The Matcha Shortage

The Current Situation

If you’ve noticed your matcha getting pricier or harder to find, you’re not alone. The world is currently experiencing a global matcha shortage, caused by several key factors converging all at once: challenges in growing the tea, limitations in production and processing, and skyrocketing global demand. Here’s our in-depth guide to what’s really happening behind the scenes.

1. Challenges on the Farms

Japan’s core tea-growing regions, Uji, Kyoto, and Shizuoka, have faced record-breaking heatwaves and unpredictable weather over the past few years. Tea plants are extremely sensitive to climate changes, and these conditions have caused significant stress to crops. Many farms have reported up to a 25% drop in yields, which directly affects how much matcha can be produced each season.

What makes this impact even greater is that matcha is made only from the youngest and most tender tea leaves -the very buds of the tea plant. These are carefully cultivated and shaded for several weeks before harvest to develop their bright colour and rich umami flavour. The conditions are even more specific for ceremonial-grade matcha, as these delicate leaves are harvested just once a year in the spring, during a very short window when conditions are ideal. This means no more ceremonial matcha can be produced in the same year once the spring harvest passes.

Lastly, beyond climate issues, the tea farming industry faces a generational shift. Many long-time tea farmers are nearing retirement, and fewer and fewer young people are taking over family-run operations. As a result, the number of active farms is shrinking, and maintaining the quality and volume of traditional matcha production has become increasingly difficult.

2. Production and Processing Bottlenecks

Even when tea leaves are successfully grown, turning them into matcha is a highly specialized process. After harvest, the leaves are steamed, dried, and deveined to become tencha (the unground form of the tea leaves), which is then ground into an ultra-fine powder (matcha) using traditional stone mills.

Because each mill grinds only a small amount at a time, the process is slow and precise. It can’t be sped up or scaled without affecting the heat and friction of the mill affecting quality. Japan also has a limited number of matcha processing facilities, and all of them are already running at full capacity, booked up for months or years in advance.

Add in ongoing export delays, shipping costs, and rising tariffs, and you get the supply bottlenecks and price increases that matcha drinkers around the world are now feeling.

3. Rising Global Demand

Lastly, we have the factor driving all these production issues: matcha’s popularity has exploded worldwide. Once reserved for traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, it’s now part of everyday life -found in lattes, desserts, skincare, and supplements all around the globe.

This growing appreciation for matcha’s taste and health benefits has been wonderful to see, but it’s also placed a huge strain on a traditional supply chain that wasn’t built for mass global demand. The result is a market that’s more competitive, more expensive, and more unpredictable than ever.

The Future of Matcha 

Industry experts say the upcoming spring harvest might bring a little relief, but real, lasting change will take time. For matcha lovers, now’s the time to slow down, savor what’s here, and buy with intention. This moment is a reminder that even the most time-honored traditions can feel the pressures of modern demand, and that protecting them takes patience, respect, and care for both the craft and the planet behind it.

There has also been no better time to explore new teas. Whether you love Japanese Teas, Taiwanese teas, high caffeine or low caffeine, there’s a brew for you and we’d love to help you find it. Head to our stone-milled tea powder section to get started!

We’re also keeping an eye on a new wave of matcha grown and processed outside of Japan. Countries like China and Korea are starting to invest in their own matcha farms, with others in Asia eager to follow -a great sign that the future of matcha might be broader and more diverse, yet just as inspiring as its roots.