Japan facing tea shortage after restrictions over radiation
The Japanese tea industry is still feeling the aftereffects of the radiation leak at Fukushima power station, as government restricts tea shipments from four prefectures. The restriction applies on dried tea leaves containing more than 500 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram. Shizuoka prefecture, which accounts for about 40% of the country's output, has declared its fresh leaves safe, although questions remain about cesium levels in dried leaves, which may be up to 5 times higher than in fresh crops. Experts expect higher prices as a result, and a shift by local consumers towards cheaper alternatives such as barley or oolong tea. Japan's tea output was worth $1.3 billion in 2009.