Taking advantage of the region known as the "foremost tea region".

With an area of ​​over 22,000 hectares, tea is the main crop, generating significant revenue in the agricultural production of Thai Nguyen province. However, due to inconsistent production processes, weak linkages, limited investment attraction, and limited application of technology in the tea industry, the products remain quite monotonous, and the value generated does not match the potential of this "premium tea region".

Recently, in addition to improving tea productivity and product quality, Thai Nguyen has promoted ecotourism and developed tea culture to maximize the multifaceted value of the tea plant, contributing to the prosperity of the local people.

MAIN CROPS

Tea plants thrive in the districts of Dai Tu, Phu Luong, Dong Hy, Thai Nguyen city, and the eastern slopes of the Tam Dao mountain range in Pho Yen city. The suitable soil, climate, water resources, and the accumulated cultivation and processing experience of generations of local people have made Thai Nguyen tea famous for its delicious aroma and taste. It is known as the "finest tea," winning gold and silver medals at many international tea competitions and is highly favored by domestic consumers.

In recent times, many businesses in the area have applied science and technology and innovation to create new products, thereby enhancing the value of tea. The Tra Giang Cooperative in Phuc Tan commune, Pho Yen city, has over three hectares of tea plantations, located not far from the Tan Cuong specialty tea region (Thai Nguyen city). Sharing the same soil, climate, and water sources, the quality of their tea products is quite similar.

Recently, Tra Giang Cooperative has shifted from producing traditional green tea to black tea, a product that is healthier for consumers and therefore brings higher value. Ms. Pham Thi Giang, Director of Tra Giang Cooperative, shared: "Through accumulating experience, learning processing techniques, and investing in equipment, the facility has successfully experimented with and produced three lines of black tea with beautiful color, sweet aftertaste, and distinctive flavor, thus bringing higher economic value than traditional tea and creating stable income for cooperative members."

The average income of workers here is nearly 10 million VND per month. The flagship product, "Hong Hac Tea," is popular with customers, with revenue exceeding two billion VND in 2024.

By persistently pursuing tea cultivation according to VietGAP and organic standards, investing in processing and packaging technology, and continuously improving product packaging and design, Hao Dat Tea Cooperative in Tan Cuong commune, Thai Nguyen city, has achieved success with many typical OCOP products, including its young shoot tea product which achieved five-star OCOP certification. In 2024, it achieved revenue of nearly 45 billion VND, providing employment for more than 50 workers and hundreds of households involved in production in the region.

According to the Thai Nguyen Department of Agriculture and Environment, tea is the province's main crop, covering an area of ​​over 22,200 hectares. Leveraging this advantage, with the support of the province, businesses, cooperatives, and over 90,000 households have focused on improving the productivity and quality of tea products.

Many investment models in tea production and processing applied to tea-growing areas have yielded initial success, such as: installing infrastructure and applying automatic irrigation technology to increase winter tea yields; caring for tea according to VietGAP and organic standards; investing in automated equipment for many stages in the processing process...

According to statistics, Thai Nguyen's tea industry currently has 193 products that meet OCOP standards from three to five stars, and these products are strongly consumed on technology platforms. In 2024, tea products generated revenue of over 13.8 trillion VND for businesses in the area.

DEVELOPING TOURISM AND TEA CULTURE

Thai Nguyen province is actively attracting agricultural tourists to experience the tea-growing region, thereby not only strengthening brand promotion and product consumption but also exploiting and developing the multifaceted values ​​of tea plants and tea-growing areas.

The province supports investment in essential infrastructure at community tourism destinations, contributing to the spread and attraction of tourists, leading to an increasing number of cooperatives and households participating. Dao Thanh Hao, Director of Hao Dat Tea Cooperative, said: "On average, every day, especially during holidays, Tet (Lunar New Year), and weekends, we welcome hundreds of tourists who come to experience the tea growing region, processing, and tasting tea."

As a result, the Thai Nguyen tea brand has become more widely known, sold in larger quantities, and at better prices. According to Le Ngoc Linh, Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province has dozens of tea-growing experience sites with modern facilities and professional services, thus attracting more and more tourists.

In 2024, the province welcomed 3.4 million tourists, an increase of nearly 40% compared to 2023, generating revenue of nearly 3,100 billion VND, with a significant contribution from tea production facilities.

The province is coordinating with the Vietnam Railways Corporation to test tourist train services between Hanoi and Thai Nguyen, attracting the attention of many travel businesses and tourists...

However, the leaders of Thai Nguyen province acknowledge that, despite some progress, the tea industry has lacked breakthroughs and has not yet lived up to the potential and advantages of being the "finest tea."

Consequently, there is still a lack of businesses and cooperatives investing in large-scale, modern-technology tea production, processing, and trading; tea cultivation remains prevalent on a small, fragmented household scale, lacking the resources for large-scale investments to enhance the value of tea.

On a broad scale, tea processing technology is limited, with very few products extracted into beverages, soft drinks, or cosmetics. To overcome this limitation, the Secretary of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee, Trinh Viet Hung, stated: In implementing a breakthrough resolution for the tea industry, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee recently directed the Provincial People's Committee to review the planning and propose a plan to expand the concentrated tea growing area in Tan Cuong commune, combining it with urban planning and a community tea culture space linked to tourism and service development, with tea as the central focus and driving force for development.

From now until 2030, in addition to protecting and maintaining the existing tea growing area, Thai Nguyen province will develop tea cultivation to 24,500 hectares; support businesses, cooperatives, and cooperative groups in building larger concentrated tea growing areas to facilitate the application of science and technology, invest in equipment to improve quality, and diversify processed tea products; strengthen promotion and sales of products on e-commerce platforms; and exploit the potential of tourism and tea culture to maximize the multifaceted value of the tea plant.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tan-dung-loi-the-mien-de-nhat-danh-tra-post874468.html