INTRODUCTION

Tea is one of the most important non-alcoholic beverage drinks

worldwide and has been gaining further popularit as an important !health
drink" in view of its purported medicinal value# It is served as morning drink
for nearl $%&rd of the world population dail# The 'angladesh tea industr
is one of the ma(or sources of income for the national e)che*uer# +resentl,
this industr is facing a multitude of problems# -ack of capital and modern
machiner, lower market value of made tea in comparison to increasing
production cost, lower ield per hectare in comparison to increasing
domestic need and lack of modern techni*ues for measuring *ualit of tea
constitute some of the nagging problems# There is also lack of perennial
water source for irrigation during dr season or during prolonged drought# In
addition, some owners of the tea gardens are not using .overnment#
/alnutrition among the children of the labour line, securit problems of the
e)ecutives, deterioration of law and order situation of the tea estates 0log
stealing, political or outsider influence on their internal arrangements, illegal
occupation of land b the outsiders1, lack of medical facilities for labour and
lack of infrastructure 0road, *uarter, water suppl network etc1 are some of
the other constraints# 2or successful tea culture, the above problems facing
both the manufacturing and the marketing sector need to be addressed
immediatel# In 'angladesh, there is thus dire need to focus attention on
improvements in the manufacturing sector covering *ualit of tea, its
productivit, and cost of production as well as the marketing sstem# The
government tried to revive the sector in the earl 3456s b privati7ing and
rehabilitating two tea estates, which had been nationali7ed in the 3486s9
restructuring the Tea 'oard9 privati7ing the si) state tea factories9 and
revamping public research on tea# These polic initiatives have had some
success, but much remains to be done to full revitali7e the tea sector#
Infrastructure is still inade*uate# The ta) sstem is too comple), with too
man ta)es and rates that are too high# Despite the restructuring, the Tea
'oard and the /inistr of :griculture are still too powerful#
;I<TOR= O2 T>: INDU<TR= IN ':N.-:D><;
'angladesh Tea Industr established at 35?6 when a pioneer tea
garden was established on the slopes of the hills in Chittagong where the
Chittagong Club now stands# 2irst commercial tea garden was established in
35@8 at /ulnichera in <lhet# During the India-+akistan partition in 34?8,
'angladesh 0the then >ast +akistan1 owned 36& tea estates, covering $A,8&?
hectares of tea plantation with annual production of 35#&A /#Bg# with a
ield of about A&4 Bg# per ha# ;ome consumption was around 3&#A? /# Bg#
upto 34@@#:fter that home consumption went up rapidl and .overnment
imposed &C mandator e)tension of tea area per ear in 34A3# Ten ears
later b 3486, tea area was e)tended to ?$,A@5 hectares and production was
increased to &3#&5 /#Bg# During liberation war in 3483, our tea industr
suffered colossal damages which resulted in poor management, high
vacancies, insufficient inputs, dilapidated factor machiner, inade*uate
maintenance etc# leading to lower ield and poor *ualit of tea#The Tea
Ordinance, 3488 was there to improve the condition# 'esides that, world tea
production has been showing an annual increment of &C while in
'angladesh the production has increased b 3#5? C and contributes 3#&8 in
e)port in the word tea trade and earns near about 388@ million Taka 0Taka
A4 D U<D 3#661 ever ear# The stud aims to picturi7e the scenario of
'angladesh tea in the conte)t of world tea, e)port and import scenario of tea
and consumption of tea products in different countries in the world#
+R><>NT <T:TU< O2 T>: .:RD>N<
2or proper land management of our countr the /inistr of -and has
taken some steps# In $633 .overnment has made a draft of a law relating to
secure use and better management of land named E krishi Fomi <urokkha O
'humi 'ebohar :in-$633G# To develop and proper maintenance of tea
gardens and to increase the ta) of .overnment from the tea industr
.overnment has taken some measures# In a official gadget from the
.overnment the lease sstems has renewed# The lease fee for per acre of
land has been increased from 336tk to @66tk#:nd this fee will be renewed
after ever five ears# /aking of new laws relating to management of tea
gardens and better functioning of tea industr is on going process# -ease of
?5 tea gardens among under leased 33$ tea gardens has been renewed# :nd
