Developing the Long Coc tea brand.

Long Coc is one of the communes with the largest tea-growing area in Tan Son district. The vast, lush green tea hills here are a highlight of the prosperity of this tea-growing region. In recent years, along with developing tourism associated with the tea hills, the commune government has encouraged people to gradually build the Long Coc tea brand into a distinctive product, creating a positive impression for tourists visiting this semi-mountainous area.

Long Coc tea is hand-picked early in the morning while the dew is still present, avoiding harsh sunlight to prevent the tea leaves from wilting and losing their sweetness.

According to Pham Thi Hanh, Director of the Long Coc Safe Tea Production Cooperative, the cooperative was established in 2018 with 20 member households. Currently, it has 37 hectares of tea plantations, of which 12 hectares are VietGAP certified. To produce tea buds that meet standards, cooperative members use manual harvesting methods. Tea is hand-picked in the early morning, while it is still dewy (around 5-9 am), to avoid harsh sunlight, preventing the tea from wilting and losing its sweetness. After harvesting, the tea is sorted and roasted multiple times at high temperatures to curl the tea leaves and dry the buds, ensuring quality and preserving the characteristic natural flavor. To increase productivity and product value, the cooperative has invested in machinery and equipment for tea processing with a capacity of 3-4 tons of fresh tea per day, creating stable jobs for 10 regular workers with an income of 4-6 million VND per person per month.

The finished Long Coc tea products after processing and packaging.

Long Coc currently has over 680 hectares of tea plantations ready for harvest, with an average yield of 148 quintals/hectare, and an estimated fresh tea production of over 10,000 tons. To improve the quality and economic value of tea, in recent years, in addition to effectively implementing the agricultural development policies of the province and district, the local government has actively coordinated with specialized units to provide specific advice to local businesses on completing documentation, registering barcodes and traceability labels, building a brand for specialty tea, and organizing training programs to enhance capacity in trade promotion, advertising, and developing tea-related tourism products and services for tea production facilities and cooperatives in the area.

Currently, the commune has four OCOP (One Commune One Product) tea products: Long Coc Premium Bat Tien Tea, Dinh Bat Tien Tea, Dinh Specialty Tea (4-star OCOP), and Shan Tuyet Tea (3-star OCOP), all belonging to the Long Coc Safe Tea Production Cooperative. These products are widely consumed in most provinces and cities nationwide, as well as in supermarkets of the Winmart and Coopmart systems. Long Coc tea, when brewed, typically has a light green and very clear color, a natural aroma, and a harmonious blend of bitterness, astringency, and sweetness, making it easy to drink with a lingering aftertaste. With the attention of all levels and sectors, and the efforts and unity of the local government and people, in the future, Long Coc specialty tea products will continue to expand, bringing economic value and pride to the people of Tan Son mountainous commune.

Bich Ngoc

Source: https://baophutho.vn/phat-trien-thuong-hieu-che-long-coc-224578.htm