Cau Dat tea, a brand name established by Frenchmen nearly 100 years ago, has affirmed its product quality, brand reputation and operating efficiency. The rise of Cau Dat tea brand has also helped hundreds of workers have a stable life and changed the economic and social face of the locality.
Cau Dat Tea Joint Stock Company is situated in Tram Hanh commune, Da Lat City, Lam Dong province, about 25 km from the heart of Da Lat City. Fertile soil and cool climate all year round at an altitude of 1,600 metres are ideal conditions for growing high quality tea.
Director Cao Van Tao said Cau Dat tea was created by the French in 1927. Planted on an area of about 500 ha, Cau Dat tea was processed by advanced equipment for export to Western European countries. The factory was specialised in manufacturing OTD black tea, including OP, P, BOP, FBOP, BPS, F and D lines. Due to political reasons, the tea plantation was sold to Chinese in 1954.
In 1975, the revolutionary government took over Cau Dat Tea Factory and allocated it to Southern Food Company. In 1977, it was transferred to Lam Dong Tea Company and continued to produce black tea for export to European countries, mainly the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union collapsed, the tea was exported to Iraq. When the United States attacked Iraq, the market for black tea disappeared. The company shifted to green tea production until now. In 2003, 2004 and 2005, the company added 30 ha of Taiwanese tea (Kim Tuyen and Tu Quy).
In 2005, Cau Dat Tea Factory went public in response to the Government’s policy on privatisation of State-owned enterprises. In 2006, the company invested in new equipment and production lines and built Oolong tea processing factory for export to Taiwan and domestic consumption. However, the company suffered huge losses after the privatisation, causing massive lay-offs.
Before the fate of company and employment for hundreds of workers, the Board of Directors adopted many measures to boost intensive investment, improve productivity and quality, and seek consumption markets. Director Cao Van Tao said the company started to make a profit in recent years after a long period of losses. In 2013, its Vietnamese fresh tea production output reached 1,230 tonnes; Vietnamese green tea output was 35 tonnes, mainly sold in the domestic market; and Taiwanese tea output was 45 tonnes, primarily exported to Taiwan. The company’s revenue was VND14.4 billion and the profit was VND3.45 billion. Its production capacity was also expanded, with Vietnamese tea output reaching 100 tonnes a year and Taiwanese tea reaching 100 tonnes a year. Its factory area was 9 ha.
With good quality, diverse categories, reasonable prices and safety, the company’s tea has been the first choice of domestic and international customers, even in demanding markets like Germany. With the good performance of the company, employee salaries have been raised and more jobs have been created for local workers.
The quality of Cau Dat tea has been confirmed but the company never makes light of investment for quality improvement. To have a high-yield, high-quality tea farm, the company must overcome difficult watering by using organic fertilisers, he said. Compost improves physical properties, porosity and moisture of soil. Inorganic fertilisers and pesticides are carefully used. “In the coming time, the company will continue to invest in material zones to have higher productivity and quality, ensure credibility, quality and food safety, build up the brand and develop the market for its tea products,” said Director Tao.
Hoang Ngoc
Vietnamese
