Rich potential for agricultural exports
With the characteristics of a locality with advantages in developing many diverse, specialty, and quality agricultural products such as temperate and tropical fruit trees, medicinal plants, high-quality rice, tea, macadamia, vegetables, flowers, tubers, fruits, etc., Lai Chau has identified agricultural development as the province's spearhead economic sector. Accordingly, the province has issued many mechanisms and policies; focused on directing the implementation of resolutions, projects, and policies to support agricultural and forestry production; strongly implemented activities to attract investment, promote, and promote trade and consumption of products in the agricultural sector.
Many typical and strong products of Lai Chau province have built an image in the market and have been welcomed by domestic and foreign consumers. In particular, some products of the province are not only known by consumers nationwide but also exported, including tea, bananas, etc.
Mr. Ha Trong Hai, Vice Chairman of Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee, said that tea is one of the main crops of Lai Chau province. Currently, the total area of tea in the province has grown to 10,500 hectares, mainly grown in the districts of Tam Duong, Than Uyen, Tan Uyen, Sin Ho, Phong Tho and Lai Chau city. The popular tea varieties of Lai Chau are: Ancient tea, Shan Tuyet, Kim Tuyen, PH8... The average yield of fresh tea buds is over 70 quintals/ha, the output of fresh tea buds is over 58,000 tons.
Of the 10,500 hectares of tea in the province, over 7,000 hectares of tea are linked to production and product consumption, accounting for 67% of the total area; 260 hectares of tea apply safety standards and regulations, of which about 160 hectares have been certified (RA standard certification 126 hectares; VietGAP certification 10.5 hectares; Organic certification 23.6 hectares); over 100 hectares of tea are being implemented to apply VietGap standards.
Currently, Lai Chau has over 90 tea processing facilities. Every year, the province produces nearly 10,000 tons of tea products with a variety of designs, such as: CTC BOP tea, CTC BP tea, CTC PD tea, CTC PF tea, roasted green tea, stretched green tea, Oolong tea, Matcha, Sencha, Oriental beauty, Red tea... Of which, there are 2 products certified as HALAL: Green Tea and Sencha Tea. In addition, there is 1 typical product at the regional and national levels; 1 product awarded the title of Vietnam Golden Agricultural Brand in 2020; 5 typical rural industrial products and 12 products recognized as OCOP products of the province.
Lai Chau tea has a strong aroma, a strong sweet and mild astringent taste, and a thick and clear tea liquid. In recent years, Lai Chau tea has not only been consumed domestically but also exported to markets in Taiwan, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and countries in the Middle East. Currently, it is targeting the Japanese market.
According to the report of the Department of Industry and Trade of Lai Chau province, in the period of 2020-2024, the province's dry tea export output reached 15.38 tons, worth 32.36 million USD, of which direct export accounted for 35% of total tea output with product forms: roasted green tea, black tea, lotus tea, red tea, Oriental beauty, Oolong. The rest was exported on consignment in the form of large bags with packaging of importers and domestic consumption. Thanks to tea cultivation, people's income has been raised, 3-4 times higher than rice cultivation, tea trees bring a stable source of income for people in the area.
Ms. Doan Thi Hong, Phuc Khoa village, Phuc Khoa commune, Tan Uyen district said: Her family has been attached to tea trees for 25 years. Thanks to growing tea, the family has a stable income and can support 5 children to go to school. Currently, the family earns over 200 million VND each year from selling tea, the economy is increasingly prosperous.
In addition to its strength in growing tea for export, Lai Chau province also has rich potential and strengths in agricultural crops, medicinal plants, industrial plants, fruit trees, etc. A report from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lai Chau province shows that the whole province has 12,000 hectares of rubber trees, 8,000 hectares of fruit trees; 11,300 hectares of medicinal plants (including about 100 hectares of Lai Chau ginseng, more than 6,600 hectares of cardamom, 2,500 hectares of cardamom); more than 7,400 hectares of macadamia trees, with an estimated output of more than 3,430 tons; 7,250 farm-scale livestock farms. There are 200 OCOP products with 3 stars or more.
Efforts to expand export markets
As a province with a border with China and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, with the Ma Lu Thang International Border Gate, the U Ma Tu Khoong - Binh Ha opening and other routes, favorable for foreign economic development, Lai Chau is still one of the mountainous provinces with many difficulties, the border trade economy has not really developed; the export value of agricultural products is still low due to the small area of production according to food safety and hygiene standards and regulations. Agricultural products are mainly processed in raw form, the designs are not diverse, and the competitiveness is low, so exports face many difficulties and lack stability.
In order to strengthen connections, search and expand agricultural export markets, in recent years, Lai Chau province has paid special attention to foreign affairs, expanding international exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economics - culture - tourism, national security and defense, etc., thereby calling for and attracting businesses to invest locally, opening up opportunities for Lai Chau agricultural products to reach neighboring countries and the world.
Specifically, in recent times, the Department of Industry and Trade of Lai Chau province has stepped up the implementation of industrial promotion and trade promotion activities to support enterprises, cooperatives, and business households in the province to apply new and advanced technologies in production and business. Organize the Northwest - Lai Chau Industry and Trade Fair, connecting import-export enterprises; At the same time, guide enterprises, cooperatives, production and business establishments to participate in trade fairs, exhibitions, market stabilization programs, supply-demand connection programs, etc. organized by provinces and cities.
Up to now, the province's specialized agencies have supported 10 enterprises and cooperatives with over 40 agricultural products to participate in the Agricultural Product Promotion Week in Hanoi; supported 37 enterprises, cooperatives, and business households with over 250 agricultural products to display and introduce at many fairs organized by provinces and cities; supported 10 agricultural product processing enterprises and cooperatives to build and operate stable sales websites and put 20 agricultural products on the province's product traceability management system; organized training on sales skills on social networks for 160 enterprises, cooperatives, and business households;
Coordinate with a number of companies, enterprises, and cooperatives in the province to participate in the International Fair of Trade, Tourism, and Investment of the East-West Economic Corridor - Da Nang; Organize a Workshop to promote Lai Chau province's tea products to promote, introduce, and connect the consumption of the province's tea products to businesses in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia in direct and online forms to connecting points in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia...
In addition, within the framework of the 4th Annual Conference between the Secretaries of the Provincial Party Committees of 4 border provinces: Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Dien Bien (Vietnam) and the Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee (China) held in Yunnan province in June 2024 , Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee Secretary - Giang Pao My had a meeting with Mr. Trieu Thuy Quan, Secretary of the Hong Ha Provincial Party Committee, Yunnan province (China).
Some issues mentioned by Lai Chau Provincial Party Secretary Giang Pao My at the meeting include: Proposing that Chau Hong Ha report to the competent authority to soon designate Kim Thuy Ha border gate as the border gate allowed to import fresh fruits, vegetables, food and seafood from Vietnam; at the same time, allowing some advantageous products of Lai Chau province such as: Cardamom, turmeric, amomum, sugarcane to be officially exported to the Chinese market...
It can be affirmed that the support, connection and consumption of agricultural products have been and are being strengthened by Lai Chau province to become a bridge to promote and seek investment cooperation partners, expand the distribution network of goods, joint ventures, associations, develop and expand the consumption market for organizations, enterprises, cooperatives and business households in the area, especially gradually accessing the international market.
Building Phong Tho border area for peaceful development
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