(VNFU’s website) - In recent years, tea has become the main plant in several communes in Hanoi, including Bac Son commune (Soc Son district), Ba Trai commune (Ba Vi district), Hoa Thach commune (Quoc Oai district), etc.

Statistics show that there are more than 3,000 ha of tea production in the city. In the past, the tea production of regions has been spontaneous, in small scale, planted separately; not shaped a concentrated production area in large scale as well as not created high-productivity and high-quality tea variety. Nowadays, the agriculture has driven towards new models of safe tea production by VietGAP.

Ba Vi district has taken lead in development by many models of safe tea production following VietGAP. Tea has become the main plant that help residents to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and raise to richness.

Nowadays, the district has built up models of tea production and sale in communes of Yen Bai, Thuan My scaled at 50ha of safe tea and 10ha of VietGAP tea. Besides, it has already grown additional and replacing 20ha of tea. Then, the expansion has continued to reach Ba Trai, Cam Linh communes at the scale of 176 ha in 2016.

According to Mr. Bach Cong Tien – Chairman of People Committee in Ba Vi district: Tea production has brought the main and stable income to more than 10,000 labours, as well as great contribution to the development of new rural areas. It plans till 2020 to develop 3 areas of tea production in combination with ecological tourist sites including Ba Trai, Van Hoa-Yen Bai and Minh Quang-Khanh Thuong. The target is to raise 30,000 tons of fresh tea leaves and to export nearly 4,000 tons per year of all kinds of tea, etc.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hong – Chairman of Bac Son commune’s Farmers Union shared that: Previously, tea growers followed the traditional technique (growing by sowing). In addition, selling raw materials without processing led to low price of products due to lack of brand name. Since 2012 when Farmers Union established Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperatives, the cooperatives members have officially implemented VietGAP models. “Up to date, the cooperatives has successfully developed the brand name of Bac Son Tea. This is one of Hanoi agricultural speciality. The cooperatives currently manage 100 households with 30 ha of safe tea and 10 ha of VietGAP tea”, Mr. Hong emphasized.

On survey of tea growers’ comments, most of them said that tea production following VietGAP, although take much efforts, can harvest more tea leaves. Households told that the amount of tea leaves has increased 15%-20%; moreover, tea quality is also better, and tea price has got higher. The revenue from VietGAP models has raised nearly 40% against the old farming technique, if the average productivity is 1.8 tons per hectare per year the economic effects can be counted at 248 million dongs per hectare per year.

Realizing the value of tea in economic development, defining its as the key plant to bring wealth to farmers, related authorities and departments have been actively expanding safe tea production. Hanoi Agriculture department has also promptly coordinate with local authorities to arrange cooperation between tea growers with enterprises so that it will develop to a value chain from producers to sellers./.

VNFU Website – by Ngoc Anh