Autumn Yields Insufficient for Labor Costs, How to Preserve Bien Ho's Tea Region?

The iconic Bien Ho tea region in Gia Lai, once a symbol of the Pleiku highlands spanning approximately 232 hectares, is rapidly diminishing. Over years of agricultural restructuring, much of this cherished tea-growing land has been converted to coffee plantations. Today, only about 62.7 hectares of tea remain, nestled beside ancient pine trees, the Buu Minh pagoda, and the Ya Lu lake, forming a unique landscape for Gia Lai.

Farmers in the region are facing mounting difficulties as many tea plants have aged, leading to decreased productivity. The plants are showing signs of wilting or poor growth, exacerbating concerns about the economic viability of tea cultivation. Nguyen Thi Bich, a farmer managing about 0.135 hectares, noted that delayed pruning and late watering have caused nearly 15% of her tea plants to die. Similarly, Phan Cao Thang reported that over 20% of his 1.5 hectares of tea are dead or growing poorly.

The economic returns from tea have become increasingly precarious. Phan Van Phu, whose family has cultivated tea in Bien Ho for three generations, shared that his recent harvest from over 1.4 hectares yielded only about 600,000 Vietnamese dong. This meager income barely covers the 800,000 dong cost of hiring four tea pickers, highlighting a significant financial loss.

Adding to the uncertainty, the Bien Ho Tea Company informed the 113 households managing the 62.7 hectares of tea that they will cease purchasing fresh tea buds starting in 2026. While the company will allow farmers to continue using the land in 2026 without fees, farmers must independently find buyers for their entire harvest and are responsible for its sale. This abrupt decision has left the local farming community anxious about their livelihoods and the future of this emblematic regional product.

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The difficulty now is not just productivity, but also economic efficiency. In the recent harvest, my family's more than 1.4 hectares of tea only sold for about 600,000 dong, while the cost of hiring 4 tea pickers was up to 800,000 dong.