A tea farm in Thai Nguyen province (Photo: chexanhthainguyen.com.vn) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam’s tea industry needs to focus on enhancingquality, diversifying product offerings and building brands to develop in asustainable way, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment.
The ministry said reducing pesticide residue and increasing added value for teaproducts were still important tasks in the development of the industry.
In an effort to address this need and to meet the market's high qualityrequirements, the ministry implemented a three-year project starting in 2017 toencourage safe production and increase the value of tea products.
The project is focused on controlling the use of pesticide and cultivating teathat meets VietGap standards.
At Thinh An Tea Cooperative in Dong Hy district, home to more than 400 hectaresof tea cultivation in northern Thai Nguyen province, productivity has increasedfrom 8.5 tonnes of tea per hectare to more than 11 tonnes per hectare since theproject began. Quality has also improved and the co-operative is able toharvest eight times per year, up from 6.5 times.
Vu Thi Hao, Director of the cooperative, said that more than 50 hectares of teacultivated by 150 households participating in the project had obtained VietGapstandards for their products.
The project also helps farmers find markets and build a brand for tea productsthrough promotion activities, helping to ensure stable sales of tea products athigh prices.
Hao said that previously, tea buds were sold to processing plants in theprovince at prices around 18,000-20,000 VND (0.78-0.86 USD) per kilogramme, butnow the price was more than 25,000 VND (1.08 USD).
Hao said the project has helped reduce tea cultivation costs by 25-30 percentwhile incomes from tea have increased by 50-70 percent.
The ministry’s report showed that tea export value increased by more than 16 percentin the January to April period over the same time last year – a positive signfor the industry.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations,global output of black tea was anticipated to increase 2.2 percent per year inthe next decade to reach 4.4 million tonnes in 2027, while green tea wouldincrease by 7.5 percent to 3.6 million tonnes.
Global tea consumption was predicted to increase significantly, driven by Chinawhich accounts for nearly 40 percent of consumption.
Hong Minh Duc, who owns an organic tea export company, said it was necessaryfor firms to develop tea products that meet consumers’ tastes in each market.
Experts also pointed out that quality and brand were two core factors thatdetermine the success or failure of a product.
Statistics from the General Department of Customs showed that Vietnam shippedmore than 127.3 million tonnes of tea in 2018 to earn revenue of 217.8 millionUSD. Pakistan was Vietnam’s largest tea export market, accounting for 30 percentof the sector's export volume, followed by Taiwan with a share of 14.6 percent.
Vietnam’s average tea export price was 1,727 USD per tonne in the first quarter ofthis year, up 11 percent over the same period in 2018. – VNS/VNA
The ministry said reducing pesticide residue and increasing added value for teaproducts were still important tasks in the development of the industry.
In an effort to address this need and to meet the market's high qualityrequirements, the ministry implemented a three-year project starting in 2017 toencourage safe production and increase the value of tea products.
The project is focused on controlling the use of pesticide and cultivating teathat meets VietGap standards.
At Thinh An Tea Cooperative in Dong Hy district, home to more than 400 hectaresof tea cultivation in northern Thai Nguyen province, productivity has increasedfrom 8.5 tonnes of tea per hectare to more than 11 tonnes per hectare since theproject began. Quality has also improved and the co-operative is able toharvest eight times per year, up from 6.5 times.
Vu Thi Hao, Director of the cooperative, said that more than 50 hectares of teacultivated by 150 households participating in the project had obtained VietGapstandards for their products.
The project also helps farmers find markets and build a brand for tea productsthrough promotion activities, helping to ensure stable sales of tea products athigh prices.
Hao said that previously, tea buds were sold to processing plants in theprovince at prices around 18,000-20,000 VND (0.78-0.86 USD) per kilogramme, butnow the price was more than 25,000 VND (1.08 USD).
Hao said the project has helped reduce tea cultivation costs by 25-30 percentwhile incomes from tea have increased by 50-70 percent.
The ministry’s report showed that tea export value increased by more than 16 percentin the January to April period over the same time last year – a positive signfor the industry.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations,global output of black tea was anticipated to increase 2.2 percent per year inthe next decade to reach 4.4 million tonnes in 2027, while green tea wouldincrease by 7.5 percent to 3.6 million tonnes.
Global tea consumption was predicted to increase significantly, driven by Chinawhich accounts for nearly 40 percent of consumption.
Hong Minh Duc, who owns an organic tea export company, said it was necessaryfor firms to develop tea products that meet consumers’ tastes in each market.
Experts also pointed out that quality and brand were two core factors thatdetermine the success or failure of a product.
Statistics from the General Department of Customs showed that Vietnam shippedmore than 127.3 million tonnes of tea in 2018 to earn revenue of 217.8 millionUSD. Pakistan was Vietnam’s largest tea export market, accounting for 30 percentof the sector's export volume, followed by Taiwan with a share of 14.6 percent.
Vietnam’s average tea export price was 1,727 USD per tonne in the first quarter ofthis year, up 11 percent over the same period in 2018. – VNS/VNA
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