The Sweet Taste of Phu Tho Green Tea

For generations, Phu Tho tea has been cherished by tea lovers for its uniquely distinctive flavor—one that cannot be mistaken for teas from Thai Nguyen, Son La, Yen Bai, or Lam Dong. In 2020, the certification trademark “Phu Tho Tea” was granted intellectual property protection, helping to enhance the brand’s prestige, economic value, and market competitiveness. The province has since developed branded tea-growing areas, affirming the consistency and heritage of a time-honored specialty.

Tea has become one of Phu Tho’s key crops for poverty reduction and livelihood improvement. The province currently has around 14,500 hectares of tea under harvest, with high-yield, high-quality tea accounting for more than 95% of total production. Hybrid varieties such as LDP1, LDP2, and PH1 are mainly used for black tea production for export, while specialty varieties such as Kim Tuyen, Bat Van Tien, and Oolong are processed into premium green teas. This rich and diverse raw material base also provides an abundant source for developing OCOP (One Commune One Product) tea products.

At present, Phu Tho has 593 OCOP-certified products rated three stars or higher, including nearly 100 tea-based products—more than 20 of which are rated four stars and one achieving the prestigious five-star ranking. With over 1,000 tea production and processing facilities, the province supplies hundreds of thousands of tons of black tea and hundreds of tons of green tea annually to domestic and international markets, generating significant income for local growers and processors.

To enhance the value and brand of Phu Tho tea, the province has implemented a series of strategic measures: zoning and developing concentrated tea-growing areas, promoting the “Phu Tho Tea” brand, and strengthening legal protection for intellectual property rights. As a result, the “Phu Tho Tea” label has earned a strong reputation both domestically and internationally. In addition, the province encourages localities, enterprises, and cooperatives to invest in technological innovation, strengthen production linkages to secure raw materials, and maintain product quality control. Phu Tho also promotes the registration of intellectual property-protected brands and the development of safe tea production models following VietGAP standards in suitable ecological regions. Notably, tea production models under the “Quality and Safety Enhancement of Agricultural Products Project” (QSEAP) have been deployed in key tea-growing districts, creating a solid foundation for attracting investment in high-quality, value-added commercial tea production.

In recent years, tea growers have become increasingly aware of safe production practices and quality improvement. The area of tea certified under VietGAP, HACCP, QSEAP, and organic standards—along with the application of ICP and ICPM technologies—has been steadily expanding. Enterprises and cooperatives are paying greater attention to packaging design, branding, and market diversification. Especially in certain areas with favorable conditions, farmers have begun developing tea tourism zones, combining cultivation with community-based tourism—an approach that not only promotes the local product but also creates a sustainable source of income.

Quan Lam