CHATTOGRAM, Nov 09: Tea production in the country increased last year compared to the previous year, thanks to a better climatic condition as well as a rise in acreage, despite the multi-faceted problems faced by the sector.
According to Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB), the tea gardens of the country produced around 90.656 million kilograms of tea in the last calendar year.
The production of tea was 96.07 million kg in 2019 and 86.39 million kg in 2020.
On the other hand, the production cost of tea is also increasing day by day while its auction rate is not rising accordingly, said industry insiders.
Sources said production of tea leaves costs Tk 200.35 per kg at present. It cost Tk 197.34 in 2021, Tk 173.56 in 2020, Tk 193.40 in 2019, Tk 161.02 in 2018 and Tk 198.73 in 2017.
Talking to the FE, several tea garden owners said the actual production cost of tea leaves is now Tk 215.12 per kg.
The price of tea leaves increased by 16 per cent in last 10 years while production cost increased by 48 per cent and labour charge increased 146.38 per cent.
Officials of BTB said, tea is currently exported from Bangladesh to 23 countries, including the US, the UK, France, China, Japan, India and Switzerland.
According to the BTB, there are a total of 168 tea gardens in Bangladesh. Of these, 136 tea gardens are in greater Sylhet, 21 in Chattogram, eight in Panchagarh, two in Rangamati and one in Thakurgaon.
One of the owners said, "Bangladesh's economic growth had been quite good in the last decade and as a result, the country's tea consumption increased. Due to this, production of tea increases every year but exports are not increasing. Different blends are still imported to suit varying tastes."
Nasir Uddin Bahadur, the former president of Bangladesh Tea Association, Chattogram Branch, said, "The production of tea was 30 million kg just after liberation. At that time, the demand for tea in Bangladesh was only 5 million kg. But, presently, our production is more than 90 million kg while demand is 85 million kg."
The tea workers went on strike in August last demanding an increase in wages. Later, a meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and representatives of garden owners fixed the minimum daily wage of workers at Tk 170. Earlier it was Tk 120.
Although the strike temporarily halted production, work quickly resumed at gardens. Production is much better now following the increase in workers' wages and labour welfare ensured.
Chairman of the BTB Major General Md Ashraful Islam said that the capacity of the industry increased a lot due to the continuous efforts of garden owners, traders and workers along with various government initiatives.
Tea garden owners claimed that incentivising the tea workers in various ways, apart from hiking their wages, acted behind the steady development of the industry.
The tea workers are provided with various facilities including medical care, with doctors available in every garden, free schooling for their children and cattle farming under the arrangement of the owners.
nazim07@yahoo.com