(HBO) – The restructuring of agricultural crops has created a breakthrough in economic development of Trung Thanh commune (Da Bac district) of Hoa Binh province. As 70 percent of local households have lived off Shan Tuyet tea over the years, many people refer to commune as "the land of tea”.


The tea processing facility of Ha Van Nam in Thuong hamlet, Trung Thanh commune (Da Bac district) can only process 300- 500 kg of tea per day, so on-site tea processing is a press need of local people.

In 1999-2006, to serve the local economic development, the provincial administration granted Bua hamlet with investment to grow nearly 20ha of Shan Tuyet tea with a density of 4,000 trees per hectare. The pioneers at that time were Vu Thi Thoa, Ha Van Phoi, Luong Van Dan and Ha Van Thoan.

During 2006-2009, the tea growing area of the commune was expanded to 40ha with a density of 6,000 trees per hectare in other hamlets. The commune has a long standing tradition of growing tea so local farmers were not unfamiliar with this variety. Since 2010, total tea area of the commune has been expanded to 60ha with a density of 12,000 trees per hectare. Of the number, 22ha were planted with new trees.

Currently, over 70 percent of families in Bua hamlet grow Shan Tuyet tea. The largest tea growing area of a household is 1.2ha while the smallest is 2,000 sq.m. Luong Van Toan, head of Bua hamlet said: "The hamlet has an advantage of being near the tea processing facility in Quyet Tien hamlet of Yen Hoa commune (Da Bac district), so distribution units have set up on-site buying point. Local people pick the young tea leaves and bring them there. Tea output of the hamlet hit about 300kg per day and is sold at 600,000 VND per 100kg. Thanks for stable market, average per capita income of the hamlet increased to 12.5 million VND per year.”

Luong Van Xien, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Trung Thanh commune said: "Since the Shan Tuyet tea was grown in Bua hamlet, local people’s lives have greatly improved. The climate and soil of Trung Thanh commune are suitable with the trees. In Bua hamlet alone, local people grow 20ha of new tea trees and maintain 17ha of existing trees, raising the total tea area of the hamlet to 37ha. Besides, the Thuong hamlet has 28ha under trees, Bay hamlet 5ha, while Tam and Ha hamlets each have over 2ha”. Because Shan Tuyet tea brings in better and stable income than traditional plants, as well as has less risk, many households have replaced vegetables and flowers with the tea tree, such as the families of Ha Van Pom and Luong Van Thien in Thuong hamlet.

To ensure the sale of tea for local people, local authorities have set up links with Phuong Huyen tree saplings production and trading company, which assumes the responsibility for buying all tea output of Trung Thanh commune. With trusted outlet and high quality tea that meets market’s demand, the tree has become the commune’s major plant and helped local people escape poverty.

The commune plans to cultivate another 4.1ha of tea in Bay and Bua hamlets in 46 poor and nearly poor households in October 2017. This year, total tea output of the commune is estimated at 225 tonnes, up 30 tonnes compared to that of 2015. As a result, average per capita income of local people sharply increased, from 8.5 million VND in 2010 to 14.3 million VND./.

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