The export journey of organic Shan tuyet tea from Bac Ha

Bac Ha is renowned as the hub of Lao Cai's Shan Tuyet tea plantation. Ban Lien tea is the pride of Bac Ha and the first 5-star OCOP product to penetrate the U.S. and European markets from Lao Cai.

In particular, ancient Shan Tuyet tea from Bac Ha has been classified as a three-star OCOP product for the second semester of 2022. The development of the Shan Tuyet tea facility in Bac Ha has helped villagers overcome poverty and earn more money in this mountainous area.

The first organic product exported from Vietnam

In the four Tay villages of Ban Lien commune, the organic tea growing region of the Bac Ha district has produced employment and a steady income for more than 300 families and more than 1,500 people. Although the harvest value is lower than that of other crops (such as cinnamon), Shan Tuyet tea has a significant impact on a large number of producers and is regarded as a complete, typical, sustainable and cohesive product in the close relationship between farmers, businesses, and the consumer market since 2004.

It is anticipated that Bac Ha's Shan Tuyet tea area will be expanded to 1,500ha by 2025, an increase of 803ha compared to 2022; concurrently, renovate and replace old tea areas, plant additional trees to ensure density, focus on intensive farming to increase business tea productivity, especially expand the organic Shan Tuyet tea cultivation area to 1,500ha in communes Ban Lien and Ta Cu Ty. The traditional Shan Tuyet tea region related to tourist growth in Hoang Thu Pho commune must be preserved.

In collaboration with the Center for Agricultural Extension and Agricultural Services of Lao Cai province, Bac Ha district has recently implemented a project to build a model of tea intensification in the direction of organic, linked by value chains in Lao Cai province for the period of 2020 to 2022. The approach is implemented on a 20-hectare plot with the involvement of 70 households in Ban Lien and Ta Cu Ty, Bac Ha district.

After three years of implementation, the families participating in the program have transformed and developed a solid knowledge of the organic tea manufacturing process. The average tea output in the project region is 4.75 tons of fresh buds per hectare each year, an increase of 30 to 35 percent compared to 2019 and more than the project goal of 1.25 tons per hectare. The Bac Ha Organic Agriculture Cooperative purchases fresh bud tea beginning at VND 17,000/kg.

In particular, in 2022, the Bac Ha district assists the Ban Lien and Ta Cu Ty communes in planting 35ha of organic Shan Tuyet tea. To plant 30ha with 85 participating families in the commune of Ban Lien and 5ha with 20 participating households in the commune of Ta Cu Ty, a total budget of VND 1.38 billion has been allocated from the non-business capital of the National Target Program for the elimination of sustainable poverty. The state contributes VND 700 million and the remainder is contributed by the private sector.

Tea-growing families who participate in the initiative get assistance with seeds, organic fertilizers, planting procedures, upkeep, and product collecting. The development of the organic Shan Tuyet tea-producing area helps to capitalize on the region's agricultural advantages, while also preserving and enhancing the economic worth of Shan Tuyet tea plants.

The significance of cooperatives

Bac Ha old Shan Tuyet tea has been well-known for a very long time, but the greatest challenge is that the processed goods, brands, stamps, and labels are not standardized; the consuming market and prices are unpredictable, and economic efficiency is restricted.

Quang Tom Cooperative has successfully constructed OCOP products 3 with the audacious goal of continuing to solve the steady output for ancient Shan Tuyet tea goods, promoting specialties and brands, and contributing to the development of tourism connected with sustainable agriculture.

Director of Quang Tom Cooperative (Ta Chai commune) Ms. Sai Thi Bich Hue stated: "Currently, Bac Ha is a rich source of raw materials for producing Shan Tuyet tea. Here, tea plants are quite precious. Therefore, we have developed OCOP products to preserve and increase the value of Shan Tuyet tea goods, therefore enhancing the lives of individuals ".

Quang Tom Cooperative has partnered with families engaged in Shan Tuyet tea production in the region, particularly in the historic Shan Tuyet tea area in Ta Cu Ty commune, in order to purchase fresh tea and guide producers in its care and harvesting. All steps of the cooperative, including planting, care, harvesting, and processing, adhere to organic standards, assuring the "three no" principle: No pests, no use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and no mixing.

Throughout the manufacturing process, the cooperative strives to innovate its way of thinking and production processes in order to create high-quality finished Shan Tuyet tea products while maintaining food safety and cleanliness for the public's benefit and health.

Quang Tom Cooperative has now created and received recognition for its 3-star level OCOP goods; these products are popular on the market, particularly red tea, white tea, and black tea, which are popular among customers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Lao Cai province. Consequently, the OCOP Product Evaluation and Classification Council of Lao Cai province recently categorized the new OCOP product for the second semester of 2022, assessing the provincial 3-star OCOP product for the cooperative's Shan Tuyet tea goods.

In the first nine months of 2022, the Bac Ha district harvested 2,876 tons of fresh bud tea, which is equal to 553 tons of dried tea, meeting 77.7% of the goal and achieving a total value of about VND 48.8 billion. This is a record for the development and growth of tea trees on the white plateau of Bac Ha.

In 2022, it is anticipated that the production of fresh buds would be over 3,700 tons, yielding a revenue of roughly VND 63.5 billion, or 5.2% of the entire value of the agricultural sector. This is a very positive indicator, as it creates excellent circumstances for the growth of local tea material regions and encourages farmers in the Bac Ha highlands to continue using Shan Tuyet tea plants.