To make Nghe An Shan Tuyet tea "reach far"

(Baonghean) - Over the past 10 years, Shan Tuyet tea has asserted its superiority in the Huoi Tu and Muong Long areas of the Ky Son border district. Shan Tuyet tea products in Nghe An have become known to consumers. However, to increase the value, it is necessary to strengthen processing and promote the brand further...

Going back in time, about 10 years ago, on the first day of bringing the tea variety from Suoi Giang (Yen Bai) to Huoi Tu, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tranh - Captain of the 8th Youth Volunteer Team (TNXP) said: To bring this new tea variety to Ky Son, at that time there were 12 people including technical experts and brothers in the Team who had to be extremely careful during the entire process of pilot planting and propagation. In the middle of summer, Mr. Nguyen Ho Lam - Leader of the group asked the brothers to carry each can of water to water each pot. Then when the frame house and nursery had not been built, the brothers had to give up the canvas roof of the dining room to temporarily cover the seedlings. Then everyone had to go to each house to introduce the new tea variety to the Mong people in Huoi Tu and Muong Long; Luckily at that time, two local people, Ly Ba Cai (Trung Tam village) and Denh Ba Mai (Huoi Kha village), were close to the local people and knowledgeable about tea varieties, so they coordinated with the brothers in the team to mobilize the local people to expand the area. From then on, Shan Tuyet tea hills began to cover the fields in the Northwest of Ky Son district.

Members of the 8th Youth Volunteer Team harvest Shan Tuyet tea.

Currently, the total area of ​​Shan Tuyet tea cultivation in the two communes of Huoi Tu and Muong Long has reached nearly 500 hectares. Of which, there are 6 villages in Huoi Tu commune with nearly 100% of households planting, namely Huoi Kha, Huoi Khe, Pa Xac, Huoi Mu, Trung Tam and Huoi Dun. For Muong Long, there are 2 villages of Sa Lay and Tham Luc, which have over 50% of households planting. Every year, households and the General Team increase the area of ​​cultivation of this plant. The yield is also quite high, the area planted by the General Team is on average 4.5 to 5 tons/ha; and for the area planted by the people, it is on average 3 tons/ha. The total output of tea buds can meet several thousand tons per year. Recently, Mr. Hoang Vinh Long - Representative of Vietnam Tea Association and Vu Huu Hao - Representative of Vietnam Tea Corporation came to survey 30 hectares of tea of ​​the Team that are producing products and some new planting plots of people in the basic construction period. The delegation highly appreciated the soil quality and climate of Huoi Tu and Muong Long which are very suitable for Shan Tuyet tea trees.

Inheriting the cool mountain climate all year round of Ky Son, with many cloudy days, the tea buds here are large, covered with a light white layer like snow and have a fairly high yield. In 2013, the 30 hectares of the Youth Volunteer Team alone produced nearly 50 tons of dry buds with high quality in both smell and taste. The processed product has a hook shape, when brewed, the tea water is a deep yellow color like honey, not green like other types of tea. Just a light sip, the tip of the tongue can feel the sweet, astringent taste spreading strongly. Most importantly, Shan Tuyet tea has a strong taste after drinking. Mr. Nguyen Huu Tranh - Captain of the Youth Volunteer Team 8, added: “If it is Shan Tuyet tea of ​​type 1 and brewed properly, the tea will have a special aroma and flavor. The elders in the highlands always have a talent for brewing this type of tea and often pass on their experience to everyone during holidays and Tet. Brewing Shan Tuyet tea is a bit more complicated than other types of tea because it requires sophistication in the temperature of the water. The teapot needs to be made of old-fired porcelain (if brewed with rainwater or boiled spring water, it will give off a special aroma). The first test water to awaken the tea must have a temperature 3 to 5 degrees higher than the water used to brew the tea. After pouring the test water, leave the teapot alone for a few dozen seconds so that the tea absorbs the water. When pouring tea into cups, pour a little bit into each cup in 2 to 3 rounds so that the cups do not differ in strength or lightness. Measure the amount of tea to pour at one time, avoid soaking the tea in hot water for too long, which will lose its aroma. This tea is especially suitable for Tet because of its refreshing taste and refreshing taste. toxic to the body. Therefore, this is a gift chosen by many people over the years".

Shan Tuyet tea grown at an altitude of over 2000 meters above sea level, where clouds cover Ky Son all year round, is delicious, but the brand has not been promoted, spread, and is not worthy of the potential of the region. Looking at other provinces, if currently Shan Tuyet tea in Yen Bai province is exported to Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the US, India, and the UK every year from 3.5 to 4 thousand tons, then Shan Tuyet tea in Nghe An is still mainly consumed within the province. According to the assessment of the Tea Association in the recent survey, Shan Tuyet tea in Nghe An is not inferior to other places, but the problem is in the way of making goods. Regarding the processing stage here, there is still a lack of a standard machinery chain system. Part of the product still has to be dried directly under the sun, reducing the aroma of the tea. Regarding product packaging, it is still monotonous. The product is mainly given as a gift at meetings, conferences, etc. In addition, trade promotion and product promotion have not been given due attention.

Visiting households that grow a lot of tea in Huoi Tu such as Denh Nhu Cho, Vu Pa Chong, Vu Khua Hua... each household grows nearly 1.5 hectares, it is known that after harvesting fresh tea buds, these households bring them directly to the Youth Volunteers Team with an average price of about 6,500 VND/kg, with an average annual income of about 40 million VND. This is a large source of income for the people, however, to invest in expanding and developing the tea area, the capital is still too little. Mr. Vuong Xuan Tru - Deputy General Director in charge of technology said: "Currently, the selling price of dry tea is 170,000 VND/kg, which is still low enough to create capital for production rotation for people. In the recent Hanoi tea fair, the selling price of Shan Tuyet Ha Giang tea was 1.5 million VND/kg, the lowest price was 800,000 VND/kg. Through evaluation, with the current quality of tea, if it has a beautiful design and better marketing, it can be sold for 300,000 VND/kg". However, the current production and processing capacity of the General Team is still very modest. Of the 500 hectares of standing tea, only 250 hectares are harvested. The processing line system is still rudimentary, with 4 tea rolling machines with a capacity of 1 ton/day running on diesel (due to the lack of an electricity grid system), limiting the quality of tea. Recently, the Department of Science and Technology has invested in 2 gas-heated dryers worth 150 million VND/machine to help the team improve the quality of tea... Based on the available potential, the Youth Volunteer Team is making efforts to coordinate with functional agencies and businesses to strengthen processing work towards improving quality, while at the same time promoting trade so that products can reach widely to domestic consumers and participate in export.

Thanh Quynh