33 of ?& tea gardens which were not under leased has been taken under this
management#
T>: ><T:T> /:N:.>/>NT
Under <tate :c*uisition and Tenanc :ct 34@6 section $60$1 and
section 46 no person can ac*uire land more than &8@ bighas# Under the
+residents Order No#45 of 348$ from 3@ :ugust 348$ this limitation was
turned into 366 bighas of land# :fter that in 345? the land reformation order
the limitation was made A6 bighas of land but not for the persons whose
limitations were approved as 366 bighas under the previous order# It has
been said under the section ?0b1 of 'angladesh -and ;olding and -imitation
Order 348$ that tea, coffee, robber or other fruits garden the limitation of
land will not be effective b the condition of the .overnment# 2or this
reason the *uantit of land of these estate largel depends on the approval of
the .overnment#

In a general sense, the land used for the tea gardens are non-agricultural
land# The .overnment gives lease of non-agricultural lands under the tea
authorit# 'ut it is not like that all lands under the tea industr is non-
agricultural land# 'ecause Under <tate :c*uisition and Tenanc :ct, 34@6
the land were hold b its owner depending on their own wish# <o, the nature
of land will depend on that wish# <o, we ma sa that the nature of these
land ma be of both agricultural and non- agricultural# :nd this tpes will be
found on the surve khatians#
DI22>R>NT C:T>.ORI>< O2 T>: /:N:.>/>NT
:ll the 3A& tea estates are managed b five different categories of
managementH
0i1 <terling companies
0ii1 National Tea compan
0iii1 'angladesh Tea 'oard
0iv1 'angladeshi +rivate -imited Companies
0v1 'angladeshi +roprietors
The estates are categorised into three according to their production
capacities# The areH
3# Category A: :ll the !:" categor estates that have the highest
productivit belong to the 'ritish companies 0full or partiall1#
$# Category B: The 'angladeshi government, 'angladeshi tea
companies or 'angladeshi individuals own this categor of estates#
&# Category C: The famil owned small and low productive estates
belong to this categor# Iages and working conditions of these
gardens are ver poor#
DI22>R>NT C:T>.ORI< O2 T>: .:RD>N<
:t present tea gardens are divided in three categories in 'angladesh#
The are as follows H-
0i1 Tea gardens of good categor
0ii1 /iddle categor tea gardens
0iii1 Died and sick tea gardens
The number of good categor tea gardens are 4@# /ost of them are situated
in <lhet, /oulovi ba(ar, ;abigan( and Chittagong district# :nd the middle
categor tea gardens are $? in numbers# :nd the rests are died# :ccording to
some privet N.O"s the number of sick tea gardens are 86#
->:<> <=<T>/< O2 T>: .:RD>N<
3# On the re*uest of tea board the inter-ministr has divided the tea
estates in these three categor time to time# The tea gardens of good
categories has been given lease for &@ ears since 3@ august 348$ and
the middile categor tea gardens are for $6 ears under the same date#
$# The died categor tea gardens are out of process# <ome are also
suspended# Onl 3? tea estates are in problems with the ownership
and possession#
&# The District Commissioner will take care and perform the dut
relating to these tea estates on behalf of the honorable +resident#
?# The fees of lease has been increased under one of the +residents order
in $633#Their ma be use of non-(udicial stamps in the lease deed#
@# The lease deeds must be registerd# :nd the fees of registration must
be paid#The leasor will bear the stamp fees#
A# The value is not renewable at the time of renew the lease# The land of
personel ownership will not fall under the lease deed# The
.overnment will give lease the land under its own ownership# :nd
these under leased estates are not transferable without .overnment
consent#
8# >ver deed will be in five cop# The attested and registered deed will
be kept b the leasor, one b the tea board, another one will be kept
under the authorit of -and /inistr, and the last two cop will be
taken under the authorit of District Commissioner#
CON<TRUCTION O2 RO:D< IN T>: .:RD>N<
The land of tea estates are under the personal obligation of the
leasee b the perpetual or long term lease of the lessee# :nd for this
reason , the roads among these lands even of public use will fall under
their personal obligation# :nd the dut of taking care of these roads lies
upon the authorit of tea estates# The .overnment has taken this decision
for the securit of forests situated near the tea gardens or allocating areas#
D>RI-ICT T>: .:RD>N<
The definition of derelict tea gardens can be found under the
