Vietnam plans sustainable development for Tea industry HANOI - The Vietnam Tea Association, at a conference held in Da Lat city in the central highlands province of Lam Dong from June 25-27, unanimously agreed on six measures for sustainable development of the tea industry. To obtain the target of 104,000 tonnes of tea for domestic sale and 110,000 tonnes for export in 2010, the association will expand outlets; accelerate application of advanced technology and agricultural promotion; and ensure at least 70 percent of the country's tea area be grown with high quality and yield strains. The six measures aim to ensure stabilization of tea prices by working out proper price systems for each period; devising and promulgating finance-related regulations and production insurance regulations; setting up an insurance company for the tea sector; and promoting dissemination of information about the tea industry and Vietnam's tea culture. The association will also promote relations with counterparts in tea exporting countries and join the International Tea Committee for relevant information. Vietnam now has 82,000 ha of tea with an average per-hectare yield of 4.32 tonnes of tea buds and an annual output of more than 60,000 tonnes, including more than 42,000 tonnes qualified for export. Lam Dong province tops the country's 32 tea growing provinces in production with more than 20,000 ha under cultivation and hundreds of tea processing and trading companies. Since 1997, Vietnam has continuously increased tea export with export volume rising from 30,000 tonnes in 1997 to 42,145 tonnes in 1999. The country now has 102 tea exporters, who have shipped Vietnamese tea products to 42 countries. Vietnam Agency News - June 30, 2000.