The ancient Shan Tuyet tea hills on the mountain slopes are shrouded in mist all year round. Yet, few would expect that Vietnamese tea trees are witnessing a quiet ‘revolution.’ Highland farmers are learning to practice clean agriculture and use organic fertilizers. Additionally, they take part in technical training and move toward more sustainable markets.
Behind this transformation is the support of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance through the Institute for Cooperative Economic Development. This institute has implemented the project Supporting Production Development for Tea-Growing Households in Binh An commune. This project belongs to the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for 2021–2025. The project focuses on livelihood diversification and developing sustainable poverty-reduction models.
Previously, local people grew tea in a traditional way, leaving it entirely to the mercy of rain and sun. Today, they have begun to see Vietnamese tea trees as a genuine economic opportunity. They now follow a guided and systematic production process. In addition, they have connected with Vietnamese tea export enterprises that commit to purchasing their products.
According to Decision No. 478/QD-CQLMHTXVN dated June 13, 2025, the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance assigned the Institute for Cooperative Economic Development to implement the project. The total budget is 2.5 billion VND, with 2 billion VND from the state budget. The remainder contributed by 54 poor, near-poor, and newly escaped-poverty households in Binh An commune.
Vietnamese tea trees
This area has natural conditions ideal for Vietnamese tea trees, especially for ancient Shan Tuyet tea trees. However, for many years, local people have cultivated them in a scattered and unplanned manner. Then, it has resulted in low yields and inconsistent quality.
Right after receiving the assignment, the Institute conducted field surveys in the tea-growing area. It selected fifty-four eligible households according to the criteria of the national target program. The project covers 22 hectares of Vietnamese tea trees. It provides an important foundation for a concentrated production linkage model to develop a high-quality tea material zone.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy is the Deputy Director of the Institute for Cooperative Economic Development. She said that they would not follow the old approach of providing material support. Instead, the Institute left households to manage on their own. In addition, the Institute adopts a hands-on, step-by-step method.
It also teaches techniques for organic cultivation, biological pest management, and proper harvesting and preservation. The goal is to help local people master the techniques and change their production mindset. In this way, they can lift themselves out of poverty using their own Vietnamese tea trees.
To realize this goal, the Institute organized three intensive training courses for local residents. These courses combined theory with practical exercises directly in the tea gardens. More than 50 households learned for the first time how to use biological preparations and organic fertilizers. They also learned why a single clean tea leaf can be worth many times more than mass-produced tea.
The Institute not only provided training but also supplied 88 tons of organic fertilizer and 66 kilograms of biological preparations. These measures help farmers cut input costs, enhance soil fertility, and adopt environmentally friendly production practices.
Shan tuyet tea
Before the project was implemented, the yield of Shan Tuyet tea in Binh An reached only 1.5–2 tons of fresh buds per hectare per year. This was largely because the plants lacked nutrients and were not cared for using proper techniques. With comprehensive support in fertilizers and cultivation methods, the expected yield will reach 3–4 tons of fresh buds per hectare per year. This is 2 to 2.7 times higher than the previous yield.
With 22 hectares included in the project area, the additional output is likely to reach 33–55 tons of fresh tea buds per year. This corresponds to a value of 260–500 million VND at current market prices (around 8,000 VND per kilogram). If deep processing and OCOP brand development are taken into account, the value may increase by an additional 10–15 percent.
Behind these numbers is the quiet transformation in the lives of many highland farming households. Ma Thi Ty, a participating household, shared that in the past they grew tea naturally without any technical knowledge. As a result, the plants were weak and produced few leaves.
After receiving guidance on applying organic fertilizers and proper care, the tea trees have become noticeably healthier. She expressed confidence that next season’s yield would double. For highland families like hers, this represents a real hope of escaping poverty.
The project not only increases income but also creates long-term development opportunities. The Institute helps link enterprises to buy the products and promotes Binh An tea on e-commerce platforms. This strategic step allows highland agricultural products to move from selling raw materials to creating branded products. These branded products can reach both domestic and international markets.