<tate :c*uisition and Tenanc :ct,34@6# The tea gardens which are not
in use now a das but once these gardens were in use and were leased
under the purpose of tea gardens will fall in this definition# To declare a
tea estate as derelict the garden is need to out of use for at least seven
ears#
->:<> O2 ;:T ':J:R
The hats and ba7aars falling under the tea gardens land are
mainl established for the purpose of officers and labours of the tea
gardens# 'ut without the permission of .overnment these can not be
established# -and /inistr under one of there gadget has been said to
give lease to the authorit of nearest tea estate in 3445#
->:<> O2 ':-U/O;:-
The lease process of balumohal will fall under the same
provision of the gadget of 3445# The .overnment is willing to give the
lease of these balumohals to the nearest tea estates authorit#
T:BIN. +O<<><<ION O2 >KTR: -:ND
If it is established at an time after giving the lease b an kind
of surve or otherwise that the lessor has taken possession of land more
than defined in the lease deed than the District Commissioner can take
back the e)tra land or give him with supplementar lease deed and
compensation of higher rate#
N:TUR:- R><OURC>< UND>R T;> ->:<> -:ND
The lessor 0 .overnment1 will be the owner of the natural
resources under the lease land#The lessee can not claim an right on this#
>ven for the construction of road beside the estate the lessee is bound to
give the soil from his land without an compensation#
INT>R><T R:T> ON ->:<> -:ND
If the ta) is not paid on due time the lessor is entitled to pa the
ta) on earl 3AC rate after that time#In -and :dministrative /anual-
3446 the rate of ta) of the land development cost is defined as A#$@C# <o,
now the rate on tea estates development are also same#
.-O':- +RODUCTION O2 T>:
Iorld production of tea in $66A was &,@&& million kgs with an
increase of & C 036? million kgs1 over the previous ear"s production#
+roduction increased as the production of China increased b 36C# There
were also noticeable increases in India, Turke, Lietnam and /alawi during
the ear whilst marginal decreases in crop were recorded in <ri -anka,
Bena and Iran# Crop in 'angladesh decreased b 33C with reports of no
rain in the pick crop season and in Indonesia were down b 36C with
reports of some plantations switching over to +alm Oil# The table shows that
China is the number one producer of tea in $66A followed b India,Bena,
<rilanka and Turke# The +osition of 'angladesh in tea production is tenth
in number as the have had !no rain" problem#
<T:TI<TIC< ON T>: +RODUCTION
.lobal +roduction of Tea $66A 0/illion B.1

Countries Production (in M.Kg)
3# China 3,6$5
$# India 4@A
&#Bena &33
?# <ri -anka &33
@# Turke 3?$
A# Indonesia 3?6
8# Lietnam 3&$
5#Fapan 366
4# :rgentina 56
36# 'angladesh @&
Total Iorld +roduction &@&& /illion B.#
<ourceH httpH%%www#teaboard#gov#bd
.-O':- CON<U/+TION O2 T>:
Iorld consumption of tea is estimated to be &,?&8 million Bgs in
$66A# This estimate is based on the assumption that all teas retained in the
producer countries and all teas imported for consumption in the importing
countries have been consumed during a ear# :mong the countries India has
become the highest total consumer of tea consuming 883 /# kgs followed
b China consuming 8?@ /#Bgs and Russian 2ederation consuming 3A8
/#Bgs# 'angladesh ranks 3?th in terms of single countr total consumption
of tea in $66@ consuming ?@ /#Bgs internall# In this table the position of
'angladesh is in si)teenth which is significant in terms of countr si7e and
its population# This means 'angladesh has its significant demand of tea in
his internal market as well#
.-O':- >K+ORT O2 T>:
Total global e)port of tea in $66A was 3@8$ million kgs of which
'angladesh e)ported onl ?#48 million# Iorld e)port volumes hardl
increased during the ear under review# India, <ri -anka, Lietnam and
:rgentina ended the ear with higher e)ports whilst e)ports from Indonesia,
Bena and 'angladesh dropped# >)port from 'angladesh declined about
55C from 4#63 /#kg in $66@ to ?#84 /#kg# in $66A mainl due to increase
of internal demand that pushes the local auction prices up# Interestingl, <ri
-anka is in top as their internal consumption is less followed b Bena,
China, India and Lietnam#
COUNTR= II<> +RODUCTION
/ore or less twent five countries are producing significant amount of
tea in the world tea market.
Countr wise +roductivit of Tea 0kg%ha1
Countr Bena India Fapan Turke <ri
Lanka
Bangladesh China Indonesia Argentina
Countr +roductivit
Bena 34&?
India 38?&
Fapan 38?@
Turke 3?4?
