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Tea exports up on last year
The country exported 67,000 tonnes of tea in the first seven months of this year, earning US$83 million, the Viet Nam Tea Association said.
The figures represent a year-on-year increase of 15.1 per cent in volume and 4.8 per cent in value.
In July alone, Viet Nam earned $19 million from exporting 15,000 tonnes of tea.
Nguyen Kim Phong, chairman of the association, attributed the improved sales to a change in consumer tastes and a better quality product.
The industry also reduced prices. The average price of tea in the first seven months of this year was $1,248 per tonne, 3.94 per cent lower than in the same period last year.
But even at the reduced price, farmers still reaped a net profit of $100-200 per tonne from exports because of improvements in production, which cut costs, Phong said.
Viet Nam’s key export markets this year were Pakistan, Russia, mainland China, Taiwan and Afghanistan.
The country planned to export 117,000 tonnes of tea this year, worth $167 million, according to Phong.
The export value of tea this year was expected to increase year-on-year by 13.6 per cent, he said, one of the few sectors to show a rise in exports.
However, Phong said the tea industry was still affected by the global economic downturn that had affected customers’ finances.
To reach this year’s target, the industry would boost research into high-grade tea, Phong said.
Viet Nam exports tea products to 110 countries and territories under the CheViet trademark, which is protected in 70 countries and territories. Viet Nam is the fifth largest producer and exporter of tea in the world.
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