Adding more greenery to the tea-growing regions.

Resolution No. 22/2021/NQ-HĐND dated December 9, 2021, of the Provincial People's Council stipulates policies to support and encourage agricultural and rural development in Phu Tho province. The implementation of policies supporting key crops and livestock, and concentrated production towards commercialization, including support for production linked to building the Phu Tho green tea brand, has contributed to improving production efficiency, increasing the value of tea, and raising the income and living standards of people in tea-growing areas.

The tea growing area of ​​Cam My Tea Cooperative, Tat Thang commune, Thanh Son district.

In accordance with Resolution No. 05/2019/NQ-HĐND dated July 16, 2019, and Resolution No. 22/2022/NQ-HĐND dated December 9, 2021, of the Provincial People's Council (replacing Resolution 05) on policies to support and encourage agricultural and rural development in Phu Tho province, one enterprise and four cooperatives have received support totaling nearly 5.2 billion VND by 2023. The supported enterprises and cooperatives met the criteria of having raw material areas within the province, production and processing projects linked to building a green tea brand with a processing capacity of 50 tons of fresh tea leaves per year or more, and were approved by competent authorities; support was provided for costs to improve the quality of raw material areas; improvement of production and processing technology; brand building and development; and trade promotion. The maximum support level was 1.2 billion VND per project.

The implemented projects have formed integrated chains linking production with processing and consumption of high-quality green tea, initially yielding practical results. The funding has supported businesses, cooperatives, and households in updating regulations, acquiring knowledge, and shifting their mindset towards safe and sustainable production; investing in expanding scale, upgrading equipment and processing lines for green tea, improving designs and packaging, building brands, and promoting trade, contributing to improving the quality, value, and expanding the market for green tea products. To date, eight products from project participants have achieved OCOP standards ranging from 3 to 4 stars.

As one of the four cooperatives receiving support, Cam My Tea Cooperative in Tat Thang commune, Thanh Son district, has two products that have achieved OCOP 4-star standards. Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam My, Deputy Director of the cooperative, happily stated: “Thanks to the support policy under Resolution 22 of the Provincial People's Council and other funding sources, the cooperative has had more favorable conditions to invest in machinery and upgrade equipment for processing green tea, resulting in more consistent product quality and more attractive packaging… meeting the increasingly high demands of the market. In 2023, the cooperative was commended by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association as one of the 63 outstanding agricultural cooperatives nationwide.”

However, the reality shows that the results achieved have not yet lived up to the province's tea development potential. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic and political conflicts between world economies, the prices of input materials and raw materials have increased significantly, while export prices have decreased, making consumption and market expansion difficult. In 2023, unfavorable weather conditions, with prolonged heatwaves and droughts across a wide area, greatly affected the growth and development of tea plants. Most businesses and cooperatives producing and processing green tea in the province are small in scale and lack sufficient financial resources, resulting in few participants in project development. Mobilizing matching investment capital, especially from cooperatives, remains challenging.

Comrade Tran Tu Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: In the coming time, the agricultural sector will continue to coordinate with other sectors and localities to widely disseminate the contents of the support under Resolution No. 22/2021/NQ-HĐND dated December 9, 2021, of the Provincial People's Council and the procedures for implementing the support policy to all levels of government and people so that they understand and implement it. Review and select tea-producing enterprises and cooperatives with potential in capital, labor, land, and production organization to participate in programs and projects to further develop tea cultivation. Focus on directing the implementation of innovative forms of production organization, with the main focus on creating favorable conditions for the development of tea-producing enterprises and cooperatives along the value chain. Enhancing the capacity and efficiency of tea production and business operations of cooperatives, effectively implementing the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program in conjunction with developing production based on key product groups and local specialties, including tea products, to serve both domestic and export markets.

Trinh Ha

Source: https://baophutho.vn/them-xanh-nhung-vung-che-212187.htm