Leveraging the strengths of OCOP products to help people increase their income and build new rural areas is a consistent policy that the local government here has been implementing.

Two decades ago, whenever the highland communes of Bac Yen district were mentioned, they were associated with hardship and remoteness. The lives of the Mong and Dao people were still impoverished, and production at that time was heavily subsistence-based. In recent years, along with infrastructure investment, these localities have learned to exploit their strengths to produce goods. Ta Xua commune, in particular, has successfully utilized its local potential. To date, the commune has four OCOP-certified products: Thien Green Tea, Bach May Tea (Northwest Tea and Specialty Company Limited), Mountain Taro, and Traditional Ancient Shan Tuyet Tea (Agricultural and Ethnic Culture Preservation Cooperative – Pka).

The Shan Tuyet tea plant produces the renowned Ta Xua Shan Tuyet tea, a delicious product enjoyed by consumers both domestically and internationally.
Popular and trusted. Photo: Nguyen Chuong.

Land of pure tea

Ta Xua was once a remote and disadvantaged commune in Bac Yen district. In recent years, Ta Xua has transformed into the fastest-growing economic hub in the district. It boasts vast, lush old-growth forests and ancient tea plantations. For generations, the local people have known how to harvest Shan Tuyet tea for sale. However, at that time, harvesting was small-scale. Thanks to the preservation of these ancient tea trees, Shan Tuyet tea has now become a highly sought-after product. As Mr. Mua A Ho, Chairman of the Ta Xua Commune People's Committee, said: "The Shan Tuyet tea tree has become an ambassador promoting Ta Xua commune, making it famous both domestically and internationally."

According to the people of Ta Xua, the ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees, some hundreds of years old, have become a "golden goose" for the local people. The gnarled, moss-covered trunks, with trunks as thick as a person's embrace and lush, spreading branches like a giant umbrella, have been harvested by the locals, transforming the tea leaves into a valuable product. About ten years ago, many businesses learned to leverage this advantage to work with the locals in cultivating these ancient tea gardens. From producing clean tea, Ta Xua commune now has three tea products recognized as OCOP (One Commune One Product) products.

With the support of authorities at all levels, the people of Ta Xua have successfully developed 4 OCOP products, including 3 tea products (Thien Green Tea, Bach May Tea, and Shan Tuyet Tea). Photo: Nguyen Chuong.

According to statistics from the People's Committee of Ta Xua commune, the commune has over 200 hectares of tea plantations, including approximately 1,600 ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees. The Northwest Tea and Specialty Products Company Limited is the unit that purchases these teas to produce various products from these ancient tea trees. This company has produced many products such as tea pellets, bamboo tea, cloud tea, and tea bags... These products have met the needs and preferences of many different customer groups. The company has also invested in modern fermentation technology for processing Ta Xua tea. On average, the company purchases 60 tons of fresh tea buds annually, processing them into more than 10 tons of dried tea of ​​various types, from green tea to white tea and cake tea. To date, three of the company's products have been recognized as achieving OCOP 4-star provincial standards: Cloud Green Tea, Thien Green Tea, and Cloud White Tea. This is one of the finest teas in Vietnam; when processed into dried tea, its average market price ranges from 1.8 million to 6 million VND per kilogram.

Developing OCOP products in conjunction with experiential tourism.

Shan Tuyet tea plants have provided a stable source of income for the people of Ta Xua commune. Tourists visiting Ta Xua not only get to admire the majestic mountains but also enjoy the exquisite tea that nature has bestowed upon this land. According to Mr. Mua A Ho, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ta Xua commune, there is a tea-tasting area located on a high mountain range. While enjoying tea, tourists can observe the entire majestic mountain landscape of Ta Xua commune. Now, the number of tourist groups visiting Ta Xua is increasing. This is an opportunity for the locality to open its doors to tourists and develop tourism. In recent years, many homestays have been opened to welcome visitors. The people not only sell OCOP products but also reap many benefits from tourism.

The family of Mr. Mua A Khu in Mong Vang village is a long-standing tea-growing household in Ta Xua commune. Besides the ancient tea trees they have preserved, Mr. Khu's family has also planted over 500 tea trees that are over 50 years old. They harvest and process the tea themselves to sell to tourists. He is currently completing the renovations of his house to create a homestay for guests. Mr. Khu shared: "Each year, the Shan Tuyet tea trees bring in over 100 million VND in income for my family."

The Shan Tuyet tea plants have been and continue to be protected, cared for, and developed by the people of Ta Xua, Bac Yen district, Son La province.
Photo: Nguyen Chuong.

Just like Mr. Khu's family, hundreds of other households in Mong Vang, Be, and Chung Chinh villages are also benefiting from tea cultivation. Especially since the commune's OCOP (One Commune One Product) products were recognized, it has opened up many opportunities to promote Ta Xua's renowned tea products. According to Mr. Nguyen Dang Thuc, Head of the Ethnic Affairs and Development Department of Bac Yen district, each recognized OCOP product adds another brand of Bac Yen to the knowledge of consumers both domestically and internationally. This is an opportunity to alleviate poverty and create wealth for many ethnic minority families in the locality.

When participating in the OCOP program, farmers, cooperatives, and businesses in Bac Yen district, Son La province, also receive support in transferring science and technology; and support in building high-tech agricultural models linked to preliminary processing, processing, and quality management according to advanced standards. To date, many farmers, businesses, and cooperatives are increasingly focusing on improving the quality of agricultural products, gradually building brands, expanding markets, and listing them on e-commerce platforms.

Source: trangtraiviet.danviet.vn