Farmers in Nghe An are excitedly harvesting their first spring tea crop.
(Baonghean.vn) - This year, thanks to favorable weather with many periods of rain, the tea plantations in Anh Son district (Nghe An province) have sprouted buds and are ready for harvest earlier than in previous years. These days, people in Anh Son are harvesting the first batches of tea with joy at having a good harvest and good prices.
Mr. Tran Van Hung's family in Hamlet 2, Duc Son Commune, is currently harvesting nearly 7 acres of spring tea. According to the seasonal schedule, in late November and early December of the previous lunar year, he pruned and shaped the tea plants to encourage them to revive and sprout when spring arrives. Therefore, the spring tea harvest is of particular importance to his family and most tea growers because proper care during this period allows the plants to absorb nutrients most effectively, resulting in high yields throughout the year.
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People in Anh Son district are harvesting spring tea with joy, celebrating a bountiful harvest and good prices. Photo: Thai Hien |
"With nearly 7 acres of tea plants in the first harvest, my family harvested 3 tons of fresh tea buds; at the current selling price of 3,500 VND/kg, this has brought in an income of over 10 million VND," shared Mr. Tran Van Hung.
The family of Mr. Le Nhu Hai in Hamlet 323, Dinh Son Commune, is also focusing its workforce on harvesting the first tea crop of the year. Mr. Hai has 1.5 hectares of tea plants, which are currently in their most productive harvesting season.
According to Mr. Hai, spring tea is harvested from January to the end of March; this year's spring tea yield reached 3.5 - 4 tons/ha. In this first harvest, he collected 6 tons of fresh tea buds, earning over 20 million VND. Even more encouraging is that now, after harvesting, traders come to buy the tea directly from him, saving him the effort of traveling and transporting.
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This year, favorable weather conditions have resulted in good growth and high yields of spring tea; 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 tea plantations, of which more than 1,500 hectares are already producing tea, concentrated mainly in the communes of Hung Son, Long Son, Dinh Son, and Cam Son... The annual production of fresh tea buds in the district reaches over 30,000 tons. In addition to exploiting the tea plantations that are already producing tea, in 2018 Anh Son planted 120 hectares of new tea. To ensure both yield and production of the spring tea crop, starting from December, local authorities have directed farmers to focus on pruning and caring for the tea plants to ensure good growth and development.
On average, tea plants yield 7 harvests per year, with each harvest spaced 30-45 days apart, and 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 harvesting the first spring tea crop; with a price of 3,500 VND/kg, after deducting costs, they earn over 10 million VND/ha.
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After harvesting, the tea leaves are packed into bags, waiting for the factory to come and collect them. Photo: Thai Hien |
To help increase tea productivity and quality, over the years, Anh Son district has implemented many mechanisms and policies to support and encourage people to renovate tea hills, introduce high-yield and high-quality varieties for planting; coordinate with tea enterprises in the area to open training courses and transfer scientific and technical knowledge to guide planting and caring; and focus on developing tea cultivation according to VietGAP standards to improve the economic efficiency of this crop.
