NUMBER OF THE DAY
Japan’s green tea exports hit this record high last year, a fourfold increase within a decade driven by the global matcha boom.
🍵 Green Gold: Matcha prices doubled within a year. Even in Tokyo, shelves are empty as TikTok-driven demand overwhelms traditional producers.
🌱 Production Bottleneck: Japan’s aging farmers can’t keep up with the boom. The government is considering subsidies for labor-intensive tencha fields, which must be protected from the sun.
Watch: The matcha hype illustrates the power of social media in the food market, while centuries-old Japanese tea producers struggle to balance tradition and mass production.
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