Commercial tea farming to start in Garo Hills

SHERPUR, May 06 (UNB): A local private company has taken the initiative to start commercial tea farming in the Garo Hills in the country's north for the first time, encouraging the local indigenous Garo population to get involved in the endeavour.
Garo Hills Tea will start with 27 gardens play commercial tea farming zones involving the local people of the hills, that are part of the Garo-Khasi range stretching into Bangladesh from the bordering Indian state of Meghalaya.
Already 27,000 seedlings of hybrid species Tetley 'table tea' have been distributed among 27 local farmers within Sherpur district to start growing tea. The company also took the farmers on several tours of tea gardens in Panchagarh district for improving their understanding in tea farming on hills slope.
Talking to the news agency, Amzad Hossain, chairman of Garo Hills Tea Company, said the commercial tea farming has started with the distribution of hybrid species of tea plants among the 27 local farmers.
The farming will spread among more farmers very soon, he added. The hybrid tea farming can play an important role for social-economic development of the hill-based people of the country.