Amdadul Haque
Due to favourable weather along with the required amount of rainfall tea production from 166 gardens across the country is expected to break all previous records this year.
Many of the people involved in tea production opined that at least 90 million kg tea is going to be produced this year which will be all-time high in the history of tea industry of Bangladesh.
This year's tea buds collection has been quite good. The weather is also favourable for tea production. And if this trend continues, the owners of the tea estates, workers and allies are expecting a bumper tea production. New tea leaves are now green in most of the tea gardens.
Tea workers Pradip Das, Sabitri Rani, Jagodish, Bimol Kairi and Lambu Pachi observed that this year's yield is much better than previous years’. Leaves are being collected in advance because of rain. They said that the twigs and stems of these trees were trimmed three months ago. They are delighted that this year has started well.
Tea garden caretakers and researchers said that due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides at the right time and along with the favourable weather, the production of tea will be bumper this year.
Sirajul Islam, general manager of Hamidia Tea Estate of Moulvibazar said, “At the beginning of the season we are expecting good output. Such favourable conditions have raised our expectations of exceeding the records of last good tea production in 2016.”
"If the rainfall, sunshine and favourable weather continue to behave, it is indeed possible to achieve bumper production," he added.
Premnagar Tea Estates Manager Kazi Bahauddin said, "Due to the sincere efforts of tea board and gardeners, production is increasing in the valley this time."
“If this trend is maintained, the production will break the history of tea industry of the country. Besides, it will be possible to increase tea export,” he added.
Chairman of Sylhet Division Tea Parliament Golam Mohammad Shibli said, “It looks like this year is the year of tea production. The desired production is possible only when the weather is favourable.”
According to Bangladesh Tea Board’s data, tea cultivation started on the first commercial basis at Sylhet's Malinichara Tea Garden in 1854. At the time of independence, the number of tea gardens in the country was 150. At that time, there would have been a production of 30 million kg. Presently the number of tea gardens stands at 166. Of these, there are 92 tea gardens in Moulvibazar.
Of the rest, Habiganj has 24 tea gardens, 19 in Sylhet, 22 in Chittagong, 7 in Panchagarh, 2 in Rangamati and 1 tea garden in Thakurgaon. The total land area in these gardens is 2 lakh 79 thousand and 439 acres.
The Tea Board officials explained referring to statistics that tea production in Bangladesh is constantly increasing. The production of tea in 2001 was 53.15 million kg. Of which, in 2018, it stood at 82.13 million.
The Tea Board says new areas of the country are being cultivated. Additional 10 million kg of tea will be produced from there. The government has taken huge plans for the development of the tea industry. Tea gardens will be created in Mymensingh and Khagrachhari in the future.
The Deputy Director (Planning) of Bangladesh Tea Board Munir Ahmed said, “This year there will be a bumper production of tea. A record 85 million kg of tea was produced in the year 2016. The second record production was in 2018 with more than 82 million kg of tea. This running year it will hit more than 90 million kg. ”
"This year the government has been monitoring the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute. There is no alternative to working together to develop this industry,” he added.
In this regard, Director of Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) Mohammad Ali said, “This time tea production will be more than 90 million kg. I think the disease of tea leaves has lessened due to favorable weather condition. The rainfall, which is the most important for tea production. With December’s rain, production is increasing and quality is improving. "
He also said that the Tea Research Institute has been monitoring the garden and providing necessary advice. The use of pesticides prevent spreading of red spiders, mosquitoes and insects in the garden.