Located on the eastern hills surrounding Nui Coc Lake, the Thu Luan midland tea farm in Thai Nguyen has a favorable location and farming conditions for transitioning to organic production.
Located on the eastern hills surrounding Nui Coc Lake, the Thu Luan midland tea farm in Thai Nguyen has a favorable location and farming conditions for transitioning to organic production.
The midland tea hills of Thu Luan Midland Tea Farm are located next to Nui Coc Lake, in a very clean environment, favorable for organic farming combined with tourism development. Photo: Quang Linh.
The tea hills of Thu Luan Mid-mountain Tea Farm are located on the eastern slopes surrounding Nui Coc Lake in Khuan Nam hamlet, Tan Cuong commune, Thai Nguyen city. This area has very favorable natural conditions for organic tea cultivation thanks to its clean water source and mild climate year-round.
With the guiding principle that "to have good tea, the first thing is to have a good variety," before embarking on organic tea production, Thu Luan Mid-mountain Tea Farm meticulously searched for and selected high-quality, ancient mid-mountain tea varieties.
According to Mr. Dang Van Luan (farm owner), the ancient midland tea variety is the fundamental element that makes up the Tan Cuong tea brand. Although the area planted with hybrid teas is expanding due to their high yield, the midland tea still maintains a special place among tea connoisseurs.
“Three years ago, with the support of the Thai Nguyen City Agricultural Service Center, we selected an ancient midland tea variety from the Northern Mountainous Region Agricultural and Forestry Science and Technology Institute in Phu Tho. This ancient midland tea variety has a distinctive flavor and historical value, reflecting the cultural identity and tea art of the Tan Cuong tea region in particular and Thai Nguyen in general,” Mr. Luan shared.
Thu Luan's midland tea farm, spanning 2.5 hectares, is cultivated organically, without the use of chemical pesticides.
Thu Luan's midland tea farm is preparing microbial organic fertilizer to fertilize the midland tea growing area. Photo: Quang Linh.
"To provide nutrients for the tea plantations, the farm uses organic fertilizers made from composted animal manure and probiotics combined with herbal preparations to control pests and diseases. As a result, the entire tea plantation area is growing well, the plants are healthy, less susceptible to pests and diseases, the soil is loose and porous, and the buds are uniform," Mr. Luan said.
To perfect the organic tea production process, the farm manually weeds by hand and with a tractor. In case of pest or disease outbreaks, the production facility will notify the Thai Nguyen City Agricultural Service Center for safe handling, avoiding the use of chemical pesticides.
In reality, when adhering strictly to organic production processes and persevering, the yield and production of tea in the third harvest are comparable to conventionally grown tea. Therefore, Thu Luan's midland tea farm is not in a hurry to expand its area but focuses primarily on the quality of its existing tea plantations.
Sharing her vision for the development of organic agriculture in the locality, Ms. Dao Thi Kim Quy, Director of the Thai Nguyen City Agricultural Services Center, said: "In addition to providing technical guidance and production processes, we place great emphasis on supporting and connecting producers and cooperatives in the city with product consumption. We aim to build a linked chain, ensuring stability from the input stage (seeds, organic fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) to the production process and product distribution."
Organically grown tea plants in the midland region thrive, are healthy, and are less susceptible to pests and diseases. Photo: Quang Linh.
With its geographical location on the hills surrounding Lake Nui Coc, Mr. Dang Van Luan plans to develop community tourism linked to the safe tea production area. The owner of Thu Luan Mid-mountain Tea Farm hopes that exploiting existing resources along with investment and a new mindset about community tourism will bring Tan Cuong tea products to a wider audience of locals and tourists. This will contribute to diversifying tourism products and support local people in improving their livelihoods.
Currently, Thai Nguyen city has a total tea cultivation area of approximately 1,500 hectares, concentrated mainly in the communes of Tan Cuong, Phuc Triu, Phuc Xuan, Thinh Duc, and Quyet Thang… To enhance the value of tea plants, the city has issued and implemented projects such as the conservation and development of the Tan Cuong specialty tea growing area and the conservation of midland tea varieties.
With the aim of increasing the value of tea products, protecting consumer health, and preserving the ecological environment, Thai Nguyen city's policy is to develop tea cultivation in a sustainable, organic, and diversified manner.
Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/nong-trai-che-trung-du-ben-ho-nui-coc-chuyen-doi-san-xuat-huu-co-d410529.html
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