Small farmers sidelined

As tea plantation is something new in the area, the growers need training and all other facilities but the government assistance is very limited.

RAKUB (Rajshahi Krishi Unnyan Bank) provides Tk 45,344 loan per acre to tea growers. But small farmers are sidelined in the process.

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RAKUB gives preference to those who have recommendation from the Technical Committee and have created tea garden in one tenth of the land. The technical committee is comprised of four members from Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB), Tea Research Institute and RAKUB.

Getting loan is a lengthy and troublesome process for small farmers. Many of them said their loan application has to be approved by the technical committee, but it has no fixed date for meeting.

BTB sources said four meetings of the technical committee were held since launch of the pilot project.

Even after getting recommendation from the technical committee, farmers have to face hassle from a section of employees in getting bank loan.

According to data available from BTB Panchagarh regional office, 15 small farmers so far got Tk 1,24,300 loans while two small holding got Tk 8,26,200 Tk and three tea estates got Tk 1,06,35,100.

Of the three tea estates, Karotoa Tea Estate got Tk 25.91 lakh for 28 hectors, Dahuk Tea Estate got over Tk 58.11 lakh for 60 hectors and Moinaguri Tea Estate got Tk 22.35 lakh for 20 hectors.

The loans bearing 9½% interest are repayable in eight years. Repayment will begin from the fifth year but interest will be counted from the day of loan disbursement. BTB takes one per cent of the loan as service charge, many farmers said.

When contacted, RAKUB Regional Manager SM Smamsul Alam said in giving loan the bank considers the tea garden of farmers not the valuation of the land mortgaged.

Farmers said loans are given only after they create garden on ten per cent of the land, a condition which is very difficult for them to fulfil. This condition should be waived, as in the case for other crops like paddy, potato, sugarcane etc, the said. The BTB is supposed to give subsidy to small farmers at the rate of Tk 14,000 per hector (Tk 5668 per acre) for buying tea saplings and to meet other expenses but any farmer is yet to get it.

BTB Senior Development Officer AKM Shahidullah said they have received many applications from small farmers for subsidy but could not say when disbursement will start.

One hectare of land needs 16000 to 18000 tea saplings, each costing Tk 3 to 4.

BTB Senior Development Officer AKM Shadidullah however said BTB provides tea growers with many facilities like helping them to do registration, soil test, technical support, training, recommendation of scheme and subsidy for purchasing tea saplings.

Another great problem for small farmers and small holdings is arranging tea saplings and acquiring cultivation skills.

The BTB has a two-acre exhibition nursery at Buraburi village in Tentulia upazila. But it is only for display and saplings are not sold.

The big tea estates have their own nurseries but they also do not sell tea saplings to others.

Shahidullah said they do not supply tea saplings but recommend parties and small private nurseries so that they can procure saplings and clones from the Tea Research Institute in Srimongol in Moulvibazar district.

But it is very difficult for small farmers to bring saplings from Srimongol, they said.

Taking the advantage, some dishonest people have started smuggling tea saplings and clones from across the border, but their quality can not be ensured.

Many of the farmers this correspondent talked to said they approached the BTB officials for training but were disappointed. As this is new, they need adequate technical knowledge but the BTB can not provide this due to shortage of manpower.

When contacted, BTB Development Officer Amir Hossain said they arranged three training courses so far, each lasting two days. A total of 200 people were trained so far.

But farmers said the training courses were too short and inadequate.

BTB sources said farmers interested in better training should go to Srimongol and they will give recommendation for this.

The farmers said as tea plantation is new in the area, the BTB should set field level trained workers like the Agriculture Extension Department to advise them on its cultivation.

NGO (non-government organisation) activities are not seen as regards tea cultivation in the area. RDRS (Rabngpur-Dinajpur Rural Service), an NGO, had shown some initial interest in the field but their activities are not seen now, local people said.

Another problem for small farmers is that they can not sustain the gestation period after engaging their lands in tea plantation. Many of them said they are losing interest because they can not survive four years after plantation to reap the benefit.

There are propaganda, problems and also optimism, but the great prospects will be lost if small farmers are not considered as the mainstay in the project, experts and observers said.

Very little has been achieved so far. Out of 65,000 acres, slightly over 1000 acres have been brought under tea plantation so far--about 959 acres by big estates and 71 acres by small farmers.

Small farmers should be encouraged to exploit the potential fully because there will be limitation to areas of big estates after a certain stage, they said.