Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam exported 107,000 tonnes of tea valued at 187 million USD during January-October, up 3.2 percent in volume and 14.3 percent in value year-on-year.
In October alone, the country shipped abroad 13,000 tonnes of tea worth 22 million USD, the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority (Agrotrade) reported.
Pakistan, Taiwan, China and Russia remained Vietnam’s major markets in the 10 months, making up 72.5 percent of total tea export revenue, said the agency.
Pakistan contributed significantly to the increase as with a 30.6 percent increase in the volume of tea it imported from Vietnam.
Between 2014 and 2018, tea import value of Pakistan and Taiwan expanded 14.9 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively, each year.
Pakistan has been seen as a promising market as Vietnamese tea made up only 2.2 percent of the country’s market share in 2018. Meanwhile, the South Asian country consumes 172,900 tonnes of black tea each year, and the number is forecast to reach 250,750 tonnes in 2027, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Currently, Vietnam ranks seventh in tea production and fifth in tea exports globally, with its tea products present in more than 60 markets.
Last year, the country earned 219 million USD from exporting 128,000 tonnes of tea.
Notably the country houses 18,000 ha of shan tuyet tea, which is grown only in mountainous areas without chemical fertilisers or pesticides.
Each tonne of Vietnamese tea is exported for 1,757 USD, up 6.3 percent as compared with 2018. The price of shan tuyet tea, which is known for its pleasant flavour and fragrance, is much higher, ranging from 50,000 USD to 100,000 USD per tonne.
Organic shan tuyet tea of Ban Lien commune, Bac Ha district, the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, is regarded as a promising export item.
Up to 474 of more than 500 ha of shan tuyet tea in Ban Lien has been recognised as organic. In 2017, Bac Ha’s shan tuyet tea received a licence for brand name registration.
Last year, Ban Lien Cooperative exported 80 tonnes of organic shan tuyet tea to picky markets like Europe, the US, Canada and Japan for 100 USD per kg. In the first 10 months, the volume stood at 75 tonnes.
Over the years, Ha Giang has issued policies to promote shan tuyet tea production and consumption.
In August 2018, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam issued a decision to licence geographical indication registration in 44 communes of Ha Giang’s six districts.
Hoang Su Phi district is home to 4,600 ha of tea with an annual output of 12,880 tonnes. The area of ancient shan tuyet tea stands at 2,000 ha, yielding more than 6,000 tonnes annually.
A total of 1,470 ha of tea in Hoang Su Phi have been recognised as organic, of which 161 ha have satisfied standards set by the European Union.
Dang Thi Phuong, Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Vi Xuyen district said Cao Bo De commune has delivered about 200 tonnes of tea each year to six countries, including China, Belgium, Russia and Turkey.
Nguyen Thi Anh Hong, Vice President of the Vietnam Tea Association, said with the support of the French Development Agency, the association has held various activities to promote shan tuyet tea globally.
A delegation of Vietnamese businesses attended the Tea Village fair in Paris from September 27-29, she said, stressing that with efforts of the association, local authorities and enterprises, exports of shan tuyet tea are expected to grow robustly./.
VNA
