Lao villagers taste success through Chinese tea

Governor of Paksong district, Phimphone Phannanouvong, says that the company has made a great contribution to the local community. The 36 Manor tea from Paksong has been selected by the Lao government as a national gift to share with the world.

"The company not only makes Paksong tea famous, but also promotes the advanced planting, care and processing of the tea, creating employment for local people, improving their standard of living and raising the quality and value of Paksong tea," says Phimphone.

Bounyadeth Thongsavan, director of Champasak industry and trade department, says 36 Manor has created a lot of jobs and driven the increase of the regional GDP. "I hope the company will keep improving and planting more, and create more jobs," he says.

There are only 800 people in the village that is home to the plantation, and before the garden opened, more than half of them lived in poverty. Khamchan Phetbuachan has been the chief of the village since 1999.

"After the 36 Manor company came, villagers switched to planting tea and working in the tea plantation. We're quite well-off now," he says. There are very few, four or five, poor households remaining.

Paksong 36 Manor tea won first prize in the black tea category at the 2021 World Tea Championship in the United States.