Recently, the assessment of the value of public tea brands in 2016 was publicized officially. Pubuxianming, a brand of Yuyao, ranked 70th with a brand value of 0.87bn yuan. Following closely behind was the tea brand Wanghaicha worth 0.791bn yuan. However, considering that they've ever both made it into the top 40, the result turned out to be a drastic plummet.
Ningbo's tea industry has been troubled with the lack of renowned brands. So what on earth has impeded the growth of local tea brands? How to develop local tea business?
Pubuxianming, a brand worth 0.87bn yuan
Since 2000, a new type of branding featuring public regional brands gained popularity in agriculture, of which the tea business is the most representative.
The assessment of Chinese public regional tea brands are carried out by the Center for China Agricultural Brands of Zhejiang University, based on the CARD model. Released every year, its result has been a faithful reflection of Chinese tea business since it was initiated 6 years ago.
Since December of 2015, the research group has shortlisted 108 brands from a number of eligible brands in mainland China. Afterwards, through multiple ways including literature review, investigation of experts, and consumer feedbacks, 92 brands were properly assessed, of which Tieguanyin, the tea band in Anxi worth 6.004bn yuan topped the list.
However, Pubuxianming, the brand of Ningbo, ranked only 70th with a brand value of 0.87bn yuan, followed by another local brand Wanghaicha worth 0.791bn yuan.
Since June of 2002 when Pubuxianming became the first brand in Ningbo with geographical indications, its price can reach over 1000 yuan per kilogram, which not only contributed to an increase of over 6 million yuan in local collective economy but also raised the average income of local famers to nearly 15,000 yuan. In contrast, the same tea was only sold at 120 yuan per kilo before, and the income of famers then averaged less than 10,000 yuan.
Ningbo's tea brands are diversified yet weak
Tea plantations in Ningbo cover 220,000mu in total with annual yields exceeding 2000 tons worth over 0.8bn yuan. But compared with other regions that cultivate tea, Ningbo faces quite a few problems in the general development of its tea business, especially in its cultivation of competitive brands. There are more public brands run by local governments but fewer brands created by enterprises. Besides, most tea exporters are actually OEMs, while only a select few have self-owned brands. All those have long hindered the development of local tea brands.
According to information from the department of forestry, currently Ningbo owns about 2700 tea marketing firms with over 300 tea brands. However, in terms of their reputation, only 8 major brands including Wanghaicha, Yinxuexuebaicha, Fenghuaquhao and Pubuxianming have made their names known to the locals.
The brands of Ningbo regard local market as their main battleground, so the competition is so fierce that tea firms reap quite thin margins. Teeming with small businesses struggling alone, the tea market in Ningbo, though large, lacks competitiveness, which calls for a leading brand with influence, said an official of the Municipal Forestry Bureau.
Some famers are weak and short-sighted without much knowledge of branding, their sales unregulated. And large enterprises, though valuing branding, lack publicity and sophisticated systems of quality control, said Wang Kairong, an expert in tea from Ningbo.
The merging of brands is an irresistible trend
Cheng Qikun, member of China International Tea Culture Institute, has proposed in a symposium about the development of tea brands held in Ningbo that to achieve progress in the output of local tea business, we should focus on fostering influential local tea brands. And a sound policy would be to merge the existing brands, so that with a united force the clout of Ningbo tea can be enhanced.
He added that plenty of brands in areas of Zhejiang had already engaged in it, like the Lishuxiangcha in Lishui, the Anjibaicha in Anji, the Longding in Kaihua, etc. And they made conspicuous progress, with output and sales as well as market influence all rising. So indeed, the merging of brands has become an irresistible trend.
Actually, early in 2012, Ningbo's tea industry has embarked on the development of a united brand, namely, Mingzhouxianming, to pool the resources. To be united under the brand of Mingzhouxianming does not mean that other local brands will be replaced, rather, it intends to encourage solidarity among local brands of green tea, transform their backward production pattern, and improve their industrialization, so as to create an influential brand with joint efforts, said an official of the Mingzhouxianming Tea Cooperative.
In May, Ningbo founded the Tea Marketing Association, in order to expedite the promotion of Mingzhouxianming while also effecting the strategy that each county should fosters a local brand. Besides, it aspired to guide the adjustment of the industrial structure and the production of tea business. In suitable place, it also sought to combine tea production, processing, sightseeing, health restoration and entertainment in pursuit of a new model for the development of Ningbo's tea business.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Recently, the assessment of the value of public tea brands in 2016 was publicized officially. Pubuxianming, a brand of Yuyao, ranked 70th with a brand value of 0.87bn yuan. Following closely behind was the tea brand Wanghaicha worth 0.791bn yuan. However, considering that they've ever both made it into the top 40, the result turned out to be a drastic plummet.
