Nghe An farmers excitedly harvest the first spring tea crop

Mr. Tran Van Hung's family in village 2, Duc Son commune are harvesting nearly 7 sao of spring tea these days. According to the crop calendar, at the end of November and the beginning of December of the previous lunar year, he pruned branches to create canopy and took care of the tea trees so that they could revive and sprout when spring comes. Therefore, the spring tea harvest is of special interest to his family and most tea growers because care at this stage helps the trees absorb nutrients best, giving high yields all year round.

People in Anh Son district harvest spring tea in joy of a good harvest and good price. Photo: Thai Hien

"With nearly 7 sao of the first tea crop, my family harvested 3 tons of fresh tea buds; with the current selling price of 3,500 VND/kg of tea buds, the income was over 10 million VND" - Mr. Tran Van Hung shared.

Mr. Le Nhu Hai's family in village 323, Dinh Son commune is also focusing on harvesting the first tea crop of the year. Mr. Hai has 1.5 hectares of tea, which is currently at its most "vigorous" harvest time.

According to Mr. Hai, spring tea is harvested from January to the end of March; this year's spring tea yield is 3.5 - 4 tons/ha, this first crop he harvested 6 tons of fresh tea buds, earning more than 20 million VND. More excitingly, now the tea is picked and purchased by traders at the site, saving on travel and transportation costs.

This year, the weather is favorable so spring tea grows well, giving high yield; the current purchase price is 3,500 VND/kg of fresh tea buds. Photo: Thai Hien

The entire Anh Son district currently has nearly 2,000 hectares of raw tea, of which more than 1,500 hectares have been harvested, concentrated in the communes of Hung Son, Long Son, Dinh Son and Cam Son... Every year, the output of fresh tea buds in the whole district reaches over 30,000 tons. In addition to exploiting the harvested tea area, in 2018 Anh Son planted 120 hectares of new tea. In order for the spring tea crop to achieve both productivity and output, since December, localities have directed people to focus on pruning and caring for the tea to grow and develop well.

On average, tea trees yield 7 harvests per year, each harvest is 30 - 45 days apart, with an average yield of 4 - 4.5 tons/ha; generating a net profit of 70 - 80 million VND/ha/year. Currently, households are focusing on the first spring tea harvest; with a price of 3,500 VND/kg, after deducting expenses, the income is over 10 million VND/ha.

After harvest, tea is bagged and waits for the factory to come and buy. Photo: Thai Hien

To help increase tea productivity and quality, in recent years, Anh Son district has implemented many support mechanisms and policies to encourage people to renovate tea hills, introduce high-yield, high-quality varieties for planting; coordinate with local tea factories to open training courses, transfer science and technology to guide planting and care; focus on developing tea trees according to VietGAP process to improve economic efficiency from this crop.