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- From a tree once considered the "green gold" of the mountains and forests, over time, Mr. Luan Van Nong, from Tong Noc village, Thien Long commune, has persistently researched and cultivated white sandalwood trees, utilizing the leaves to process into tea products that bring high economic value and are well-received by the market.

White sandalwood is a rare and valuable timber species native to India, world- renowned for its distinctive fragrant heartwood and high economic value. This tree is widely used in medicine and perfumery due to its precious essential oils.

Recognizing the potential of this tree species, in 2020, Mr. Luan Van Nong proactively researched and studied the techniques for growing white sandalwood. To ensure the quality of the seedlings, he directly purchased them from the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture . Mr. Nong shared: "Initially, I planted 50 white sandalwood trees as a trial. However, because this is a semi-parasitic plant, its roots need to cling to the roots of another host tree to absorb nutrients, so it requires very strict planting and care techniques. Due to a lack of mastery of the techniques, the sandalwood trees I planted grew poorly, and the survival rate was only 50%."

Determined to develop sandalwood cultivation, he continued to research materials, study techniques, adjust planting processes, and select suitable host trees for intercropping, such as Dalbergia tonkinensis, pomelo, and Terminalia catappa. As a result, the sandalwood trees planted later thrived, with a high survival rate. To date, he has planted approximately 500 sandalwood trees. From initially planting trees for timber, through studying the characteristics of sandalwood, Mr. Nong realized that the leaves also contain many beneficial compounds for health, so he has utilized sandalwood leaves to make tea.

Mr. Luan Van Nong harvests sandalwood leaves to process into sandalwood tea.

In 2025, after a period of testing and perfecting the process, Mr. Nong officially began producing sandalwood tea. Unlike ordinary teas, sandalwood tea has a mild, distinctive aroma with a sweet aftertaste. According to research, sandalwood tea has many benefits such as: calming the nerves, promoting good sleep, reducing stress, acting as an antioxidant, and aiding digestion… To produce a high-quality product, he pays special attention to the selection of raw materials. Accordingly, sandalwood leaves are harvested at the appropriate time, selecting buds or leaves that are free from pests and diseases, then washed, drained, and manually roasted (this manual roasting process helps preserve the tea's flavor).

To ensure the quality and value of his product, right from the production stage, he proactively created conditions to have his sandalwood tea product achieve OCOP (One Commune One Product) status. Accordingly, he invested in building a production workshop with separate processing, packaging, and storage areas, while also perfecting the product's design and packaging. Recently, his sandalwood tea product was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product. With a selling price of 2-4 million VND/kg (depending on the type), his family earns an additional income of approximately 10 million VND per month from sandalwood tea, with the main markets being within and outside the province.

Mr. Hoang Dang Duy, Head of the Economic Department of Thien Long Commune, assessed: "The model of growing and processing sandalwood tea by Mr. Luan Van Nong's family is a new, creative, and effective approach. Utilizing sandalwood leaves to process tea not only helps increase the value of the crop and bring income to the family but also contributes to diversifying the commune's agricultural products. In the future, we will encourage and create conditions for the business to access support programs on trade promotion and product advertising; and guide Mr. Nong's family to cooperate with other households to grow sandalwood trees, creating a source of raw materials to meet market demand."

In the future, Mr. Luan Van Nong plans to further expand the area for growing sandalwood, while also aiming to introduce his products into supermarkets, agricultural product stores, specialty stores, and OCOP product outlets both within and outside the province. With the support of the local government and the proactive efforts of the people, he believes that sandalwood tea will continue to assert its position in the market, contributing to the economic development of the commune.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/dua-vang-xanh-vao-tach-tra-5073243.html