Organic conversion in tea growing areas sheltered by Tam Dao range

THAI NGUYEN To increase product value and develop the Ghenh Che Lake community tourism destination, Cao Son Tea Cooperative is converting tea production methods to organic.

THAI NGUYEN To increase product value and develop the Ghenh Che Lake community tourism destination, Cao Son Tea Cooperative is converting tea production methods to organic.

Cao Son Tea Cooperative is blessed by nature with many favorable conditions to develop its specialty tea growing area. Photo: Quang Linh.

On the hills surrounding Ghenh Che Lake, the safe tea area of ​​Tra Cao Son Cooperative (Khe Lim hamlet, Binh Son commune, Song Cong city, Thai Nguyen) is protected by the Tam Dao range from the harsh summer sun, thanks to which the tea products here have a characteristic mild astringency, and a sweet taste on the tip of the tongue when stored for a long time.

Binh Son Commune is blessed with cool water and a mild climate all year round, very favorable for developing specialty tea areas associated with community tourism.

Cao Son Tea Cooperative currently has 20 hectares of tea produced according to VietGAP standards with 3 products achieving 4-star OCOP and is in the process of upgrading to 5-star. To meet the criteria for upgrading OCOP and increasing product value, the Cooperative is gradually converting to organic farming.

Mr. Pham Van Tien, Director of Tra Cao Son Cooperative, said that all 12 members of the Cooperative are fully aware of the consumer demand for organic products, putting the health of customers as the number one priority. Not only aiming to increase product value, the shift to organic production is first and foremost for the core values ​​of human health, the environment and sustainable development.

Tea plants are healthy, free of pests and diseases, and produce quality, safe products thanks to the conversion to organic farming. Photo: Quang Linh.

Currently, the cooperative composts organic fertilizer to fertilize tea plants from agricultural by-products such as soybeans, corn, discarded fruits, etc. with manure and microbial products.

“Using organic fertilizers helps the cooperative improve degraded land due to long-term cultivation. Currently, not only residential land but also agricultural land is very limited. Therefore, improving land through organic farming helps the cooperative save a lot of production costs,” said Mr. Tien.

Currently, the tea products of Tra Cao Son Cooperative have a relatively high value in the market. Specifically, the price of Dinh tea is 3 - 5 million VND/kg, the price of shrimp tea is 0.8 - 1.5 million VND/kg, the price of Moc tea is 300 - 700 thousand VND/kg, and matcha powder is 1 million VND/kg.

On average, each year, the cooperative produces and consumes about 15 tons of dry tea. The cooperative's consumption market is expanded throughout the provinces and cities in the country such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh... The unit is also actively participating in fairs and trade promotion activities to increase export output.

During the production process, cooperative members always strictly adhere to organic production processes, do not use herbicides, do not use pesticides, only use herbal preparations to prevent and repel insects, use clean water to water tea plants...

Foreign tourists experience at Tra Cao Son Cooperative. Photo: QL.

In particular, the cooperative has received government support to install the iMetos smart weather monitoring station. The iMetos station effectively serves farmers by calculating planting and harvesting schedules, weather forecasting, and early warning of pests and diseases.

“People here have direct contact with tea plants every day, from caring for them, harvesting them, drying them, packaging them, etc. In addition, their houses are located in the middle of the tea fields. If we use chemical and toxic chemicals in our tea, we will be the first to suffer. Therefore, organic farming will protect our own health,” said Ms. Tran Thi Diep, a member of the Cao Son Tea Cooperative.

Not only protecting the living environment, switching to organic production also promotes the development of the Ghenh Che Lake community tourism destination, which has a lot of potential. In recent times, Cao Son Tea Cooperative has attracted a large number of tourists to experience tea picking, becoming a connecting point in the tour of Ghenh Che Lake.

In the coming time, Cao Son Tea Cooperative hopes that local authorities and specialized agencies will plan organic tea areas in Binh Son commune in particular and Khe Lim hamlet in general to create conditions for farmers to change their production methods.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/chuyen-doi-huu-co-o-vung-che-duoc-day-tam-dao-che-cho-d407470.html