Not only growing and developing entirely naturally in favorable soil and climate conditions, but Ha Giang's Shan Tuyet Tea also possesses all the elements of aroma, flavor, and cleanliness. It is likened to "green gold" and the "treasure" of the extreme northern land. Shan Tuyet Tea has become a key crop in the agricultural restructuring of the province, increasingly affirming its brand, position, and reputation in both domestic and international markets.
Ha Giang province is known as a key tea-producing region in the country, with a total area of over 20,300 hectares, ranking third after Lam Dong and Thai Nguyen provinces. Currently, there are 1,629 Shan Tuyet Tea trees recognized by the Vietnam Nature and Environment Conservation Association as Vietnam's Heritage Trees, making Ha Giang the province with the highest number of recognized Shan Tuyet Tea trees in the country. The area of Shan Tuyet Tea cultivation reaches over 18,600 hectares, accounting for 90.28% of the total tea cultivation area in the province. The harvested area for Shan Tuyet Tea is nearly 14,000 hectares, yielding over 55,000 tons.
Shan Tuyet Tea Ha Giang
Shan Tuyet translates to "Snow on the mountain," and Shan Tuyet Tea is an ancient tea variety that grows on high mountain ranges. The tea leaves and buds are covered with a layer of white velvet resembling snow, a characteristic that cannot be found in tea varieties cultivated in lowland and delta regions. Currently, Shan Tuyet Tea trees are grown extensively around the Tay Con Linh mountain range in districts such as Bac Quang, Hoang Su Phi, Quang Binh, Xin Man, Ha Giang City, and have expanded to many other areas within the province.
Shan Tuyet Tea, with a lifespan of hundreds of years, features a white mossy layer covering each trunk and branch. The branches are long and sturdy. These ancient tea trees grow at the mountain peaks, at an altitude of over 1,000 meters above sea level, in a frigid climate. Their roots penetrate deep into the soil, and each tea bud symbolizes the crystallization of the purest essence of the Ha Giang land.
Affirmation of the Dominant Position of Shan Tuyet Tea
Shan Tuyet Tea is one of the five key crops where resources, manpower, and technology are concentrated to efficiently exploit the comparative advantages in climate and soil conditions. This aims to develop it into a significant agricultural product closely linked to the tourism industry. This favorable condition helps perfect and develop the value chain of Shan Tuyet Tea in Ha Giang, asserting its potential, strengths, and brand on both domestic and international markets.
Currently, there are 11 enterprises, 13 cooperatives, and 290 establishments and businesses processing tea in the province, with a total processing capacity of around 280 tons of fresh tea leaves per day, meeting the current demand for tea processing. The price of fresh tea leaves in the districts fluctuates from 6,000 to 20,000 VND/kg, and in some cases, it can go up to 350,000 VND/kg (depending on the tea-growing region and harvesting method). To enhance the value of Shan Tuyet Tea, many establishments have proactively invested in modern production technology and equipment, with large capacities, creating high-quality tea products that are well-received in the market.
According to specialized agencies' statistics, the tea industry brings in an annual production value of nearly 690 billion VND, accounting for about 10% of the total value of the agriculture sector. Shan Tuyet Tea is highly appreciated by consumers for its quality and is considered the "treasure" of the extreme northern mountains. Currently, the province has developed nearly 40 tea products from various enterprises, cooperatives, and businesses into local OCOP (One Commune One Product) products. Notably, two tea products, green and black tea under the brand of "bà cụ" (grandmother) from the Phin Ho Tea Processing Cooperative in Thông Nguyên commune (Hoàng Su Phì), have been recognized as 5-star national OCOP products by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Export of 400-Year-Old Ancient Shan Tuyet Tea to the EU Market
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hong, Vice President of the Vietnam Tea Association, this collaboration marks a new milestone for the Vietnamese tea brand globally and affirms the quality and potential of Export of 400-Year-Old Ancient Shan Tuyet Tea to the EU Market. Through this collaboration agreement, An Shim Tea Company and Anna Yea Tea Company will assist Tien Thien Tra in connecting, trading, expanding markets, and coordinating the implementation of programs and projects to promote commercial promotion, paving the way for Ancient Shan Snow Tea in the EU and US markets.
"In the world, Vietnam is one of six countries that owns this rare and precious variety of Shan Tuyet Tea. These tea trees are hundreds of years old, growing naturally without any human interference, resulting in extremely rare tea products. However, this rare type of Vietnamese tea is not well-known to many. We are delighted to have successfully become the bridge, bringing Shan Tuyet Tea closer to the global tea market in general and the tea markets in the US and EU in particular," affirmed Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hong.
Ms. Pham Thi Minh Hai, a representative of a tea production company in Ha Giang that won the gold medal at the World Tea Competition in France in 2019, stated that Shan Tuyet Tea is produced from tea trees that are hundreds of years old, living in the Tay Con Linh mountain range (Ha Giang) at an altitude of 1,300-1,700 meters.
"Shan Tuyet Tea trees are aged from 200-400 years or even 500-700 years, and there are also trees over a thousand years old. People in the highland areas often harvest tea from early morning until late at night before returning. After harvesting. , we immediately begin tea production to ensure the freshness and quality of the tea. The tea production process extends into the next morning, once everything is completed," said Ms. Sea.
According to Ms. Hai, the current selling price of fresh tea from the highland areas to businesses is around 35,000-40,000 VND/kg. Meanwhile, the price of Shan Tuyet Tea from Ha Giang ranges from 450,000-800,000 VND/kg for good quality and can go up to 1.5 million VND/kg or even 80 million VND/kg for special varieties. The tea price also depends on the age of the tea trees and various other factors. Each year, residents in the Tay Con Linh mountainous area harvest approximately 200 tons of Shan Tuyet Tea