One of the greatest values of the project is the shift in farmers’ production mindset. Previously, they were accustomed to spontaneous production, lacking linkages and having no consumption plan. Now, they have moved toward planned production. They are establishing connections and coordinating with businesses throughout the product consumption chain.
Vietnamese fresh tea
Binh An farmers have learned tea cultivation and care through training courses and practical guidance. They have also acquired skills in harvesting and processing following the value chain model. As a result, they not only reduce production costs and improve product quality. They also become more proactive in organizing their household economic models effectively.
The biggest challenge for farmers today is the instability of market outlets. The project conducted a comprehensive assessment of the current status of the tea sector in Binh An commune and Tuyen Quang province. From this assessment, solutions were proposed to develop a raw-material zone aligned with market demand. The project connects with enterprises to buy processed dried tea. This not only stabilizes output but also encourages local producers over the long term.
In its initial progress report, the Institute stated that before the project’s implementation, the average income of local residents was only about 1.5 million VND per person per month, below the minimum living standard. Yields are expected to double, and products are sold under contract. The average income of participating households may then reach 2–4 million VND per person per month. This increase could enable 15–20 households to sustainably escape poverty in the very first year.
Beyond the figures, the Binh An model demonstrates that effective poverty reduction cannot be separated from developing the production capacity of local people. When farmers understand cultivation techniques, know how to calculate costs, and link with others to secure market access, they become more proactive. As a result, they are less dependent on short-term assistance.
This approach reflects the new perspective of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance in implementing national target programs: Poverty reduction is not about giving. It is about creating conditions for people to stand on their own through productive capacity and cooperative economic models.
Olong tea from Vietnam
The assignment of the Institute for Cooperative Economic Development to implement the project is not an isolated activity. It is part of the broader strategy of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, involving its affiliated units in executing the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2021–2025 period.
The Institute combines research, advisory work, field implementation, and market linkage. As a result, it supports localities in reorganizing production and creating effective cooperative models.
This is especially significant for remote, mountainous, and ethnic minority areas, where residents have limited access to information and resources. With the accompaniment of the Cooperative Alliance and its member units, state policies reach individual households. This ensures that policies are effectively implemented in practice rather than remaining merely on paper.
The Binh An tea project not only helps farmers increase their income but also carries profound environmental and social values.
Organic fertilizers and biological preparations help reduce soil and water pollution while preserving the mountain ecosystem. Applying organic fertilizers and biological preparations not only increases yield but also reduces emissions, protects water, soil, and community health. Shifting from traditional cultivation to organic practices also lays the foundation for Binh An tea. This enables it to participate in future green and clean agricultural supply chains.
Black tea from Vietnam
On the social side, the model helps build community capacity. Residents learn scientific production methods and gain confidence in interacting with businesses and local authorities. From small, isolated households, they are gradually becoming partners in the agricultural value chain, a fundamental change for rural development.
Beyond tea, the Institute is exploring the potential to replicate the model with other crops. These include oranges, seedless persimmons, and medicinal plants in communes with similar conditions.
One of the project’s breakthroughs is its flexible policy approach. The state provides capital and mechanisms, while the Cooperative Alliance organizes the process. The Institute for Cooperative Economic Development implements it, and the people are the direct beneficiaries and operators.
The Institute acts as a bridge between farmers and the market. It helps Binh An tea access the OCOP system, e-commerce platforms, and specialty supermarket chains.
In the context of Vietnam promoting green transformation and a circular economy, the story of Binh An tea demonstrates that poverty reduction is not only a social goal. It also serves as a driver for modern agricultural economic development when policy, science, and local people move together in the same direction.
Vietnamese source: https://vnbusiness.vn/kinh-doanh-xanh/cuoc-cach-mang-che-sach-vung-cao-khi-nong-dan-binh-an-viet-lai-cau-chuyen-thoat-ngheo-bang-hop-tac-ky-thuat-va-thi-truong-1110006.html