Vietnam ranks 5th in the world for tea exports.

TPO – According to the Department of Crop Production – Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development , in 2023 Vietnam's tea exports reached over 120,000 tons, worth more than 210 million USD. Vietnam is the 5th largest tea exporter in the world.

On the morning of November 5th, the forum "Connecting Production and Consumption of High-Quality Tea" was held in Phu Tho, aiming to convert 70% of the tea growing area to new tea varieties by 2025.

Delegates exchange views at the Forum on Connecting Production and Consumption of High-Quality Tea.

According to the Department of Crop Production, the total tea cultivation area nationwide in 2023 reached over 122,000 hectares, a decrease of approximately 12,000 hectares compared to 2015, with an average annual decrease rate of 0.32%. This is due to Lam Dong and some northern mountainous provinces converting old tea plantations with outdated varieties and low yields and quality to other crops, especially fruit trees in the northern mountainous provinces.

In contrast to the increase in planted area, tea yield rose from nearly 86 quintals/hectare to over 100 quintals/hectare, achieved due to changes in variety structure and cultivation techniques.

Despite a decrease in planted area, tea production in 2022 reached over 1.1 million tons due to increased productivity, a rise of 125,000 tons compared to 2015.

Vietnamese tea products.

In 2023, Vietnam's tea exports reached over 120,000 tons, worth more than $210 million, a decrease of 17% in volume and 11% in value compared to 2022. The average export price of tea in 2023 was estimated at $1,737 per ton, an increase of 7.3% compared to 2022.

In the first six months of this year, tea exports reached 62,000 tons, worth 106 million USD, an increase of 28.3% in volume and 30% in value compared to the same period in 2023. The average export price of tea reached 1,710.0 USD/ton, an increase of 1.3% compared to the same period in 2023.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Hoang Vinh Long – Chairman of the Vietnam Tea Association – said: “Vietnam is the 5th largest tea producer and exporter in the world. The tea industry in our country has over 1.5 million people directly involved in tea cultivation and production, and about 2.5 million people indirectly involved in the production, processing, and consumption of tea.”

Mr. Hoang Vinh Long – Chairman of the Vietnam Tea Association – spoke at the forum.

Notably, the average export price of Vietnamese tea is only about 65% of the world average and only 55% of the average price of tea exported from India and Sri Lanka. This is because most of Vietnam's exported tea is raw, unprocessed, simply packaged, and lacks clear labeling and branding.

Currently, Vietnamese tea products are exported to many countries and territories, with Pakistan, Taiwan (China), Russia, China, the United States, and the EU being key markets, accounting for approximately 70% of the volume and over 70% of the export value.

However, the global tea market is still demanding, requiring product safety and quality. Therefore, businesses, organizations, and individuals producing tea must be responsible for the safety of the food they produce and sell, in accordance with the standards issued by competent state agencies.

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has licensed over 260 pesticide products for use in Vietnam to control pests and diseases in tea plants. Regarding finished products, the Ministry of Health has issued Circular No. 50/2016/TT-BYT dated December 30, 2016, stipulating the maximum residue limits for pesticides in tea products. The residue limits for heavy metals in tea are also specified in detail.

Thu Huong

Source: https://tienphong.vn/viet-nam-dung-thu-5-the-gioi-ve-xuat-khau-che-post1688751.tpo