Van Lang Green Pumpkin Tea

Van Lang is a predominantly agricultural commune in Ha Hoa district, with agriculture accounting for a large proportion of the local economy . Among its crops, green squash is a strong point, grown on a large scale and yielding significant economic value.

Since 2003, Van Lang commune has only had a few plots of land for experimental cultivation of green squash. Gradually, the area has expanded to several hectares, and today the commune's green squash cultivation area has reached nearly 100 hectares, yielding a stable productivity of 4,000 tons per crop.

Zucchini is widely grown in Van Lang commune, Ha Hoa district.

Recognizing the potential and advantages of the locality for developing green squash cultivation, but also the instability of product prices and poor quality, since 2020, the Duy Khanh Agricultural Construction and Transportation Service Cooperative has partnered with 147 households to cultivate green squash on 30 hectares according to VietGAP standards. Through this, they have established, managed, and developed the collective brand "Van Lang Green Squash" for safe green squash products from Van Lang commune.

Van Lang Green Pumpkin Tea product from Duy Khanh Agricultural Construction and Transportation Service Cooperative.

With the goal of protecting the health of both consumers and producers, the entire cultivation process is strictly controlled, from seed selection and plant care to irrigation and harvesting. Many households have boldly applied science and technology to production, moving towards high-tech agriculture, increasing productivity and meeting the current consumer demand for clean and safe vegetables. In addition, some households have replaced manual trellises with netting, saving labor.

In 2023, Van Lang green pumpkins were recognized as a 3-star OCOP product, affirming the prestige and quality of this typical local agricultural product.

After being recognized as an OCOP product, with great consumption potential, Duy Khanh Agricultural Construction and Transportation Service Cooperative expanded production and built a production and consumption chain for green squash in the district. After much research and exploration, the cooperative came up with the solution of "producing freeze-dried green squash tea" locally.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Doanh, representative of Duy Khanh Agricultural Construction and Transportation Service Cooperative, said: Traditionally, farmers in Van Lang commune slice green squash and dry it in the sun for 3 to 4 days to create "dried green squash tea." While this is a healthy beverage, the quality and nutritional value of the product can be affected by unpredictable rainy and humid weather during the drying process. Therefore, the cooperative has produced "freeze-dried green squash tea." The process consists of six steps: selecting the product source, washing, slicing, using a Mactech freeze-drying machine, roasting, and packaging.

Van Lang Green Pumpkin Tea was introduced at the Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development of 8 Expanded Northwestern Provinces and Ho Chi Minh City.

Freeze-dried green pumpkin tea can be brewed with pandan leaves, stevia, or rock sugar, making it a delicious and healthy beverage. In the future, to make it more convenient for consumers, the Duy Khanh Agricultural Construction and Transportation Service Cooperative is researching further production processes for freeze-dried green pumpkin tea in tea bags, making the product more user-friendly and expanding its market reach.

Comrade Truong Ba Xuan - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Lang commune, said: Along with Van Lang green pumpkin, which was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product in 2023, in 2024 the commune will have two more products recognized as OCOP products: Van Lang green pumpkin tea and Thieu Quang Hung rice noodles. In particular, the production of freeze-dried green pumpkin tea has initially been linked to the consumption and processing of agricultural products, increasing the value of agricultural products and creating more jobs for local laborers. The value of freeze-dried green pumpkin products increases by about 200% compared to before processing...

The green pumpkins from Van Lang, imbued with the distinctive flavor of the land of Mother Au Co, are increasingly becoming known and accepted by consumers nationwide. This serves as a springboard for the Duy Khanh Agricultural Construction and Transportation Service Cooperative to continue its stable development, improve product quality, expand production to include new items, and affirm its brand reputation with customers.

Vinh Ha

Source: https://baophutho.vn/tra-bi-xanh-van-lang-san-pham-tu-bi-xanh-an-toan-xa-van-lang-228565.htm