2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Tea plants, Camellia sinensis, are highly adaptable to southeastern Louisiana and are becoming more widely known in the Gulf States. Unique specialty crops such as tea have a niche market in the Southeast. However, before developing an industry for this new crop, it is important to gain a valid understanding of consumer preferences and willingness to purchase locally-grown or value-added products derived from such crops. A viable market must be in place prior to producing large acreages of specialty crops. Funded by the LaDAF, a LSU AgCenter research project on tea has conducted a consumer survey and generated interesting results based on responses from tea consumers in Louisiana. Demand for various types of tea and preference in tea’s origin and desires for specific production practices such as sustainable, organic, or integrated pest management were surveyed. Consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) at ranging price points for these attributes were also determined. As current and perspective tea growers are looking for business strategies, results generated from this project will help them better understand the market and where the niche is that they would like to fit in.