<ri -anka 3?@6
'angladesh 336$
China A$8
Indonesia 366A
:rgentina 3@&5
':N.-:D><; +>R<+>CTIL>
'angladesh Tea Research Institute 0'TRI1 produces
interesting information regarding tea production in 'angladesh at different
stage since 34?8# It shows that the great success come to this industr in
3486# :fter that 'angladesh failed to achieve its target due to bureaucrac,
polic, financing, and marketing problems, failed to adapt the new
technolog etc#
>K+ORT /:RB>T
Tea has been one of the ma(or e)portable items of 'angladesh
since 3483# Ie had a captive e)port market in some countries to e)port tea#
The scenario has been changed in recent ears because of open market
econom, emergence of new entrants in the world market with low priced
tea and rapid increase of internal demand# >)port of 'angladesh tea in the
ear $66@ was 4#64 million kg which was &6#AAC less than the previous
ear e)port of 3&#33 million kg# >)port earning was 8?$#A$ million taka
against 4&?#6? million taka the previous ear# Of the e)ported *uantit A#@8
million kg was sold to +akistan alone# The .ovt# of +akistan allowed dut
free entr of 36#66 million kg of tea per ear from 'angladesh since October
$66$ and offered to increase the *uota up to 3@#66 million kg# but
'angladesh could not utili7e that *uota full as increasing internal demand
pushes the price levels up in the local auction and discourages e)ports# Other
tea producing countries like India, <rilanka, Indonesia, Lietnam, Bena and
some other :frican countries have relative advantages to suppl better
*ualit teas at lower prices that makes e)port market e)tremel competitive
for 'angladesh Tea#
INT>RN:- /:RB>T-INT>RN:- CON<U/+TION
Internal /arketH
Tea is supplied in the internal market in three was-
0i1 buing tea from the auction paing 3@C L:T on the auction value
known as internal account buing,
0ii1 buing tea from the auction for e)port at nil L:T known as e)ternal
account buing and subse*uentl transferring to the internal account and
0iii1 tea supplied directl from the tea estates with prior permission of the
Tea 'oard#
:ccording to tea industr sources, local consumption of tea in 345@ was
onl 36 million kilograms annuall# In $633 it rose to A& million kilograms9
more than si) times higher within a span of $A ears#
Once 'angladesh was a tea e)porting countr9 tea was one of the ma(or
e)port items of the countr# 'ut presentl we have turned into a tea
importing countr since $664-36# In $664-36, 'angladesh imported $
million kilograms, in $636-33 it was @ million kilograms and in $633-3$ it
was & million kilograms#
The local production of tea now stands at A6 million kilograms annuall# <o
we are now dependent on the imported tea for our domestic consumption#
'angladesh tea industr was established in 35?6 when a pioneer tea garden
was established on the slopes of the hills in Chittagong where the Chittagong
Club now stands# The first commercial tea garden was established in 35@8 at
/ulnichhera in <lhet#
During the subcontinent"s partition in 34?8, 'angladesh 0then >ast +akistan1
owned 36& tea estates, covering $A,8&? hectares of tea plantation with
annual production of 35#&A million kilos with an ield of about A&4 kg per
hactare# ;ome consumption was around 3&#A? million kilos till 34@@#
:fter that home consumption went up rapidl and the government imposed
&C mandator e)tension of tea area per ear in 34A3# Ten ears later b
3486, tea area was e)tended to ?$,A@5 hectares and production was
increased to &3#&5 million kg#
During the liberation war in 3483, our tea industr suffered colossal
damages which resulted in poor management, high vacancies, insufficient
inputs, dilapidated factor machiner, inade*uate maintenance, etc# leading
to lower ield and poor *ualit of tea#
IORB>R< O2 T>: ><T:T><
'angladesh ranks tenth among the ten largest tea-producing and
e)porting countries in the world# In the ear $666, the countr"s tea
production was 3#56C of the $,4&4#43 million kg produced worldwide#
/ost of the 3A& tea estates in 'angladesh are located in the North-eastern
region of 'angladesh-/aulvi 'a7ar, ;obigan(, <lhet, 'rahmanbaria
districts# There are a few number of tea estates in +anchagar District and in
Chittagong,a <outh-eastern district#
Owners of tea gardens include both foreign and local companies# Ihile four
<terling companies own $8 estate, 'angladeshi companies and individuals
own the rest of the tea gardens# The four foreign companies are Fames
2inla, Duncan 'rothers, Deundi Tea Compan and The New <lhet Tea
>state# Chandghani ;ills of <lhet#Near about the same time, wild tea was
found among Bhasiand Fainta /ost of the tea estates are located in the
northeast region of 'angladesh# The first tea garden was established b the
Duncan 'rothers# <ince then all the tea gardens have been established b
