Tea cultivation in 5 northern districts now in sight

A lush green tea garden at Bura Buri village in Tentulia upazila in Panchagarh district. PHOTO: STAR

The government is finally going to take steps to promote tea plantation in the region.

This was known from a team of Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) officials from its Panchagarh Regional Office, who visited Nilphamari and talked to interested farmers, Chamber leaders and the administration.

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At meetings with possible stakeholders during their day-long visit on Tuesday, they detailed the government's intention to create a new tea-producing region comprising Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Nilphqamari, Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur districts and initial plans for this.

The team comprised Scientific Officer Ismail Hossain and Development Officer Ameer Hossain.

They told the meetings that an inter-ministerial meeting in Dhaka on March 23 decided to raise a new tea growing areas covering the five districts and ordered preparation of a revised project proposal. Initially, Tk 11.10 crore has been estimated for this, they said.

They visited Nilphamari as per a June 13 directive of BTB Chairman Brigadier General Mosaraf Hossain to collect data on tea plantation prospects in the district and talk to interested quarters.

The team visited different villages in Domar upazila and talked to farmers. They told farmers that tea cultivation is three times profitable than paddy, five times profitable than sugarcane and seven times profitable than jute.

They also told farmers that BTB would provide all possible assistance in raising tea gardens in this region.

The BTB team also met leaders of Nilphamari Chamber of Commerce and discussed prospects of tea plantation. They also told prospective tea planters about facilities now being provided by BTB in Panchagarh.

They also met the Deputy Commissioner, who assured them of all possible cooperation to encourage tea plantation in Nilphamari.

At a meeting with Agriculture Extension Department (AED) officials, they collected data on annual rainfall and total area of high lands where tea plantation is possible. They were told that there are 42,300 hectares of high land in Nilphamari district, where average rainfall was 2532 mm last year, which is ideal for tea gardens. Annual rainfall of 2000 mm is enough for tea cultivation, they said at the meeting.

The team's visit created great enthusiasm and different sections of people, particularly the business class. Talking to this correspondent later, Nilphamari Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sohel Parvez said they are enthused after talks with the BTB team and learning about the prospects and possible government assistance in this regard.

The government should take up a five-year pilot without delay, he said.

Tea is now being cultivated in hilly region of Chittagong and Sylhet. Panchagarh showed the path for tea cultivating in plain lands. Its will now spread in Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts and open up great prospects for the people and the national economy, he noted happily.

He said many businessmen who have big land holdings would be interested to raise tea gardens if the assisted by the government.

This new prospect would obviously create employment in the monga effected five northern districts.

Industry sources said tea production in the country now increases by 1.23 per cent annually and consumption by 3.50 per cent. If this trend continues, the country would have to import tea if production is not increased. So more areas should be brought under tea plantation, they added.