BSS, Panchagarh :
The frequent rainfalls in recent days helped the tender tea plants in regaining normal growth after a prolonged drought in the tea gardens, estates and small-scale tea fields of Panchagarh.
Earlier, the drought-like situation adversely affected normal growth of tender tea leaves, newly pruned branches and saplings for several months till last week of April following no seasonal rainfalls in the sub-Himalayan district.
The things started changing fast following frequent rainfalls since April 28 last lowering air temperature and helping tea plants regaining full growth and the tea gardens are wearing greenish look now instead of pale colour a couple of weeks ago. The recent drought-like situation affected normal growth of tender tea leaves in the gardens and smaller tea fields for lack of adequate irrigation facilities and also hampered production in the tea processing factories.
According to sources at Panchagarh Regional Office of Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB), tea processing factory authorities and framers, similar situation also happened in the pasts when seasonal rainfalls helped the pale tea plants in regaining normal growth.
Development Officer of BTB Amir Hossain told BSS that moderate rains during the months of February, March and April are required for excellent growth of green tea leaves and its better production. But, the prolonged drought-like situation in recent months drastically reduced production and supply of green tea leaves hampering processing of tea leaves at all six tea processing factories in Panchagarh, he said.
Now, the tea plants are regaining normal growth following frequent rainfalls since last April 28 and the tea processing factories would get adequate supply of green tea leaves to regain full production capacity from the coming weeks, he hoped. According to BTB sources, 14.55 lakh kilogram of high quality tea was produced in six Panchagarh tea processing factories and was sold in Chittagong auction market at Taka 30 crore in 2013 with selling rates between Taka 175 and 225 per kg. Currently, tea in being cultivated on over 3,110 acres land including 866 acres of 405 small-scale farmers, 163 acres of 15 medium-scale farmers and 2,081 acres of 21 bigger tea estates in Panchagarh.
More than 10,000 workers, including 7,000 distressed women, have been working now in the large, medium and small sized tea gardens and estates to earn their livelihoods from the growing tea sector in Panchagarh, the sources said.
Manager of Dahuk Tea Estate in Tentulia upazila Yasin Ali said the recent drought-like situation affected normal growth of tea leaves increasing attacks of red spider pests on tea plants causing threat to the fixed tea production target for this year. Manager of Green Care Agro Limited Faridul Islam said they had to suspend tea processing in their factory recently for inadequate supply of green tea leaves due to drought as they need minimum 1,000 kg green tea leaves to keep the factory running. But, the situation is now becoming normal following frequent rainfalls in recent days helping the tea plants in resuming their normal growth to produce adequate quantity of green tea leaves, they said.
Small-scale tea farmers Mozahedul Hassan, Abdur Rahman, Esahaq Ali Mandal and Motiar Rahman urged the government for arranging artificial irrigation facilities to cope with similar situations in future for boosting the tea sector further in the region.
