SYLHET, Sept 17: The country's tea production this year would be higher than the last year's, officials said. Since the national production is already 30 per cent ahead till the middle of September than the corresponding period last year, the industry officials hope it would be about 90 million kilogram by the yearend.
Although there had been poor rains at tea gardens in some places at the beginning of the tea season in March, but things had recovered amid a favourable weather, they noted.
Contacted, the Deputy Director, Planning of Bangladesh Tea Board Manir Ahmed told this correspondent yesterday, the production till date is very good. Till middle of September, the production is 30 per cent above year-on-year.
It is already 52 million kg till the end of August against last year's 42 million kilogram, he added. At the yearend it may be about 90 million kilogram, he added.
Director of the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI), Dr. Mohammad told this correspondent today till the end of August the production stood at 52.557 million kilogram against 42.860 million kilogram in the last year's corresponding period.
Since the weather was favourable this year (2019) the total production may be about 90 million kilogram. It was 82.13 million kilogram last year.
The country had the ever highest production at over 85.05 million kilogram in 2016, he added.
Manager, Khan Tea Estate, a unit of M Ahmed Tea & Lands Company, Sylhet Humayun Kabir Liton, also vice-chair of the Sylhet circle of Bangladesh Tea Producers Association said all the gardens in the region had already got a good yield whole the season this year. It would surpass the last year's yield, he hoped.
The same was the opinion of former General Manager Tea Estate Management Cell at the Bangladesh Tea Board Md. Shahjahan Akanda. He said the industry would have better production than the last year's, mainly due to favourable weather. It may even be the ever highest, crossing the 2016 yield, he added.
General Manager of the Khadim Tea Company, Syhet Numan Haider Chowdury said, due to favourable weather amid required rains and sunshine this year we expect the national production would be 85 to 90 million kg.
However, the price is falling down for weeks for reasons including smuggling of poor quality tea through Indian borders, a number of tea officials said. The law enforcers recently had seized several consignments.
During 2017 the yield was a little behind due to inclement weather, tea sector officials informed. There were excess rains and poor sunshine during most of the producing season. It had hit the production much. Besides, fertilisation was hampered due to the excess rains.
Tea is considered a sensitive crop, which needs uniform rainfall and temperature all along.
Out of 166 tea gardens in the country, 135 are in greater Sylhet region, one in Brahmanbaria, 22 in Chittagong region, 7 in Panchagarh. Besides, about 200 small holding tea gardens, each of one to five hectares area were established in Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Nilfamari, Bandarban, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Khagrachhari years ago. Such gardens has been started in Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur districts, said the BTRI Director, it would open a new era.
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