Building a brand name for Shan tuyet tea in Bac Kan

Shan tea, a type of wild tea tree grown by ethnic minorities, has been well known in the mountainous provinces in the north of Việt Nam for many years.

However, the soil conditions, climate, practices of harvesting and processing of each region has created different types of tea flavours.

According to local residents, Bac Kan Shan tuyet tea is the combination of aroma, taste, freshness and pureness.This peculiarity is created thanks to the cool climate, the mist covering the tea all year round.

Shan tea grows well in mountainous regions which are above 900 metres above sea level, where the climate is cool in summer, the temperature drops deeply at night and is cold in winter.

As the tree is up to 6-8 meters in height, growers have to use ladders to pick tea buds. The tea has become a speciality of local people from the Mong, Tay and Dao ethnic groups.

Bang Phuc mountainous region of Cho Don district is the most famous and the largest tea production area of the province. The soil and climate of the region is suitable for the development of the tea.

In the past, Shan tuyet trees were planted with scatters and not properly cared for, resulting in low productivity (just 1.15 tonne per hectare).

However, people have been awore of the value of Shan tuyet tea and invested more money in this kind of tree in recent years. The region now has 400 hectares of Shan tuyet tea which are being harvested with productivity of more than 20 tonnes of dried tea per year.

The development of Shan tuyet tea has been included in Cho Don district’s resolution which has been approved by the People’s Council for 2016-2020 period, said Trieu Huy Chung, chairman of the district People’s Committee.

 It aimed at supporting locals to planting new ones and expand the cultivated area as well as improve the production efficiency, he said.

The Shan tuyet trees are also being cultivated in Yen Cu mountainous region of Cho Moi District. Much capital has been invested in and the trees are being developed towards the value chains which bring about high profits for local residents.

Shan Tuyet tea products of Yen Cu commune have been appreciated by consumers for  its good quality and gradually gaining a foothold in the market.

Bui Nguyen Quynh, head of Cho Moi District’s Division of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the division was building a brand for the product.

District authority is mobilising sources from enterprises to expand the cultivation of Shan tuyet up to 100 hectares by 2025, he said.

The favorable geography, terrain, and weather conditions have been the key to the development of tea trees which produce the Shan Tuyet variety.

Long-term vision

Many projects and programmes have been implemented by agencies of Bac Kan province with a view to develop Shan tuyet tea into a product with a brand name on the market, bringing high income for local residents.

A project entitled “applying science-technology in producing and selling Shan tuyet tea in Bang Phuc Commune was approved by Bac Kan Provincial People’s Committee in October 2016.

The projects focused on building tea production models in accordance with Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards and developing an organic production model for Shan tuyet tea.

It also supported the commune’s cooperative in  terms of  equipment and technology to improve the quality of tea. The building of a collective brand for Shan Tuyet Bang Phuc tea products as well as technical training and organising conferences were also included.

After 3 years of implementation, the project has succeeded in establishing a raw material zone meeting VietGAP standard with 10 hectares and 20 hectares in line with organic production.

Hong Ha Cooperative has been chosen as the designated unit that receives the transfer of three production processes including manufacturing, processing and packaging of Shan tuyet tea products.Of these, black tea and white tea are the two new products of Bac Kan Province with high economic value.

Besides creating good products, the province also popularise Shan tuyet tea products through trade trade promotion programmes. It has helped connect Hong Ha Cooperative with other companies opening a new direction for sustainable production and consumption for Bang Phuc Shan tuyet tea.

Along with the development of key agro-forestry products, Bac Kan province has set the target of promoting specialties which meet one commune one products including Cho Don rice and Bang Phuc Shan tuyet tea standards including Bang Phuc Shan tuyet tea for tourists on Thai Nguyen-Bac Kan- Cao Bang tours.