clearing (ungles# Those who did the (ungle clearing were non-locals brought
b Duncan from :ssam, 'ihar, /adras, Orissa and other places in India#
'ack home the were told that the would arrive at a Elovel garden in the
hill countr where the would look after trees with leaves of pure gold
which would fall if ou 0the1 shook themG 0Fones 345AH331#
:fter the settled in this unknown countr the realised that the stor of the
golden leaves was a lie and it remains a mster to them till date#
The tea worker with different ethnic identities are people who are less-
talked-of and forgotten# The are not well aware of their origins# Their lives
in 'angladesh are confined to the tea gardens and the do not interact much
with people of other ethnic identities# The do not speak their language
perfectl and most of them are illiterate#
:s the are a sociall e)cluded group, the are a ver eas target for
e)ploitation b the profiteers from the tea industr#
;istor of 'angladesh tea industr dates back to around 35$& when tea
started to be grown for commercial purposes in the :ssam forests# Tea
plantation in 'engal developed concurrentl with that in the northeastern
part of India during the earl nineteenth centur# In 35@@, the :ssam
indigenous tea plant was established in ;ills# :round 35?6, tea plantation
started in Chittagong# The first commercial tea plantation was established in
35@8 in /ulnichera in <lhet#
The condition of the forlorn tea workers depict man kinds of abuse,
discrimination and deprivation that are ver difficult to overcome# There are
constitutional safeguards,laws and mechanisms intended to ensure human
dignit, but for the tea workers human dignit is onl a dream# Their
conditions violate the ma)imum provisions of the 'angladesh Constitution,
different instruments, laws and rules that commit social, economic and
human dignit# The <::RC <ocial Charter, in the hands of the <outh :sian
<tates, upholds the same commitment# It"s implementation is a big challenge
indeed# <ocial and economic distance of the tea workers with their 'engali
supervisors including the managers is much wider# 2rancis Rolt, a 'ritish
writer, gives a vivid description of the severe discriminator conduct of the
hierarch towards the tea workersH Ethe tea gardens are managed as an
e)treme hierarchH the managers live like gods, distant, unapproachable, and
incomprehensible# <ome even begin to believe that the are gods, that the
can do e)actl what the like#G
E/anagers have anthing up to a do7en laborers as their personal, domestic
servants# The are made to tie the managers shoe lace, to remind them that
the are under managerial control and that the are bound to do whatever
the are asked,G writes another 'ritish human rights activist, Dan Fones#
The tea workers are completel cut off from their origins in India# The can
onl partl recall the languages of their forefathers# The speak Ea sort of
distorted ;indiG that passes as a common language on the tea estates# The
also speak in Deshali, which is a mi)ture of 'engali and language of Orissa#
Their accents while speaking in Deshali testif their cultural corrosionThe
tea workers are so much cornered that the depend solel on the companies
for food, medicine, accomodations, education, etc# The do not have choices
about their life and amenities# That is because the do not have a social
standing in 'angladesh#
The onl social relationship that e)ists between the tea workers and the
'engalis is one of business# The 'engalis own ma(orit of the shops in the
area# On the weekl holida,<unda, some of the tea workers work in
'engali houses# 'ut the 'engalis would hardl allow them into their houses#
The treat them as untouchables# .lasses, plates, or other e*uipment are
generall kept separate for the tea workers# ;owever, among themselves
whatever their identit or origin, the tea workers maintain *uite good
relations#
In 35@? when the tea workers 0<antals, Oraons,/unda etc#1 from different
states of India first arrived the each signed a four-ear contract that
eventuall obliged them to remain on the tea gardens for generations# That
was the beginning of hard labour, erosion of cultural identit and captivit
that never came to an end# Illiterate, the didn"t understand what the
document contained when the signed it# This ignorance led to a life full of
suffering for them and for their children#
: centur later, the still find themselves illiterate# Their poor housing
conditions, low wages, long working hours, social discrimination, and de
facto restriction on free movement deprive thwm of man basic human
needs and rights that ever human being must have for personal and societal
progress# These conditions make sure that the children of tea workers can do
