At this time, at the foot of the legendary Pha Din pass, tea hills in Binh Thuan commune stretch green and lush. In the warm spring sunshine, young tea buds stretch out, signaling the new harvest season begins.
Recorded by Lao Dong Newspaper reporters in Quynh Tien Hung village, from early morning, people were present in the fields, quickly picking each tea bud, creating a bustling pace of labor throughout the villages.
The tea tree took root here from the 1960s, following the footsteps of people from the plains to start a business. Over the years, tea has become a key crop, helping hundreds of households stabilize their lives.
Currently, Binh Thuan commune has nearly 800ha of tea, the output of fresh tea buds each year reaches thousands of tons. The main tea varieties are Kim Tuyen and Shan Tuyet, suitable for the climate, giving good quality.
The spring tea crop starts after the Lunar New Year, when the weather is favorable, tea buds develop quickly. On tea hills in Kien Xuong, Noong Lao, Quynh Tien Hung villages, people work continuously to harvest in time.
Having nearly 15 years of attachment to the tea harvesting profession, Ms. Lo Thi Kim, Na Khoang village, said: "Every day I harvest about 60–70kg of fresh tea buds. The work starts early in the morning, with an income of about 200,000 VND/day. Thanks to tea trees, the family has an additional stable source of income.
Not only local people, many seasonal workers also have jobs from tea hills. Depending on the yield, tea harvesters are paid about 2,500–3,000 VND/kg of fresh buds, creating a steady source of income during the crop season.
Besides the raw material area, businesses and cooperatives in the area are also operating at full capacity. At Thu Dan Tea Co., Ltd., workers are urgently taking care of, purchasing and processing spring tea.
Mr. Pham Van Doanh, Director of Thu Dan Tea Co., Ltd., said: "On average, each year, the company produces about 300 tons of dried tea. The spring tea crop is an important time, output increases, the company maintains stable jobs for many workers at the processing plant with incomes from 6–10 million VND/month and hundreds of hired tea pickers.
Cooperatives in the area also play a role in linking production and consumption. Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, Deputy Director of Binh Thuan General Production, Business and Service Cooperative, said that the cooperative purchases tea for hundreds of households, and at the same time invests in modern processing machinery to improve product value.
The cooperative's tea products have been recognized as OCOP 4 stars, exported to foreign markets. This is a motivation for people to continue to stick with tea trees," Ms. Binh said.
According to Mr. Duong Gia Dinh, Chairman of Binh Thuan Commune People's Committee, tea is the main crop of the locality, contributing to solving jobs and increasing income for people.
In the coming time, the commune will continue to mobilize people to take care of tea according to technical procedures, expand links with businesses, improve quality and build the Binh Thuan tea brand. At the same time, link tea cultivation with experiential agricultural tourism," Mr. Dinh said.
The spring tea season not only brings income but also creates a unique beauty for the land at the foot of Pha Din pass. Green tea hills, bustling labor and belief in the new crop are contributing to helping tea trees continue to reach further.
