Ban Dat improves tea production efficiency

With a terrain of mainly low hills, Ban Dat commune (Phu Binh) has the strength to develop forestry and tea. In recent years, tea planting and processing have gradually become an effective economic development direction, contributing to improving the income of local people.

Members of Hong Anh Tea Cooperative support each other in harvesting tea.

In order to gradually turn tea into a key crop, Ban Dat commune has stepped up propaganda and encouraged people to convert ineffective farming land to tea cultivation. Local authorities have also encouraged the renovation of old tea fields, replacing midland tea with new varieties with high productivity and quality.

Thanks to that, the tea growing area is constantly expanding. The whole commune currently has 45 hectares of tea, an increase of 30 hectares compared to 2015; 100% of the area is high-quality varieties. If previously, tea trees were only concentrated in Phu Loi hamlet, now they have developed in many other hamlets such as: Da Bac, Bo Tac, Dong Quan.

To improve the productivity and quality of tea, the People's Committee of Ban Dat commune has coordinated with specialized units to organize training courses on tea cultivation techniques according to VietGAP and organic standards. At the same time, it has guided people to renovate old tea fields, apply mechanization in care, harvesting and processing. Up to now, the whole commune has about 13 hectares of tea meeting VietGAP standards.

At the same time, the local government also guides and supports people in building production linkage models. Currently, the Hong Anh Tea Cooperative and the Phu Loi Tea Growing and Processing Cooperative have been established in the area.

After coming into operation, the cooperatives have actively transferred science and technology, guided members to apply safe tea production processes according to VietGAP standards; focused on innovating processing equipment and standardizing stages from care, harvesting to drying products. Thanks to that, product quality has been significantly improved. In particular, production linkage also helps people stabilize output.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, Director of Hong Anh Tea Cooperative, Dong Quan hamlet, said: With the guidance and support of the government, in early 2025, we established a cooperative model. All 7 members agreed to implement the production process according to VietGAP standards, focusing on quality and food hygiene and safety. In addition to the role of a focal point for purchasing and consuming products, the cooperative is also a place for members to share experiences and provide technical support, contributing to improving the productivity and value of tea products.

Phu Loi Tea Growing and Processing Cooperative proactively invests in modern machinery for tea processing.

In order to gradually affirm the position of local tea products in the market, the People's Committee of Ban Dat commune has also actively supported cooperatives to develop OCOP products. Up to now, Thanh Long tea products of Phu Loi Tea Growing and Processing Cooperative have met the 3-star OCOP standard.

The locality also creates conditions for tea products of cooperatives and production facilities to participate in fairs and trade exhibitions inside and outside the district, expanding opportunities to reach consumers and connect to the market.

With the right direction, tea trees in Ban Dat are increasingly asserting their role as a key crop, bringing high economic efficiency to the people. In 2024, the output of fresh tea buds will reach 125 tons of fresh tea buds, an increase of 10 tons compared to 2020. The selling price of tea is also higher than before thanks to improved product quality.

Thanks to that, the income of tea growing households has improved significantly, contributing to poverty reduction and improving people's lives.

Ms. Duong Thi Thanh Long, Director of Phu Loi Tea Planting and Processing Cooperative, said: On average, tea is harvested every 35 days, each batch yields about 15kg of dry tea buds per sao. Thanks to the application of production processes according to VietGAP standards, investment in modern machinery and focus on brand building, the current price of dry tea is about 200,000 VND/kg.

The initial results have created a solid foundation for Ban Dat to continue developing the tea area in a sustainable manner. In the coming time, expanding the area, improving product quality, and promoting inter-production along the value chain will be necessary directions, contributing to raising the value of local tea trees.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202506/ban-dat-nang-cao-hieu-qua-san-xuat-che-4940b3d/