Tea is a key crop in the economic development of farmers in Thai Nguyen City

Tea is a key crop in the economic development of farmers in Thai Nguyen City, with a total area of over 1,500 hectares, concentrated in the western communes such as Tan Cuong, Phuc Triu, Phuc Xuan, Thinh Duc, Quyet Thang... To increase the value of tea trees, the locality has promoted propaganda and raised people's awareness of safe, organic agricultural production. Currently, about 80% of the agricultural area of Thai Nguyen City is being produced according to VietGAP and organic standards. In early 2024, Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, in Khuon hamlet, Phuc Triu commune, registered to implement organic production on all 2.5 hectares of his family’s tea trees. Mr. Tien commented: When switching to organic, using all microbial fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers, the plants grew very well. The productivity and quality of tea products increased by 20-25%; the selling price was from 600-700 thousand VND/kg, 200-300 thousand VND/kg higher than before. Mr. Nguyen Hong Khanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Triu commune, shared: “As a purely agricultural commune, people's lives depend mainly on tea trees. Therefore, local farmers are interested in safe tea models. Especially when the State supports these models with materials, fertilizers, science, and technology. With a total area of 370 hectares of tea in the whole commune, nearly 90% have been produced in safe and organic models. Half of the area has been planted and cared for 3-4 years, concentrated in hamlets: Phuc Thuan, Phuc Thanh, Soi Mit...”

Along with tea trees, Thai Nguyen City also implements organic models with fruit trees and rice. For example, in the last winter-spring crop, the City successfully implemented an organic rice production model, with a scale of 24 hectares, in 3 communes: Dong Lien, Linh Son and Tan Cuong, with over 200 households participating. The rice varieties are HD11 and HDT10.

Along with tea trees, Thai Nguyen City also implements organic models with fruit trees and rice

Ms. Dao Thi Kim Quy, Director of the Agricultural Service Center of Thai Nguyen City, said: “Implementing the direction of the City People's Committee, in 2024, the Center will implement organic agricultural models with tea trees (8 hectares) and rice (24 hectares). Plus the models implemented by the provincial authorities, about 30% of the city's tea area has been certified. The results show that organic production significantly improves both productivity and quality of crops and facilitates product consumption. In the coming time, the Center will continue to further expand the scale and area of organic agriculture. In this crop, an organic rice model will be implemented with a scale of 30 hectares."

To increase the value of agricultural products, in addition to implementing organic models, the functional agencies of Thai Nguyen City guided farmers to participate in many high-tech application models. Currently, the city has formed a concentrated fruit tree production area in Linh Son commune, with more than 70 hectares of guava growing area; 100 hectares of high-tech flower and vegetable production in Huong Thuong commune... It is expected that by the end of 2024, the value of agricultural products in Thai Nguyen city will reach 170 million VND/ha, an increase of nearly 52 million VND/ha compared to 2021.