A farmer harvests tea leaves at Sanjiao Maodian village in Chi'an town, Yiwu. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

The first batch of spring tea leaves in Yiwu was harvested on March 16.

"Each of us can pick one to two kilograms of tea leaves per day, earning 100 yuan ($14.66) per kilogram. This additional income helps us support our families," said Zhu Meiju, one of the local tea pickers.

A tea garden in Chi'an town, Yiwu. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

As the harvest season progresses, more villagers will be joining in on the action, and up to 150 people will be simultaneously picking tea leaves during the peak period that falls during the Qingming Festival on April 5.

The tea trees in the plantation have been growing for nearly 60 years. The contractor of the tea plantation, Mao Yuanfa, expects to harvest 10,000 kilograms of tea leaves this year.

Yiwu's spring tea is currently selling for around 1,000 to 1,300 yuan per kilogram, a 25 percent increase compared to the same period last year.