The Tea Research and Extension Station is the research and development center of Taiwan tea where scientists and tea masters conduct study, research and experiment to improve tea plantations, to develop new and better cultivars, to manufacture and educate the industry and consumers in Taiwan. It is located on a 20-hectare (49-acre) site in Yangmei District, a region in which the slightly acidic soil not well suited for other agriculture has seen tea become a major crop. It is the only professional institution for the study and testing of tea in Taiwan, and is affiliated to the governmental Council of Agriculture.