve becomes the #1 quality. The sieve below yields the #2 quality, and so on. There are a total of 5 sieves. The bottom one collects the tiny parts (lowest quality) used in tea bags.

A Dutch company, the largest customer, owns 51% of this plantation and operation.

After the visit, director Niederberger invited us to his parent's home for coffee and home-baked bunt cake. His mom talked to us in German about coming to Argentina from Austria after WW II and the hard work of clearing the land and planting tea.

Life seems challenging in Argentina for business owners with the constant currency devaluations and ever-changing governments.

Stats: Miles 5, Expenses $2.70Read more