Building a tea brand in Van Lang.

As a mountainous locality with an economy primarily based on agriculture and forestry, in recent years, Van Lang commune (Thai Nguyen province) has focused on developing tea cultivation through intensive farming, improving quality, and gradually building a brand associated with the goal of sustainable development.

People in Khe Quan hamlet (Van Lang commune) exchange labor to harvest tea in time for the season.

In Tan Thanh hamlet (Van Lang commune), the tea harvest is in full swing these days. Mrs. Phung Thi Huong's family has been involved with tea cultivation for nearly 10 years, currently farming over 4,000 square meters.

Ms. Huong said: "My family mainly grows hybrid tea varieties, namely Bat Tien and TRI 777. In recent years, the cultivation methods have been adjusted towards safety, applying VietGAP standards, and moving towards organic production. As a result, the tea plants grow stably, and the quality of the buds has improved significantly. However, product output remains a concern for many tea growers, as most of the product is sold as fresh tea leaves, and the selling price is still low."

In the same village, Mr. Ha Sy Hoe's family is also focusing their efforts on harvesting tea. The price of fresh tea currently ranges from 30,000 to 35,000 VND per kilogram, depending on the type. The lush green tea plantations are the main source of income, helping the family stabilize their lives, invest in their children's education, and improve their living conditions.

According to Mr. Hoè, tea cultivation has a long history in the area, but brand building remains limited, leading to unstable prices. Awareness of safe production is gradually increasing, with many households switching to VietGAP and organic farming practices in the hope of enhancing product value.

Not only Tan Thanh, but Khe Quan hamlet is also a key tea-growing area in Van Lang commune, covering over 80 hectares. The tea plantations are relatively well-planned and systematically cared for, creating a concentrated production area. To ensure harvesting at the right time, the people maintain a system of reciprocal labor exchange, with each group consisting of 10-20 people, contributing to increased labor efficiency.

Mr. Lo Minh Chien, Secretary of the Khe Quan hamlet Party branch, said: "The lives of the people in the hamlet have improved significantly thanks to tea cultivation. Infrastructure has been invested in, and the number of sturdy houses has increased. Currently, the entire hamlet only has 2 poor households and 2 near-poor households."

Officials from Van Lang commune inspect a tea production model that meets VietGAP standards.

Recognizing tea as a key crop, the Van Lang commune government has implemented various solutions to support people in expanding acreage, increasing productivity, and improving quality.

The entire commune currently has over 600 hectares of tea plantations, of which approximately 587 hectares are already producing tea, yielding over 5,200 tons of fresh tea leaves. Nearly 144 hectares are cultivated according to VietGAP and organic standards. The commune has 4 cooperatives, 8 traditional craft villages, and several tea products that have received OCOP 3-star certification.

Mr. Dang Quoc Dat, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: The locality has identified expanding the area of ​​tea plantations meeting standards as an important solution to enhance the value and position of the product. The commune is implementing the province's mechanisms and policies on tea industry development for the period 2025-2030, while also orienting the construction of a tea ecosystem linked to ecotourism and community tourism.

Besides expanding the cultivated area and increasing productivity, the locality focuses on reorganizing production through cooperatives. These cooperatives serve as a link between farmers and the market, contributing to quality control, improving packaging and labeling, and gradually building a reputation for local tea products.

The process of building the Van Lang tea brand still faces many difficulties, especially in terms of market and processing capacity. However, the increase in production area according to safety standards shows a positive shift in farming mindset.

When the stages from production to consumption are closely linked, tea cultivation will continue to play a role in rural economic development, creating sustainable livelihoods and opening up avenues for increasing income for local people.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202604/xay-dung-thuong-hieu-che-o-van-lang-f867ca1/