These women have helped bring the aroma of tea to a wider audience.

As a province with a large tea-growing area, in recent years, many women members in Phu Tho province have been determined to start businesses and build brands for their respective tea-growing regions. With creativity, passion, and aspiration, these female entrepreneurs have contributed to promoting and introducing their hometown's specialty to consumers inside and outside the province, and even to the world.

Long Coc tea leaves are hand-picked early in the morning while the dew is still present to preserve their sweetness.

Restoring the position of tea brands.

Inviting us to enjoy a cup of Bat Tien green tea – a 4-star OCOP product of Long Coc Safe Tea Production Cooperative (Long Coc commune) – Ms. Pham Thi Hanh, Director of the Cooperative, told us about the process of establishing the brand's position.

“As a tea producer, I find the tea from Phu Tho in general, and Long Coc in particular, to be fragrant and delicious, but I don't understand why dried tea isn't being chosen by customers. Many times when I brought dried tea to Thai Nguyen to sell, I offered customers samples of tea produced by my family. They praised it highly, but when I told them it was tea from Long Coc, Phu Tho, they didn't believe me. That's when I realized: No matter how cleanly and deliciously the tea is produced, without a brand name, customers still won't trust it,” Ms. Hanh explained.

Determined to restore the value and "place" of Phu Tho tea in general, and Long Coc tea in particular, in 2018, Ms. Hanh established the Long Coc Safe Tea Production Cooperative. To build a brand for her hometown's specialty, she pooled all her capital, mortgaged her assets, and borrowed 4.5 billion VND to purchase machinery and establish the cooperative.

To build the brand, she encouraged members and villagers to grow safe tea, fertilize with organic fertilizers, and harvest manually. “The cooperative’s tea must be hand-picked early in the morning, while there is still dew, to avoid harsh sunlight so the tea doesn’t wilt and lose its sweetness. After harvesting, the tea is sorted and roasted multiple times at high temperatures to curl the leaves, creating dryness for the buds, while ensuring quality and preserving the characteristic natural flavor,” Ms. Hanh added, explaining the production process.

To ensure brand reputation, Ms. Hanh focuses on the quality of raw materials. The cooperative has encouraged people to grow tea according to VietGAP standards. Currently, the cooperative, owned by Ms. Hanh, has three products that have achieved OCOP 4-star status: Bat Tien Bud Tea, Specialty Bud Tea, and Bat Tien Green Tea. These tea products not only have a place in the domestic market but are also purchased by international tourists as souvenirs to take home.

Foreign tourists experience the traditional tea-making process in Long Coc commune.

Restoring precious tea varieties

With a spirit of daring to think, daring to act, innovation, creativity, and a passion and aspiration for entrepreneurship, Ms. Le Thi Hong Phuong, Director of UT Tea Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Thanh Ba commune), has successfully restored the ancient purple-bud tea variety in her hometown of Thanh Ba, bringing this special tea brand to many domestic and international markets. Notably, in 2023, her project "Conservation and Development of Thanh Ba Purple-Bud Tea" won third prize in the national final round of the "Women Entrepreneurs, Promoting Local Resources" competition organized by the Vietnam Women's Union.

Ms. Phuong said: “Purple bud tea is a rare and precious ancient tea variety with distinctive quality, aroma, and rich flavor. It is rich in anthocyanins, has antioxidant effects, and contains many nutrients beneficial to health. This purple bud tea variety was once a rare specialty of the Phu Tho tea region, but it is gradually disappearing and is at risk of being lost completely. Therefore, the company came up with the idea of ​​producing and processing Thanh Ba purple bud tea.”

To build the brand, Ms. Phuong surveyed the soil, mobilized and collaborated with 20 households with land, invested in seeds and organic fertilizers, and guided them through the process of growing purple tea buds using organic methods. With her guidance, the people confidently grew purple tea using the new method, ensuring quality and safety, increasing yields, and receiving a purchase price 7-8 times higher than green tea. They were also very pleased to have the company guarantee a stable and long-term market for their produce.

Currently, the company's 17 hectares of purple tea bud cultivation area are cared for and harvested according to technical standards, using only organic fertilizers and microbial preparations, and harvesting according to the standard of 1 bud and 2 young leaves. In addition, harvesting for processing is monitored daily and batch by batch to ensure the product meets standards and is free from defects. The application of the new production process has resulted in a harvest of approximately 25 tons of fresh purple tea buds, generating revenue of 3 billion VND per year. Notably, Thanh Ba purple tea has been certified as a 5-star OCOP product.

Ms. Le Thi Hong Phuong - Director of UT Tea Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (second from the left) inspects the finished purple bud tea product.

Helping to spread the aroma of tea far and wide.

With the goal of promoting the flavor of Phu Tho tea to a wider audience, over the years, the provincial authorities and departments have implemented many comprehensive and effective activities including information dissemination, propaganda, training, support for businesses, and product promotion.

In particular, the Provincial Women's Union has supported its members in innovation, business development, and entrepreneurship. As a result, many women with entrepreneurial ideas have won awards at the national level and received commemorative medals from the Vietnam Women's Union. Among these are many startup ideas and projects related to tea cultivation, such as: the idea "Conservation and Development of Purple Bud Tea" by Ms. Le Thi Hong Phuong - Director of UT Tea Investment and Development Co., Ltd., which won second prize in the Northern regional final and third prize in the national final; and the project "Improving Product Quality and Building the Brand of Long Coc Green Tea" by Ms. Pham Thi Hanh - Director of Long Coc Safe Tea Production Cooperative.

In addition, the Association also supports the development of models such as "Supporting women's entrepreneurship," and the development of cooperatives and business development groups. These models, supported by women members and highly appreciated by Party committees and authorities, include: Son Hung Clean Tea Cooperative in Thanh Son commune; and Luong Son Green Tea Production and Processing Cooperative in Son Luong commune.

The association also collaborates with departments and agencies to support businesses, cooperatives, and production facilities owned by women, investing in the development of new product production models; supporting trade promotion, market expansion, and participation in trade fairs.

With the coordinated support of all levels and sectors, more and more women members are confidently starting businesses, building tea brands, and finding ways to bring their hometown's tea products to the world .

Le Thuong

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nhung-phu-nu-dua-huong-che-vuon-xa-237922.htm