Nam An Shan Tuyet tea season

10:02, April 24, 2024

BHG - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Thanh Commune (Bac Quang), Phan Van Vinh revealed: In Tan Thanh, Nam An village is an ancient Shan Tuyet tea growing area. This tea growing area was recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as an organic tea growing area in 2020. The ancient Shan Tuyet tea product of Nam An, of Vinh Sinh Cooperative, achieved 3-star OCOP quality at the provincial level in 2020.

Picking Shan Tuyet tea on the mountain.

Located on the eastern slope of Tay Con Linh range, Nam An village is still immersed in a thin layer of charming mist this season. Village chief Trieu Quang Vinh excitedly said: It's early spring mountain tea, very fragrant. Holding a cup of tea in hand, the scent of green rice mixed with the scent of the forest wafted in the vast space. From Nam An village chief's house, I tied my shoelaces, took a stick, and went with Trieu Quang Vinh and his wife to the forest to pick tea. To the east of Nam An village is Tay Con Linh range, under the forest canopy, the tea trees are covered with moss and lichen. Vinh said: The ancestors of the Red Dao people have been present in Nam An village for many generations, the life of the Red Dao people is often attached to the forest as a way of life. In Nam An, the whole village has 47 households, with a population of 277 people. The whole village has over 90 hectares of Shan Tuyet tea, most of which are hundred-year-old tea trees. The Shan Tuyet tea area is all under the canopy of old forests at an altitude of over 800 m - 1,500 m. Mr. Phan Chan Hin, who is over 80 years old this year, happily joined us in the conversation: My generation is the 6th generation, still living with Shan Tuyet tea trees, including 6 generations of Phan family members who have lived and harvested Shan Tuyet tea buds on the mountain. Every year, our Phan family still harvests buds from 4 to 6 batches, each batch also harvests several tons of fresh tea buds, bringing in an income of hundreds of millions of VND/year. A few years ago, realizing the advantage of the available raw tea area in the village, Mr. Trieu Quang Vinh established Vinh Sinh Tea Processing Cooperative. When the Cooperative started operating, it purchased raw tea buds for the villagers, creating jobs for many workers in the village. Shan Tuyet tea products of Vinh Sinh Cooperative have been known to consumers nationwide for many years now and are becoming more and more famous. Villagers teach their descendants to appreciate the forest, to plant more tea trees and preserve the forest.

Talking with the Head of Nam An village, Trieu Quang Vinh learned: The whole village was happy with the tea bud harvest at the beginning of this year because the tea purchase price was quite high. The purchase price of fresh tea buds is currently fluctuating from 25 - 35 thousand VND/kg, many times higher than the same period in 2023; the purchase price of special tea buds picked with 1 bud and 2 leaves, to process specialty tea, will be about 40 - 50 thousand VND/kg. On average, each hectare of Shan Tuyet tea at the beginning of the year in Nam An will bring farmers about 30 - 35 million VND/batch. Shan Tuyet tea trees in Nam An and Shan Tuyet tea in the highlands are now becoming advantageous plants in sustainable economic development. Nowadays, modern science has also proven that tea contains anti-cancer and anti-aging substances that can prolong human life. I reached out to pick a few young tea buds and rubbed them on my hands, feeling the rich aroma of early-season Com. And suddenly realized, all the tired feeling when climbing the mountain suddenly disappeared in the middle of the forest.

Returning to the house of Nam An village chief Trieu Quang Vinh, it was late afternoon. Vinh revealed: Nam An now not only has Shan Tuyet tea but also develops cold water sturgeon farming right on the mountain ravine, has additional products of Red Amomum and Cardamom as medicinal herbs grown in the old forest. Nam An people today are taking advantage of their unique natural resources to develop the economy, reduce poverty and aim to get rich.

Article and photos: NGUYEN HUNG

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