COMPARATIVE STUDY ON SHEAR VERSUS HAND PLUCKING OF UP- COUNTRY TEA

Abstract

A better-quality made tea relies on the plucking standard, and the aim of maintaining an optimum plucking standard is to obtain an economic yield, produce high-quality tea, and keep the tea bushes in good health. Currently, the Sri Lankan tea industry encounters low productivity, high production costs, and a declining workforce. The cost of harvesting bears a significant share of the total production cost. Therefore, the tea industry should be supported with cost-effective methods of harvesting. The purpose of this research was to investigate an alternative technique for tea harvesting that is suitable for use in the upcountry, rugged terrain. A comparative assessment was conducted in Fields 02 and 12B of Glentilt Estate, each covering 0.25 hectares and comprising approximately 3,125 KO145 tea bushes. Data collected over seven rounds of hand plucking and four rounds of shear plucking, focusing on plucking rate, plucking average, and leaf standard. An interviewer-administered survey was also conducted among pluckers, field officers, and manufacturing staff to capture perceptions of shear plucking. Results indicate no significant difference (p<0.05) in leaf standard between the two methods. However, shear plucking demonstrated a significantly higher plucking rate (6.4 ± 0.3 kg/h) and plucking average (31.9 ± 1.6 kg/day) compared to hand plucking (4.2 ± 0.2 kg/h and 21.1 ± 0.8 kg/day, respectively). According to the survey, field officers, manufacturing staff, and hand pluckers prefer shear plucking due to its high efficiency, reduce refuse and higher made tea. Based on the findings, shear plucking can be suggested as a suitable alternative to conventional methods. However, further studies are recommended to validate these results and establish a more definitive recommendation.