Ban Lau Tea Company is crying for help.

Ban Lau commune (Lao Cai province) has recently sent a letter to the leaders of Lao Cai province, including the People's Council, the People's Committee, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lao Cai province, and the State Bank of Vietnam branch in Lao Cai province, requesting them to consider resolving difficulties in tea production and consumption in the commune.

The lush green tea plantations of Bản Lầu.

Accordingly, Ban Lau commune currently has a total tea cultivation area of ​​2,642 hectares, with an expected production of over 30,000 tons of fresh tea leaves in 2026. Currently, the commune has 4 tea processing factories, producing green tea for export to Afghanistan and other West Asian countries.

However, since February 28th, the conflict in Iran has caused significant difficulties for businesses and cooperatives in purchasing, processing, and selling tea for the following reasons:

The main export market for tea processing businesses and cooperatives in the commune is Afghanistan, but due to the war in Iran, the transportation route for tea to Afghanistan is impassable, leading to a stagnation in tea consumption. Finished tea products from some businesses and cooperatives that were en route to Afghanistan for sale had to be turned back because they could not pass through Iran to reach Afghanistan. The amount of tea in inventory held by these businesses and cooperatives is approximately 1,400 tons.

Due to difficulties in the consumer market, transportation costs, and inventory levels of tea-producing businesses and cooperatives in Ban Lau commune, the procurement, processing, and consumption of tea products in 2026 have been negatively impacted. To date, although the spring tea harvest season of 2026 has arrived, businesses and cooperatives have not yet started purchasing, leading to some areas of tea being harvested past their optimal stage and having to be cut down by the local people.

Given the situation, the People's Committee of the commune directly worked with tea processing units, requesting them to continue purchasing fresh tea leaves from March 10, 2026. If the tea is not purchased in time, the entire spring tea crop will have to be discarded (resulting in a loss of approximately 4,000-5,000 tons, equivalent to about 4.5 billion VND).

Cutting down tea plants on the plantations will reduce people's income; cause confusion and anxiety, erode public trust, and undermine the local government's role in management, direction, and administration. If tea sales become difficult, it will affect the livelihoods of approximately 3,000 households, accounting for 75% of the households in the commune.

To address both immediate and long-term challenges, Ban Lau commune proposes the following to the leaders of Lao Cai province and the State Bank of Vietnam's Lao Cai branch:

We propose that the Provincial People's Council consider issuing a specific policy to support interest rates on loans for tea businesses to maintain operations; and to support the consumption of fresh tea leaves for the people.

We propose that the Provincial People's Committee allocate funds to subsidize interest rates on loans for tea processing enterprises after the Provincial People's Council issues relevant mechanisms and policies. Simultaneously, we request that the State Bank of Vietnam's Lao Cai branch direct commercial banks and the Social Policy Bank to implement policies on debt restructuring, debt deferral, and interest rate reductions for tea-growing households. We also request that the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Department of Industry and Trade be directed to propose to the Tea Association, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , and the Ministry of Industry and Trade... to support businesses in the consumption of tea products.

We request that the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lao Cai province pay attention to directing its affiliated organizations to continue disseminating information and mobilizing members to: maintain stable thinking, avoid panic and wavering, cooperate with businesses to overcome immediate difficulties, and maintain tea cultivation, care for, and harvest tea according to the guidance of businesses and local authorities.

We propose that the State Bank of Vietnam's branch in Lao Cai province direct commercial banks and the Social Policy Bank to work directly with local authorities and tea purchasing and processing businesses to implement appropriate support policies such as debt restructuring, debt deferral, and interest rate reductions for tea-growing households and businesses during this difficult time…

TAM THOI - CONG HAI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/che-ban-lau-keu-cuu-post949117.html