Opening up opportunities to get rich from the golden camellia plant

More than 20 years ago, there were countless yellow camellia trees under the natural forest canopy in the communes of Binh Trung, Luong Bang, Nghia Ta, Yen Phong... of Cho Don district and some communes of Bach Thong district. The climate and soil of this land are suitable for yellow camellia to grow and develop strongly. However, at that time, only a few people used the leaves and flowers of the tree to boil water for drinking, not knowing about the precious medicinal value of this plant. Then, traders came to buy the whole yellow camellia tree to sell as ornamental plants. This "storm" of purchasing caused the yellow camellia tree to almost be exterminated. However, in recent years, when the potential and value of yellow camellia were confirmed, this tree has revived and is widely grown by people, bringing high economic value.

Realizing the potential of the yellow camellia tree, Ms. Duong Huong Ly in Nghia Ta commune, Cho Don district, experimented with planting it. After initial successes, she boldly established the Nghia Ta Agricultural and Forestry Cooperative, taking the lead in linking up with households to grow yellow camellia. The cooperative invested in building a solar-powered tea drying workshop, maintaining five to six main workers, not including seasonal workers, with an average income of nearly 5 million VND/month per person. In addition to selling flower products, it also produces seedlings, selling for 15-30 thousand VND/tree. Director of the Duong Huong Ly Cooperative said that the unit currently has a raw material area of more than 5 hectares, linked with eight households. The cooperative is investing to expand by linking with households in the Safe Zone, and at the same time diversifying its products by investing in machinery to process more yellow camellia leaves.

According to the People's Committee of Cho Don district, the economic development potential of yellow camellia in the locality is very large; the climate and soil of many communes are suitable for this plant. To support the people, the district has developed a plan to develop yellow camellia, including supporting 50% of the cost of seedlings and fertilizers; 50% of the cost of building a chain of planting and processing links... Striving to plant an additional 30 hectares in the southern communes by 2026 to form a concentrated production area.

From a small scale, up to now, the cultivation and processing of yellow flower tea in Bac Kan has gradually affirmed its sustainability in linking production and consumption markets. In 2021, Ha Diep Company Limited (Bac Kan city) invested capital to build a factory and a large-scale processing machinery system. According to Director Ha Minh Doi, the company has coordinated with experts in soil and climate research to invest in linking the cultivation of more than 15 hectares of yellow flower tea in Don Phong commune (Bach Thong district) and Dong Thang (Cho Don district); applying freeze-drying technology to create whole-flower yellow flower tea products with almost intact shape and color when fresh, preserving the full content of precious micronutrients. Up to now, the company has had whole-flower tea products, tea bags, and yellow flower tea wine. Whole-flower yellow flower tea products and filter bags are recognized as 4-star OCOP products; available at major supermarket systems nationwide at high prices.

Determined to turn yellow camellia into a plant that enriches the people, Bac Kan province has approved the Northern Mountainous Temperate Crop Research Center (Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry) to implement the scientific project "Research on biological characteristics and techniques for planting and growing yellow camellia in Bac Kan province". The project has determined the current status of distribution, exploitation and use of yellow camellia in Ba Be and Cho Don districts as a basis for research and exploitation for production development; identified and collected a species of yellow camellia in Bac Kan province, recommended for production called munro yellow camellia (Camellia murauchii Ninh & Hakodo). This type of tea has purple buds, large leaves, large flowers, is widely distributed, and blooms from October of the previous year to January of the following year. The project also identified a number of technical measures in propagating Bac Kan yellow tea cuttings, contributing to the completion of the technical process of propagating this tea locally... At the same time, successfully built a 5-hectare planting model in Dong Thang commune (Cho Don district) and Ha Hieu (Ba Be district) with a survival rate of 80.3-90%. Training technical staff, training to improve techniques of planting and growing yellow tea for 100 local people and members of Hoa Thinh Cooperative (Cho Don district).

Currently, products processed from yellow camellia in Bac Kan have very high economic value, up to millions of VND for 1 kg of cotton after drying. Thanks to that, not only growers but also processing units have a stable source of income. Yellow camellia is considered "green gold" in the mountains and forests of Bac Kan. According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Bac Kan Nguyen My Hai, in practice, the geology in Bac Kan is very suitable for yellow camellia to grow. Therefore, the province has determined to research and expand the growing area, encourage and support the establishment and development of large-scale processing facilities to create a sustainable production chain. In the coming time, the province will promote the promotion and introduction of yellow camellia products to connect and expand the consumption market. At the same time, promote industrial promotion programs, support machinery for cooperatives and cooperatives participating in processing; Strive to make yellow flower tea a typical product associated with tourism development, especially in the Cho Don Safe Zone.

Comment (0)