In mid-summer, as dawn breaks, Bazi Village in Mengsong Township, Malipo County, nestled among mountains, gradually awakens in the misty and mysterious landscape. Tea farmers skillfully wield their tools, snipping and pruning with a “click-clack” sound, tenderly caring for each tea plant.
In recent years, the county has capitalized on its traditional tea industry strengths, leading modern ecological agriculture with green organic tea gardens characteristic of the plateau. It is exploring new models for developing a green ecological tea industry on the plateau by growing and processing tea to boost the tea economy. The Malipo County Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission, based on its supervisory functions, conducts close oversight around issues such as tea planting, picking, purchasing, processing, sales, and the urgent needs and concerns of tea farmers and enterprises. This is done through regular on-site inspections of tea gardens, direct conversations with tea farmers, direct listening to tea enterprises, and direct visits to tea markets to safeguard the high-quality development of the tea industry.
“Is there technical guidance for the tea garden? Has the township organized technical training?” “How are the sales and income for this year's Spring Tea?” Recently, the Malipo County Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group stationed at the County Bureau of Agriculture, Rural Affairs, and Science and Technology, together with the Mengsong Township Discipline Inspection Commission, conducted another round of supervision and inspection on the front lines. At every stop, disciplinary inspection and supervision officials meticulously inquire about the operation, management, and sales of tea gardens.
“These ancient tea trees were passed down from our ancestors. In the past, due to inadequate management techniques, the yield was poor. In recent years, the government has organized technicians to teach us techniques, and now the tea yield has increased, and we no longer worry about sales. I have started managing the abandoned tea fields again.” When the supervisors arrived, a villager tending to his tea plants put down his hoe and began chatting. He explained that in recent years, the government has introduced companies to provide technical guidance, increasing the yield of thousand-year-old tea trees several times over. Cooperatives have signed assistance agreements with tea farmers to solve problems related to Tea processing and sales. Under the leadership of the government and businesses, tea garden management has become increasingly standardized, and enthusiasm for tea cultivation has soared. Through the tea industry, people have achieved an increase in income and prosperity.
The supervisors visited the Mengsong Township Industrial Office to understand the operational benefits of the tea industry's farmer linkage mechanism. The director reported that the industrialized business model of “company (cooperative) + base + farmer” has been very effective. The types of tea produced in Mengsong have expanded from the original baked Green Tea and sun-dried green tea to include baked green tea, Pu'er tea, and other varieties. In 2025 alone, the output of dried tea leaves reached more than 400 tons.
Moreover, the Malipo County Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission closely monitors the quality of investment promotion and government-business communication services, regularly visiting tea enterprises to understand relevant situations. It also maintains close communication with corporate supervisors and business environment observers, promptly identifying and urging relevant departments and townships to help enterprises resolve a series of issues, such as leaky rain shelters in drying areas, truly turning “problem lists” into “satisfaction statements.”
“We will further extend the reach of our supervision, focusing on the entire chain of the tea industry, strictly investigating issues that undermine the business environment. By fulfilling our supervisory responsibilities and pressing functional departments to shoulder their primary responsibilities, we will promote the deep integration of ‘Tea culture + red tourism.' This will ensure that the aroma of tea and the spirit of integrity accompany the flourishing development of the tea industry,” said a relevant official from the Malipo County Discipline Inspection and Supervision Commission.