Malawi was the pioneer for tea growing in the African continent. The industry dates back to 1890 when Europeans still had abodes in Africa. Jonathan Duncan is attributed with consistently trying out a variety of tea seeds in the soils of British Central Africa (now Malawi) which he obtained from Edinburgh. After many futile efforts, he successfully planted two tea trees in 1878 at the Blantyre Mission grounds.
However, the true diversification of tea growing in the country’s fertile regions is pin-pointed back to one Henry Brown; a Scottish farmer who was in British Central Africa courtesy of Scottish Missionaries. The Missionaries had received the seeds from Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens. Brown was eager to revive his passion in plantation farming after his coffee succumbed to disease in Sri Lanka. He went on to erect tea gardens at his estate and the climate only propelled the crop’s successful growth.
Mlanje (Mulanje) lowlands and the Cholo (Thyolo) highlands were the first recipients of the newly introduced cash crop. The tea gardens in the aforementioned areas acquired the seeds from South Africa’s Natal which were originally transplanted and cultivated in Sri Lanka’s region of Ceylan.
During the 1960’s, tea was the most valuable agricultural product for Malawi with production exceeding 30,000,000lbs of manufactured tea.
Stamps & Postal Products
1964 Definitive Series – 6d Tea Industry
