Jasmine hub unveils production codes

The country's largest jasmine-producing region is introducing new production standards to improve quality and strengthen supply chains for the country's fast-growing tea beverage industry.

At the 2026 national jasmine tea production and sales conference this month, Hengzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region released two group standards covering jasmine cultivation and fresh flower grading. The standards, which took effect on Wednesday, aim to move the industry from experience-based farming toward standardized production.

The move comes as demand for jasmine continues to rise, driven by the rapid expansion of the country's tea beverage sector.

Known as the "World Capital of Jasmine," Hengzhou produces more than 60 percent of the world's fresh jasmine flowers and over 80 percent of China's output. The city supplies raw materials to more than 100 beverage brands, including Luckin Coffee, Mixue Group and Chagee, making it one of the country's most important sourcing hubs for jasmine tea.

Officials and industry participants said the new standards are designed to improve consistency in flower quality while providing a framework for growers and processors to upgrade production.

"The introduction of standards is an inevitable step for the industry's development," Chen Daoping, vice-president of the Hengzhou Flower Tea Association, told Science and Technology Daily.

Chen said the association plans to expand standardized planting through a model linking leading enterprises, farming households and third-party service providers. Standards specifically tailored for jasmine tea used in the country's booming new-style tea beverage sector are also under development, he said.

For processors, standardized production could improve both efficiency and brand competitiveness.

Over the past decade, Hengzhou has expanded beyond flower cultivation to build an industry spanning planting, processing, trading, scientific research, cultural tourism, and deep processing.

Today, jasmine is used not only in traditional scented tea, but also in ready-to-drink beverages, fragrances and food products, creating higher value-added opportunities for the region.

The conference also sent a reassuring signal to beverage companies after severe flooding disrupted production earlier this year.

In July, Typhoon Maysak struck Hengzhou during the peak jasmine harvesting season, inundating flower fields and damaging crops just as farmers entered the crucial flowering period.

The disaster prompted support from both local government and industry players.

The Coca-Cola China system, together with the One Foundation and Guangxi Swire Coca-Cola, activated its emergency disaster-relief program, delivering drinking water to affected communities before employees joined local farmers in clearing silt, pruning damaged plants and restoring flower fields.

Luckin Coffee, one of Hengzhou's largest buyers, said it remained in close contact with growers and supply-chain partners throughout the recovery process.

The company said it would continue supporting the restoration of production facilities and flower fields while maintaining long-term cooperation with Hengzhou to build a stable, high-quality supply chain for its jasmine beverage products.

Other beverage companies, including Wahaha and Eastroc Beverage, said the flooding had limited impact on their raw material supplies, but that they would continue monitoring conditions in the production area.

By early September, many of Hengzhou's flooded flower fields had begun to recover, with new jasmine buds emerging as production gradually returned to normal.

wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn