Tea production to stumble this year for adverse weather in Sylhet div

SYLHET, Nov 25: Although the country had saw 85 million kgs of tea production, the ever highest yield, last year, it may stumble this year for the adverse weather condition, the industry sources informed.
The weather behaviour this year had hit the country's tea production. The production is yet about 15 per cent behind than the corresponding period of the previous year. All it happened due to the excessive rainfall and poor sunshine during most of the tea producing season. Besides, fertilisation was seriously hampered for the rain.
The national target for this year is set at 90 million kgs, sources said, adding, it was 66 million kgs in 2015.
GM Shiblee, chairman of Bangladeshio Cha Sangsad, Sylhet Branch, said adverse weather has already affected the industry. Still the production is over 12 per cent behind till October than the last year's corresponding period. It is 48 million kgs against the same time of the last year's 57 million kgs.
It would be around 15 per cent behind at the year end, Mr Shiblee added.
Fluctuation of temperature affected most. The region faces heavy rainfall in recent times whereas there was no rain at the beginning of the year, the official said, adding, hailstorms also hit the production.
Manager of Khan Tea Estate Humayun Kabir said, "We are still 7.0 per cent behind the target. "We would get 0.48 million kgs of production against the year's target of 0.5 million kgs.
SM Ekramul Kabir, manager of the Jaflong Tea Garden, said they are behind their production target. "We expect about 360,000 kgs of tea at the year end whereas it was 416,000 kg in 2016", he said.
General Manager of Bangladesh Tea Board, tea estate management cell, Mohammad Shahjahan Akand said, "Since almost 95 per cent tea gardens lack artificial irrigation facility, they had to wait for rainfall. But, it becomes excessive, causing much for the tea plants in general."
At the season's beginning, the tea gardens in almost all the seven valleys suffered drought-like situation, but then they suffered with excess rainfall, Mr. Akand said. Tea plants in most of the gardens also got stunted due to soil saturation with rains, he added, they also couldn't use fertiliser due to rains. There had been low temperature coupled with insufficient sunlight too.
The gardens in Jury valley experienced 155 inches rains this year whereas it was 105 inches last year, the official informed.
Out of 162 tea gardens in the country, 135 are in greater Sylhet region, one in Brahmanbaria, 22 in Chittagong region, seven in Panchagarh. Besides, about 200 small holding tea gardens, each of 1 to 5 hectares area were established in Panchagar, Bandarban and Thakurgaon during the recent years.
Out of 116,000 hectares of land in the tea gardens, about 59,000 hectares is under tea plantation. The country produced its ever highest 85 million kgs of tea last year.
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