Economic Reporter :
The government has taken three projects involving Tk 194.38 million for separate areas of the country to increase tea production which is expected to help earn more foreign currencies after fulfilling the local demand.
The projects are: Extension of small holding tea cultivation in northern Bangladesh, eradication of rural poverty by expanding small holding tea cultivation in Lalmonirhat and extension of small holding tea cultivation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
According to an official document, the extension of small holding tea cultivation in northern Bangladesh will be implemented in greater Panchgar, Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts involving Tk 49.76 million. Some 500 hectares of land in these five districts will be brought under the project.
The Commerce Ministry gave approval to the project on November 10, 2015 while the physical development of this project is 44.47 percent and financial advancement is 36 percent so far.
One hundred hectares of land in Lalmonirhat will be brought under the eradication of rural poverty by extension of small holding tea cultivation project with Tk 44.68 million, the document reveals.
The Commerce Ministry approved the project on November 10, 2015, while its physical development has been 30.91 percent and the financial advancement 52.68 percent so far.
The extension of small holding tea cultivation in the CHT project got the approval from the Commerce Ministry on June 19 last year.
The implementation of this project will cost Tk 99.93 million.
The physical advancement of this project has so far been 63.58 percent while the financial advancement 61.03 percent, the official document shows.
According to the available data from Bangladesh Tea Board, the country produces 85.05 million kg tea per calendar year while the local demand is 81.64 million kg. Last year, Bangladesh exported 0.60 million kg of tea.
In 2007, Bangladesh produced 58.19 million kg of tea with 1090 kg per hectare while the production increased to 85.05 million kg in 2016 with 1587 kg per hectare.
Bangladesh imported 7.70 million kg of tea in 2016 while the amount was 4.13 in 2011. The country exported 10.56 million kg in 2007 while the amount reduced to 0.47 million kg in 2016.
Currently, there are 162 tea gardens in the country which use 59,018 hectares of land. The cultivable land for tea garden is now 64886.25 hectares. The future cultivable land has been measured to be 5868.25 hectares.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Tea Board through its research wing invented BT-19 and BT-20 verities of clone tea and the production capacity of these two varieties is 4000 kg per hectare.
The Tea Board has prepared a mobile application titled ‘Duti pata ekti kunri’ for the people concerned and tea lovers. The app will be opened for all soon with tea related information
