 At a seminar to boost the export of Lai Chau tea (Photo: moit.gov.vn) |
At a recent seminar on boosting tea exports, Ha Trong Hai, Vice Chairman of the Lai Chau provincial People’s Committee, said the province has 9,000 ha of tea, and most of it has received safe growing certificate. The province’s biggest current tea markets include Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China.
Vietnamese businesses are studying customers’ tastes and the challenges they will face in penetrating into newer markets.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu says that in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, tea drinking is a daily habit. Lai Chau has great opportunity to export tea to that 2-billion USD market, he said.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work closely with the People’s Committee of Lai Chau province to help connect to agencies and businesses in other both countries. We hope to create long-term cooperation between Lai Chau and those markets,' said Mr. Hieu.
Nguyen Tien Phong, Vietnamese Ambassador to Pakistan, suggested that Vietnamese tea exporters increase the proportion of black tea to expand the market:
Mr. Phong said: "Pakistan and Afghanistan are not demanding markets in term of origin or geographical indication, so they are high-potential markets for Vietnamese tea, particularly Lai Chau tea. We need to step up promotion activities, make packaging appropriate to the Muslim culture, and increase the proportion of processed and packaged products."
With the COVID-19 pandemic under control, Vietnamese businesses should focus on branding and diversifying their products to gain market share.