Tea export value has growth spurt

March 07, 2011 | 14:12

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Tea exports registered a year-on-year increase of 34.3 per cent in value in the first two months of this year to $32 million, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

During the first two months, exports surged by 27.4 per cent to 22,000 tonnes and the price of tea also rose 6.5 per cent to $1,465 per tonne against the same period of last year, said Nguyen Viet Chien, head of the ministry's Centre of Information and Statistics. In February, exports reached 11,000 tonnes, earning $16 million.

The three largest export markets of Vietnamese tea products included Pakistan, Russia and Taiwan, he said.

The Vietnam Tea Association predicted that Vietnam would gain a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent in value to $200 million for this year while export volume is expected to remain unchanged against last year, said Nguyen Van Thu, deputy chairman of the association.

Export prices for Vietnamese tea products currently stand at 60-70 per cent of the world average prices, higher than the rate of 50 per cent in previous years, Thu said.

The tea industry has improved the quality of products and ensured food safety and hygiene, he said. The industry has also trained farmers to grow tea using high technology to ensure higher quality products.

Vietnam is the world's fifth leading tea exporter, shipping tea products to 110 nations and territories worldwide.