Objective This study aims to evaluate the development level of tea production mechanization in Fujian Province, identify its most influential factors and constraints, and propose targeted development directions and enhancement paths, thereby providing theoretical support and decision-making references for the high-quality development of Fujian’s tea industry during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

Method Based on panel data from 2018 to 2023 and in accordance with industry standards, the comprehensive mechanization rate of tea garden production and the mechanization rate of tea primary processing in Fujian Province over six years were measured from seven dimensions, including mechanical intertillage, fertilization, plant protection, pruning, harvesting, transportation, and primary processing. These rates were compared with the national average and those of eight major tea-producing provinces. Pearson correlation coefficients were employed to explore the correlation characteristics among various indicators, and panel data regression analysis was conducted using a multiple regression model to reveal the influencing mechanism of mechanization development.

Result (1) In 2023, the comprehensive mechanization rate of tea garden production in Fujian was 37.37%, which was 4.03 percentage points higher than the national average, ranking the 5th among major tea-producing provinces in China. (2) From the perspective of sub-indicators of the comprehensive tea garden mechanization rate, the mechanization level of field transportation in Fujian’s tea gardens was the highest, reaching 50.40% in 2023. The order of the remaining indicators was as follows: mechanical pruning ＞ mechanical plant protection ＞mechanical harvesting ＞ mechanical intertillage ＞ mechanical fertilization, with the mechanical fertilization rate being the lowest (14.37%). (3) From a temporal perspective, the comprehensive mechanization rate of tea garden production in Fujian increased by 36.83% from 2018 to 2023, with an average annual growth rate of 8.98%, which was 28.2 percentage points higher than the national average annual growth rate. Among all indicators, the mechanical plant protection rate exhibited the fastest growth. (4) In 2023, the mechanization rate of tea primary processing in Fujian was 57.75%, 11.14 percentage points higher than the national average, ranking the 4th among major tea-producing provinces in China. (5) Correlation analysis indicated that the comprehensive mechanization rate of tea garden production was significantly positively correlated with the ownership rate of tea garden machinery, but not significantly correlated with tea yield per unit area (r = -0.109) or tea garden area (r = -0.225). Among all links, the plant protection mechanization rate had the strongest correlation with the comprehensive mechanization rate (r = 0.907), followed by the pruning mechanization rate (r = 0.877). There was significant heterogeneity among different tea-producing provinces in terms of the efficiency of mechanization in promoting production benefits. (6) The advantages of tea production mechanization in Fujian are concentrated in the primary processing and field transportation links, mainly attributed to the large number, large scale, and strong comprehensive strength of tea enterprises, as well as the improved road infrastructure in tea gardens. The main constraints include the low mechanization rates of intertillage and fertilization caused by the steep slope of tea gardens, and the immaturity of mechanical harvesting technology for high-quality famous tea.

Suggestion  The key directions for improving the tea production mechanization rate in Fujian during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period are as follows: (1) Promote the standardized reconstruction of tea gardens to lay a solid foundation for mechanized production; (2) Break through the bottleneck of mechanical harvesting of high-quality famous tea, develop new productive forces relying on digital and intelligent technologies, and realize intelligent and precise harvesting; (3) Increase investment in the research and development of suitable tea garden machinery for hilly and mountainous areas, strengthen collaborative innovation, and promote a qualitative leap in the mechanization level of the entire tea production and processing chain.