Lai Chau’s green aspiration: A new path for over 10,000ha tea

Building a sustainable raw material zone

As one of the key tea-growing areas in Lai Chau Province, Tan Uyen currently has about 3,400ha of tea plantations, mainly consisting of two key varieties, Kim Tuyen and Shan Tuyet, supplying around 29,000 tons of fresh tea buds annually.

In recent years, before the district-level administrative restructuring was removed, Tan Uyen gradually shifted from small-scale farming to production under VietGAP and organic standards. At the same time, it encouraged enterprises and cooperatives to partner with local farmers to form concentrated raw material zones. According to statistics, the new Tan Uyen area currently has four enterprises and cooperatives operating 15 regularly functioning tea processing facilities.

In March 2024, a tea-processing factory of Tan Uyen Tea Joint Stock Company became operational, helping enhance processing capacity and gradually orient production toward higher-quality products.

According to Mr. Do Viet Trung, Director of the company, alongside the expansion of production linkages, the enterprise has gradually developed a raw material area of around 3,000ha, connecting with farmers in Tan Uyen commune, Khun Ha commune (former Tam Duong district), and Tan Phong ward.

Currently, production and export activities remain stable at a scale of about 200cong/ year, equivalent to around 21 tons/cong, with a value of USD 38,000/cong. The development of raw material zones linked to production cooperation is considered a key foundation for the enterprise to gradually improve product quality and move toward higher-value market segments.

However, the added value of tea products remains unaligned with their potential. According to feedback from enterprises, the current export price is commonly only around USD 2-3 per kg, indicating that the products are still mainly positioned in the low-end segment and heavily dependent on output markets.

Meanwhile, if processed more deeply and consumed domestically, selling prices could reach USD 6-9 per kg. This price gap highlights significant room for value addition, while also underscoring the need to further improve processing capacity and market development.

Standardizing planting areas, promoting deep processing

According to Ms. Truong Thi Nhan, Head of the Plant Production and Protection Sub-Department of Lai Chau Province, the province currently has over 10,500ha of tea plantations, mainly consisting of key varieties such as Shan Tuyet, PH8, and Kim Tuyen tea.

In recent years, Lai Chau has issued multiple schemes and resolutions to support the development of concentrated tea-growing areas, covering seed varieties, fertilizers, land clearing, and soil preparation. Alongside these support policies, the province has also intensified communication and mobilization efforts to encourage farmers to convert low-efficiency land into tea cultivation areas. Training programs, technical transfer activities, and guidance on production under VietGAP, RA, and organic standards have been implemented in a coordinated manner, gradually improving awareness and changing traditional farming practices.

The Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment has also regularly conducted inspections and provided guidance to localities to ensure compliance with regulations on planting materials and quality standards before production. These efforts have contributed to improving both productivity and quality of Lai Chau tea.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong, Deputy Director of the Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that the province has successfully established concentrated growing areas, with over 8,000ha of productive tea yielding approximately 60,000 tons of fresh buds annually.

The tea processing system is receiving gradual investment, with various deep-processed products, such as Matcha, Kim Tuyen, Sencha, Oolong, and Black tea, now available in the domestic market and exported to countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China. Furthermore, increasing attention is being paid to branding and trademark development.

To date, Lai Chau province has over 66 hectares of tea certified under safety standards (including 57.4 hectares of VietGAP and 8.8 hectares of organic tea). The province also boasts 4 growing area codes covering 61.88 hectares and 27 tea products with OCOP certifications of 3 stars or higher. The trademarks for "Tan Uyen Tea" and "Tam Duong Tea" are now protected, enhancing both the reputation and competitiveness of the products.

However, reality also reveals significant challenges: a large portion of the tea area is located on steep slopes, and production infrastructure remains inconsistent. This limits the application of mechanization in cultivation and the transportation of products to markets. Additionally, most processing enterprises and cooperatives operate on a small scale, lacking the capital needed to upgrade technology and production lines, and continue to focus on raw processing with low added value.

The Resolution of the Lai Chau Provincial Party Executive Committee on developing commodity agriculture and medicinal herbs toward a green economy for the 2026 - 2030 period sets a clear target: By 2030, the province aims to invest in intensive cultivation to improve the quality of over 10,000ha of tea raw material areas. This includes approximately 2,500ha produced under green and clean standards, using safe, organic production processes, with 100% of concentrated areas granted growing area codes.

To realize these goals, Lai Chau is focusing on reviewing and refining mechanisms and policies to attract investment in deep processing, with a focus on higher-value market segments. At the same time, the province is accelerating the standardization of raw material areas and establishing a geographical indication for "Lai Chau Tea" to identify the product brand, enhance its value, and boost market competitiveness.

After many years rooted in Lai Chau, the tea industry today stands at a crossroads of opportunities and challenges. While the potential for value enhancement is evident, translating these advantages into tangible efficiency requires synchronization across the entire chain, from raw material sourcing and processing to consumption and marketing. Only when these "links" are perfected can the tea industry break through and become a sustainable sector in this remote northwestern region.

In 2025, the average yield of fresh tea buds in Lai Chau is estimated at around 7.9 tons/ha, which is lower than in some other localities in the region. This is largely due to the fact that most tea areas in the province were newly planted from 2015 onwards.

However, in certain areas such as Tan Uyen and Phuc Khoa, yields have reached over 16 tons/ha, with some households even achieving more than 20 tons/ha.

Tea continues to affirm its role as a key crop, helping many households escape poverty and move toward prosperity, while also contributing to the implementation of new rural development programs in various localities.