Bois Chéri is known for its tea crops, so aesthetic in the early morning when the pickers are busy in colorful clothes and stand out against the beautiful soft green of the valleys. Imported to the island in 1765 by Abbot Galloys, tea has been cultivated in Mauritius since the early 19th century. Reduced for decades to a few hundred acres, this crop experienced a significant expansion after the Second World War. In 1946, an expert even recommended devoting 50,000 acres to this plant, and stated that the Domaine de Bois Chéri could compare with the finest tea plantations in Ceylon! This optimism was short-lived, as in 1994 there were only 3,028 hectares of tea plantations, reduced to 671 hectares in 1999 and 650 today. This decrease is explained by the high costs of a production that requires important and expensive equipment, as well as an abundant labor force - knowing that to obtain 1 kg of tea, it is necessary to pick 5 kg of green leaves. In comparison, sugarcane is more profitable, hence the gradual conversion of most tea plantations to sugarcane fields at the end of the 20th century. Nowadays, tea cultivation is still mainly developed in the vicinity of Curepipe (Corson production) and on the Bois Chéri estate. The latter company produces an average of one thousand tons of tea per year, a large part of which is sold in Mauritius and another part exported to France, Germany, South Africa and Reunion Island. The factory can be visited on site.

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Plantations de thé et lac de cratère de Bois Chéri. Cathyline DAIRIN
Plantation de la route du Thé. Author's Image
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