STiR coffee and tea magazine

18 STiR coffee and tea | 2024 Issue 1 (February / March) A Year of Fire and Ice China is testing the endurance of plants subject to months of summer highs that exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, followed by the country's most extended cold wave in modern history. Meanwhile, Japan experienced a November high of 27.5 degrees in Tokyo, marking 142 days of temperatures that topped 25 degrees Celsius. Miyagijima Island recorded 31.3C on Nov. 6, one of 90 locations reporting all-time highs dating to 1890. China's cold wave arrived from Siberia in early December, bringing minus 30C weather to the far north and extending deep into the tea-growing regions in the central provinces, even reaching the southernmost coastal cities. Shanghai endured its worst cold snap in 40 years on Dec. 21 as temperatures fell to minus 6, remaining below zero for five straight days. Guizhou Guitianxia Tea shared photos of its frozen tea gardens located 1,200 meters above sea level in Duyun City, Guizhou Province. The Duyun tea gardens produce Duyun Maojian (green tea). A spokesperson said the tea was unharmed. "Once the frozen season ends, there will be fewer insects," she said, "so we don't need to use chemical products to get rid of insects." China's National Meteorological Center forecasts far-reaching impacts due to prolonged cold, with temperatures falling as much as 16 to minus five degrees Celsius. Globally, 2023 was the warmest calendar year in global temperature, according to records dating to 1850. Earth shattered averages for daily, monthly, and seasonal periods. Temperatures were 1.48 degrees centigrade higher than the long-term average air temperatures before humans began burning fossil fuel. New daily global temperature records were recorded on more than 200 days in 2023, a streak that included 116 daily records between Aug. 15 and Dec. 8. Guizhou Guitianxia Tea Groupe Co., Ltd. shared these photos of frozen tea gardens in Duyun City, Guizhou Province, at an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level. Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric science at Texas A&M University, told BBC, "What struck me was not just that [2023] was record- breaking, but the amount by which it broke previous records." The margin of some of these records is "really astonish- ing," said Dressler. Tea is hearty, and low temperatures can benefit growth and reproduction, but extremely low temperatures and frost in early and late spring depress yield, reduce quality, and cause perma- nent damage. Covered by snow, tea plants can withstand temperatures of -15 degrees centigrade (5 degrees Fahren- heit). Tea plants unprotected by snow cannot survive long at temperatures between -5 and -10 degrees centigrade. What is the forecast for 2024? According to the British Meteorologi- cal Service, the global average tempera- ture could temporarily cross 1.5 degrees centigrade (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Average global temperatures for 2024 are forecast to be between 1.34 degrees Celsius and 1.58 degrees above the pre-industrial period that began in 1850. Thaifex: Blending Tradition, Innovation, and Technology Southeast Asia is rich in café history and tradition, shaping contemporary global trends that will be vividly displayed at the upcoming THAIFEX - HOREC Asia, March 6-8, 2024, at IMPACT, Muang Thong Thani. The three-day event in Bangkok will feature over 300 brands exhibiting the latest equipment, technology, and services. THAIFEX expects to attract 20,000 trade visitors, including 500 key buyers, fostering industry passion and new connections. Business owners and hospitality industry professionals from hotels, restaurants, and catering (HoReCa) will find on display the products, equipment, and services to take their enterprise to the next level. Highlights include the ASEAN Barista Team Challenge, which emphasizes excellence, and the THAIFEX - HOREC Academy, which offers deep insights into hospitality from leading experts. Tea Report

• Cover