The Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee recently approved a plan to convert over 236 hectares of inefficient tea production to coffee. This decision was made because tea production operations in recent years have been unprofitable and difficult to sell, resulting in accumulating losses. Consequently, continuing tea cultivation risked further increasing these losses.
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The tea hill area, now featuring century-old pine trees, attracts tourists. Kim Thi |
The tea hill area, now featuring century-old pine trees, attracts tourists. Kim Thi
In June 2025, the Provincial People's Committee agreed to allow Bien Ho Tea Joint Stock Company to proceed with this conversion. However, the province specifically required the company to retain over 62 hectares of tea for landscape preservation and tourism.
This preservation mandate stems from the area's high historical, cultural, and tourism value. Earlier, the Provincial People's Committee had approved the equitization of 607 hectares of tea land belonging to Bien Ho Tea Joint Stock Company, which included land leases, lease contract signings, and the issuance of land use rights certificates. Of this total, 299 hectares were designated for tea cultivation and 250 hectares for coffee, with the remainder allocated for plots, offices, and factories.
Recently, contracted tea farmers within the 62-hectare preservation area, along with the company, proposed converting an additional 40 hectares of tea near Ya Lu Lake to coffee. However, Mr. Duong Mah Tiep, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, decided to maintain the current state of over 62 hectares of tea. This area, featuring century-old pine trees, Buu Minh Pagoda, and Ya Lu Lake, is considered a distinctive landscape with high value.
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The tea hills are connected to the tourism landscape of Buu Minh Pagoda. Kim Thi |
The tea hills are connected to the tourism landscape of Buu Minh Pagoda. Kim Thi
Furthermore, this preserved area falls within the scope of research for developing the general plan for the Bien Ho - Chu Dang Ya Tourism Area until 2050, underscoring its strategic importance for future tourism development.
