14 OCOP certified tea products in Song Cong city

The program aims to improve knowledge about tea culture, promote the development of Thai Nguyen tea industry in general and Song Cong tea in particular.

Thai Nguyen province has long been known as the "Tea Capital" of Vietnam, which is the birthplace of famous tea regions such as Tan Cuong, La Bang, Trai Cai, Khe Coc... with unique and sophisticated flavors. Thai Nguyen tea is not only a drink, an agricultural product but also carries within it the spirit and character of the Vietnamese people, who are simple but profound, elegant but rich.

Currently, Song Cong city has over 400 hectares of tea, of which, 100 hectares are VietGAP certified. Tea is one of the key crops that contribute significantly to economic development, creating sustainable livelihoods for local people. The average yield of fresh tea buds is over 128 quintals/ha, the output is nearly 3000 tons/ha.

In the city, there are 3 enterprises and 2 cooperatives producing and processing tea. To present, the city has 14 tea products that have been evaluated and classified as OCOP, of which, 4 products have achieved 4-star OCOP, 10 products have achieved 3-star OCOP with the application of high technology in production, management and quality supervision.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the program, Mr. Pham Duy Hung - Secretary of Song Cong city Party Committee affirmed that organizing the program is an opportunity for everyone to review history, explore the cultural values of tea, share knowledge, experience and tea-drinking skills to further promote the tea brand of Song Cong in particular and Thai Nguyen tea in general.

Besides, the secretary of Song Cong city Party Committee expressed his view that each student after the program would become a representative of tea culture, more widely promoting the image of Thai Nguyen tea, contributing to the sustainable development of the tea industry, improving people's lives and making Thai Nguyen tea a cultural symbol as well as the pride of the country.

Moreover, at the program, Mr. Dinh Huy Chien - chairman of the board of directors, general director of Chien Cong industrial and transport cooperative shared that the cooperative is an honored unit to participate in the first international tea festival in 2011. After the success of the program, the value of tea products has increased 10 times in comparison with the previous period and the price has been raised up to 20 million VND/kg, which has affirmed the attention and direction of the political system and the responsibility of tea makers in Thai Nguyen province. In particular, the cooperatives, enterprises and tea entrepreneurs have invested in the unique superior products of Thai Nguyen province.

At the program, journalist and tea artisan Hoang Anh Suong focused on discussing the development of tea culture and training in the art of tea tasting for agencies, units, businesses, schools, cooperatives, tea villages and tea production households in Song Cong City.

Along with that, artisan Hoang Anh Suong also discussed solutions to preserve and promote the cultural value of Thai Nguyen tea, contributing to honoring Vietnamese tea culture as a world intangible cultural heritage.

These contents were conveyed by artisan Hoang Anh Suong, who has a great passion for the Vietnamese tea industry with his dedication and extensive knowledge. The program has brought new knowledge and valuable experiences, helping to find new directions for tea production units, thereby, breakthrough ideas are raised to enhance the value of tea trees.