Vinatea Moc Chau headquarters.

 Nearly seven decades of construction and development

To better understand the history of tea cultivation on the Moc Chau plateau, we visited Mr. Dang Duc Vinh's home in sub-district 40, Moc Chau Farm Town. Mr. Vinh is one of nearly 1,700 officers and soldiers of Regiment 280, Division 335, who volunteered to stay on this plateau to build the Army Farm, the predecessor of the Moc Chau State Farm, which was later separated to become Vinatea Moc Chau today.

This year, at nearly 90 years old, Mr. Vinh is still sharp-minded and remembers vividly the day he began clearing land and planting trees, which was also the founding day of the Army Farm, April 8, 1958. Mr. Vinh recounted: "At that time, the plateau was still very wild, mostly barren fields, overgrown with weeds and trees, with a harsh climate, especially in winter, with freezing temperatures and fog."

Land reclamation and cultivation were arduous tasks, relying entirely on human labor with rudimentary tools. Along with clearing land to plant corn and cassava, the farm experimented with tea cultivation; tea plants were grown from seeds in dug holes. After some time, the first tea seedlings sprouted on the plateau.

A year after its establishment, the officers and soldiers of the State Farm had the honor of welcoming President Ho Chi Minh for a visit and encouragement. On May 8, 1959, President Ho Chi Minh, along with a delegation of officials from the Central Party and Government, visited the production teams, spoke with, and gave instructions to the officers and soldiers of the State Farm. There, President Ho Chi Minh inscribed 16 golden words in the State Farm's traditional book: "Always strive; overcome difficulties; advance vigorously; fulfill your duties."

Vinatea Moc Chau tea growing region.

Bearing in mind President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, the officers and soldiers of the Farm always unite and strive to compete in labor and production to build the Farm into an increasingly developed enterprise. Along with dairy farming, the Farm decided to choose tea cultivation as a long-term direction. Since then, the tea growing area has continued to expand year by year, with the largest areas planted in Moc Chau Farm town and the communes of Chieng Son, Tan Lap, and Phieng Luong.

Subsequently, the Army Farm was transformed into the Moc Chau State-owned Farm. Over the years, it has been converted and divided into many enterprises with various industries, including: Moc Chau Dairy Cattle Breeding Joint Stock Company; Vinatea Moc Chau; Moc Chau Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company; Moc Chau Co Do Tea Joint Stock Company; Moc Chau Silk and Mulberry Company...

Continuing the legacy of previous generations, Vinatea Moc Chau's staff and workers have been making new strides in development, affirming the brand and competitiveness of their products in the market. The company has concretized its policy of building concentrated production areas linked to processing and product consumption through contracts, developing cooperation and linkages in agricultural production and consumption, and establishing raw material areas linked to consumption for affiliated households.

Vinatea Moc Chau brand

Currently, Vinatea Moc Chau manages over 550 hectares of tea plantations, primarily the Moc Chau Shan Tuyet tea variety, which has been granted the right to use geographical indication. Annual fresh tea leaf production exceeds 10,000 tons, producing 2,300 tons of finished tea products. The company has established a raw material area linked to processing and consumption for all 1,952 tea-growing households, resulting in significant socio-economic benefits.

Mr. Le Chi Long, Director of Vinatea Moc Chau, stated: For many years, the company has implemented a tea production model based on a value chain. All stages, from planting, caring for, and harvesting to collecting, processing, and distributing, are controlled under contract to create products that are safe for consumers' health, traceable, and geared towards sustainable, modern agricultural production that yields high economic value.

Now, tea-growing households have signed contracts and participated in the tea production chain with the company; 100% of the area uses mechanized tillage; tea is harvested by machine; the entire growing area applies integrated pest management (IPM) measures; 100% of fresh tea leaves are transported to the factory by motorized vehicles; the main roads into the production area and internal field roads are all paved... With the efforts of Vinatea Moc Chau and the tea-growing households, on February 15, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee issued a decision recognizing the Vinatea Moc Chau High-Tech Tea Application Zone with a total area of ​​over 329 hectares of tea belonging to 1,179 tea-growing households in Moc Chau Agricultural Town, linked in production with Vinatea Moc Chau.

Harvesting raw tea leaves for production.

With clean raw materials, meeting the increasingly stringent requirements of the market, and prioritizing consumer health, the company focuses on producing tea products according to the criteria of "clean - delicious - healthy," with a variety of products such as: Van Son Oolong Tea, Century Snow Tea, and Pouchung products for export to demanding markets like Taiwan.

Another approach that Vinatea Moc Chau is actively pursuing is combining agricultural production with ecotourism by developing the Moc Chau tea village. They have built kiosks to showcase products, allowing visitors to directly sample the tea and experience the scenery in the tea village. The tea village has become a popular destination for tourists visiting and experiencing the Moc Chau plateau.

Tourists enjoy the experience at Vinatea Moc Chau Tea Village.

With the goal of improving the economic efficiency and brand of high-tech tea growing areas; further enhancing product quality; and aiming to bring products to high-value markets such as Japan and the EU, in 2023, Vinatea Moc Chau was granted an investment approval by Son La province for the Moc Chau Tea Processing Plant Project - Vietnam Tea Corporation, covering an area of ​​2.5 hectares, with a capacity of 125 tons of fresh tea per day and a total registered capital of 85 billion VND. Accordingly, the company will invest in building a new factory with modern, fuel-efficient technology and a closed-loop production line, contributing to enhancing the brand value of Moc Chau tea, improving the lives of workers and tea growers.

For nearly seven decades of construction and development, Vinatea Moc Chau has consistently pursued its goal of improving the economic efficiency and brand of its high-tech tea growing region, enhancing product quality, and targeting high-value markets. Simultaneously, it aims to develop ecotourism, linked to enjoying the taste of tea and experiencing the scenery on the tea hills, thereby increasing the value of Moc Chau tea.

Viet Anh