Tea trees in Chieng Son have become an important economic driving force, helping to improve people's lives and sustainably develop the border area thanks to the advantages of land and climate, along with the support of businesses and local authorities.
The border commune of Chieng Son, Son La province, with its special advantages in land and temperate climate, has been promoting economic efficiency from tea, a traditional industrial crop, but has constantly innovated and increased its value to suit the domestic and foreign markets. Over the years, tea has not only been a "green gold mine" that helps improve people's lives but has also become a symbol of sustainable economy, a driving force for socio-economic development in the border region.
Farmers in Chieng Son commune harvest tea.
From afar, Chieng Son seems to be covered by the vast green of tea hills, creating a beautiful and vibrant natural picture. Throughout the hillsides, the sound of laughter and chatter blends with the sound of harvesting, skillful hands quickly picking each young tea bud - a precious ingredient to create delicious tea products. For the people here, tea trees are not only a source of life but also a source of pride in economic development and a strong attachment to their homeland.
Mr. Truong Vinh Linh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Chieng Son Commune, emphasized: “Tea trees play a key role in the agricultural economic structure of the commune, creating a stable source of income and improving people's lives. The People's Committee of the commune has been implementing synchronous solutions to develop tea trees sustainably, such as encouraging the application of organic tea planting and care processes, VietGAP, attracting investment from enterprises and cooperatives, and supporting product processing and consumption with long-term consumption contracts.”
Advanced tea production system of Chieng Ve Tea Joint Stock Company.
Currently, Chieng Son has formed a specialized tea growing area of nearly 340 hectares, with a fresh tea bud output of nearly 5,000 tons per year. The price of fresh tea buds is maintained at a stable level of 5,500 to 6,000 VND/kg, contributing to creating peace of mind and long-term attachment for people to tea trees. From Nam Den village, the harmony of the lush green color of the orchard and the green tea beds like soft silk ribbons embracing the hillsides further highlight the image of a fertile land with great potential.
Mr. Hoang Van Tuan, a typical farmer in Nam Den village, shared: “My family grows nearly 8,000 m² of Shan Tuyet tea, with an output of about 15 tons per year, earning over 70 million VND from growing tea. Recently, many households have invested in modern machinery such as tea cutting machines to save labor and increase productivity, contributing to improving economic efficiency.”
One of the key factors contributing to the success of Chieng Son tea is the formation of a closed production chain, from growers to processing enterprises and consumer markets. Companies and cooperatives in the area not only take on the role of purchasing and processing, but also provide technical and financial support to farmers. A typical example is Chieng Ve Tea Joint Stock Company, which has proactively provided fertilizers in advance to growers, while encouraging the use of by-products from livestock and crop farming to reduce production costs and improve economic efficiency.
Mr. Nguyen Van Khiem, Director of Chieng Ve Tea Joint Stock Company, said: “The company maintains a raw material area of more than 300 hectares, mainly Shan Tuyet tea. We are committed to purchasing all tea output at a stable price of 6,000 VND/kg. To meet the increasing demands of the market, the company has invested in modern processing lines, improved product quality, improved working conditions for staff and workers, and increased labor productivity. After being harvested, tea is promptly transported to the factory, ensuring a strict production process to create high-quality products for export to many demanding markets such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Japan, and Korea.”
The synchronous coordination between local authorities and authorities, along with the dynamism of businesses and people, has created a breakthrough development for tea plants in Chieng Son. This is not only an effective economic development model, but also contributes to protecting the ecological environment, preserving the cultural traditions of the border area, and building a sustainable new countryside.
Looking to the future, Chieng Son aims to expand the area of tea plantation in a clean, environmentally friendly manner, applying high technology in production and processing to improve product quality, thereby expanding export markets and diversifying tea products. Technical training, technology transfer and development of production and consumption chains are also focused on by the commune to ensure stable income and improve people's lives.
Tea trees in Chieng Son are not simply economic crops but have become a symbol of change and the strong rise of a border commune. Thereby, tea trees contribute to improving living standards, maintaining border security and creating momentum for sustainable socio-economic development in this land with many difficulties but full of potential.
Thus, from a traditional crop, tea trees in Chieng Son have become an economic “lever”, creating a unique brand and value, while contributing to enhancing the position of the border commune on the map of sustainable agricultural development of Son La province in particular and the whole country in general. The efforts of the people, government and businesses are affirming that tea trees are the core of development, the source of life and the sustainable economic driving force for Chieng Son today and tomorrow.