The traditional method of harvesting tea is hand-picking, which remains the most common harvesting method in Taiwan today. In addition, there are shear harvesting and machine harvesting. Shear harvesting is relatively rare in Taiwan, while machine harvesting is more common in mid-to low-elevation tea regions due to its speed and low cost. Below is an introduction to tea harvesting methods:
Hand-picking: A harvesting method where tea leaves are plucked using the index finger and thumb. For general Oolong and Pouchong teas, one bud with two leaves or one bud with three leaves is harvested; Black tea mostly uses one bud with three leaves; Oriental Beauty tea is harvested as one bud or one bud with one leaf. The advantages of hand-picking are that it causes less damage to the leaves, and fish leaves and mature leaves can be left unpicked; the disadvantages are slower speed, and the labor cost alone for 600 g of tea leaves ranges from NT$300 to NT$500.
Machine harvesting: Offers the advantages of fast speed and low cost. The disadvantages are that tea leaves are easily broken, and mature leaves and stems are easily cut in, requiring refined processing. Machine harvesting uses a mechanical harvester to cut the tea leaves. The harvesting speed of a single machine can equal about 100 tea pickers. Currently, machine harvesting is quite common for mid- to low-elevation teas in Taiwan, and is also used in high-elevation tea regions when harvesting cannot be completed in time.