Than Uyen Tea: Building a brand for Lai Chau's typical agricultural products

Than Uyen Tea - a typical agricultural product brand of Lai Chau, produced according to VietGAP standards, reaching out to the international market, enhancing the value of Vietnamese tea.

When talking about Lai Chau province, many people think of the mountains and forests, the misty villages and the unique flavor of Shan Tuyet tea , sweet aftertaste, and long-lasting aroma. On Tan Uyen land, tea trees have taken root, are green, and become the main industrial crop, contributing to changing the face of the countryside and improving people's lives. Along with that is the growth of Than Uyen Tea Joint Stock Company, a unit that is gradually building and affirming the Lai Chau tea brand in the domestic and international markets.

Than Uyen tea (Lai Chau province) has become a key industrial crop, contributing to changing the face of the countryside and improving the lives of local people.

From farm to national brand

The predecessor was Than Uyen Military Farm established in 1959, and in 1993, Than Uyen Tea Joint Stock Company was officially established. After more than 60 years of construction and development, the company now manages over 700 hectares of raw tea, of which more than 400 hectares are produced according to VietGAP standards, and owns a processing factory with a capacity of 80 tons/day, operating according to ISO 22000:2018 process.

Every year, the company supplies the market with over 2,000 tons of various types of dry tea, with an average revenue of over 100 billion VND, creating stable jobs for over 200 employees and thousands of seasonal workers. Than Uyen Tea products are not only widely consumed domestically but also exported to many large markets such as China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East, West Asia, etc.

Not only bringing revenue to businesses, tea trees in Tan Uyen also create livelihoods for thousands of households.

Speaking to reporters of Cong Thuong Newspaper, Mr. Vu Thanh Binh, General Director of Than Uyen Tea Joint Stock Company, said: “Maintaining and improving product quality is a vital factor. The company always focuses on the raw material stage and the processing stage, ensuring that fresh tea buds are planted, cared for, harvested and preserved according to safe procedures. Since 2010, the company has implemented a model of connecting "4 houses" (State, farmers, scientists, and businesses), applying good agricultural practices, building regulations for managing raw material areas, and applying scientific and technical advances. People are educated and trained to understand the value of safe tea products, raising their sense of responsibility for the products they make."

These solutions have helped Than Uyen tea gain high prestige, qualifying it to conquer even demanding markets such as Taiwan, Europe, and the US. Currently, the company has 11-12 hectares of certified organic tea, opening up a sustainable direction in the future.

Tea trees: green livelihood of Tan Uyen

Not only does tea trees generate revenue for businesses, they also create livelihoods for thousands of households. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (village 3, Tan Uyen commune) shared: “After more than 13 years of working with tea trees, my family has planted and cared for about 3 hectares for the company. On average, we earn 6-6.5 million VND per month, enough to cover our living expenses, much higher than before when we only worked in the garden.”

Than Uyen Tea products are not only widely consumed domestically but also exported to many major markets.

The Than Uyen tea brand is not only built by the efforts of the enterprise but also the crystallization of the hands and efforts of thousands of farming households in the area. Each green tea field is the result of diligence, hard work, and compliance with safe production processes that the people have been attached to and accompanied with the company for many years.

It is the perseverance in the steps of care, fertilization, weeding, and harvesting with the right techniques that have created fresh tea buds that meet standards, becoming important input materials, ensuring the quality of processed products. The people are not only direct laborers but also silent "brand ambassadors", preserving the reputation of Than Uyen tea in the market.

The close connection between the company and farmers under the contract model, along with the policy of technical support, training and rewards, has aroused the sense of responsibility and pride of the people for their hometown products. It can be said that each tea growing household in Tan Uyen is contributing to building a collective brand - a brand that carries the soul of Lai Chau mountains and forests, increasingly reaching out to the world .

The bare land and hills are now covered with green tea plantations. Thanks to tea trees, people have stable jobs and their lives have improved significantly. For Tan Uyen commune, this is an important long-term industrial crop, contributing to promoting the local economy in a sustainable way.

Journey of brand affirmation

In the Vietnamese tea industry, Than Uyen brand has made its mark with the specialty Shan Tuyet tea line, with its rich, unique flavor. The products have been recognized as 4-star OCOP, expanding promotional opportunities in the domestic and international markets.

The model of connecting "4 houses" (State, farmers, scientists, businesses) has created product and brand value.

In the journey of building the Than Uyen tea brand, it is impossible not to mention the companionship of the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Lai Chau province. The departments have actively implemented industrial promotion programs, supported trade promotion, expanded markets, and at the same time guided the production process according to VietGAP and organic standards, and improved the capacity to manage raw material areas. In particular, the close coordination between the two sectors has helped businesses complete documents and procedures, thereby Than Uyen tea was recognized as a 4-star OCOP product, creating a solid stepping stone to reach higher-end markets.

While in the past almost 100% of products were exported, in recent years the company has gradually brought its products to the domestic market, participated in trade promotion programs organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade , sold online and connected with supermarket chains. This is a necessary step for Than Uyen tea to both affirm its position domestically and continue to reach out to the world.

In particular, in the near future, the company's products will be exported to European and American markets - places with strict inspection standards.

From the lush green tea fields in Tan Uyen, Than Uyen tea brand has been expanding, affirming the position of Lai Chau agricultural products on the tea map of Vietnam and the world. Not only is it simply an agricultural product, Than Uyen tea also carries the mission of sustainable development, creating jobs, improving the lives of thousands of workers, contributing to building an increasingly rich and beautiful image of Lai Chau.

Source: https://sct.laichau.gov.vn/thong-tin-tong-hop/tin-tuc-chung/che-than-uyen-xay-dung-thuong-hieu-nong-san-dac-trung-cua-lai-chau.html