nothing else but become tea workers# Deprived, e)ploited and alienated the
tea workers live an inhumane life#
/an of these workers and farmers hope that the can sell their green tea
leaves at Tk 3@ per kg# The also hope that their wages will increase from
Tk A6 per da to Tk 366 per da#
TOURI</ D>L>-O+/>NT IN T;><> :R>:<
The area around <lhet is traditional tea growing area# The
pictures*ue <urma Lalle is covered with terraces of tea gardens and lush
green tropical forests# <rimangal is known as the tea capital of 'angladesh
and for miles around one can see the green carpet of tea gardens on the hill
slopes#
The area has over 3@6 tea gardens including three of the largest tea gardens
in the world both in area and production# Nearl &66,666 workers are
emploed on the tea estates of which over 8@C are women# >mploers
prefer to engage women for plucking tea leaves since the do a better (ob
and are paid less than the men#
: visit to the tea plantation in <lhet is a memorable e)perience# The
gardens are relics from the das of the 'ritish Ra(# The plantations were
started b the 'ritish and the manager still live in white timber homes as
the did in those das# The bungalows stand on huge beautifull maintained
lawns and the service and lifestle is prett much unchanged#
: relativel new area that has come under tea cultivation is the sub-
;imalaan terrain of +anchagarh# The soil and climate is highl favorable
for growing tea here# In fact this area is contiguous with :ssam and 'engal
in India where tea has been grown for decades# 'eginning with onl &66
acres of land in $666, the cash crop is now being cultivated on over &,@66
acres in Tentulia, <adar and :toari upa7ilas of +anchagarh# It can be
e)panded to ultimatel cover about A6,666 acres#
The humus content in the soil here is more than in the traditional tea-
growing areas of <lhet# The tea produced in +anchagarh is supposedl
much better in *ualit than that of <lhet# <everal nurseries have been set up
in +anchagarh and Thakurgaon to suppl high *ualit saplings to the tea
gardens# This promises to be a good avenue of emploment for the locals
and chances of increased e)ports of tea# :s of now 'angladesh e)ports tea
to +akistan and Russia# This ma soon reach wider markets and become
everone"s cup of tea#
R>CO//>ND:TION< 2OR T;> '>TT>R/>NT O2 T>: INDU<TR=
Tea is the currenc leaf of our countr# Overall tea e)port
fluctuated considerabl over the period# It stood between $3#?3 million kg in
3458 to &&#64 million kg in 344&# There is a need for an aggressive tea
selling polic for 'angladesh in order to stabili7e this fluctuation# This calls
for holding e)hibition of 'angladesh tea abroad and granting special
facilities like confessional shipment rate and tariff to e)porter# 'angladesh
Tea 'oard and the /inistr of Trade and Commerce can design some web
pages in Internet (ointl or separatel to build up interest for 'angladesh tea
in the world market# <eminars, smposiums and 'angladeshi tea festival
ma be organi7ed b the Tea 'oard and the 'angladesh +ar(atan
Corporation can also pla a vital role in this respect#
Export of Tea to Different Musli Countries
There has been a ver great chance for 'angladesh in tea e)port to different
countries# <everal countries like >gpt, Ira*, <audi :rabia and Buwait do
not either import 'angladesh tea or do so ver irregularl# These are all
/uslim countries having good relations with 'angladesh# >fforts should be
made at the government level to raise tea e)port of 'angladesh to these
countries both through bilateral contract and interaction of the business
communit#
Moderni!ation of Tea Production
!Orthodo)", and an old method of tea processing are largel used b the tea
estates in 'angladesh# 2rom plucking to packing through this method makes
a harmful dela that unfortunatel presents the *uestion of *ualit of the
commodit# Cost of each and ever item of tea production like fuel and
power, stores and spares, chest, warehousing, freight and cartage, fertili7er
and insecticide, and repairs and maintenance has increased# Ieeds, poor
drainage, inade*uate shade, insufficient fertili7ers, fault pruning, and pests
and disease reduce tea production b about $6C each ear# Use of power
and depreciation cost is also high for these back dated machines compared to
modern machines# This causes the producers to set high price of the
commodit#
Tea Production in "e# Areas$ C%ittagong and Pac%agar%
Traditionall, tea was produced in the district of <lhet onl# <lhet is
situated in the northeastern part of 'angladesh# Of late, tea production has
also begun in Chittagong on the southeastern part of 'angladesh and in
+anchagarh that is situated on the northwestern part of the countr#
+anchagarh is near Dar(eeling of India, where production of *ualit tea has a
long histor#
Prospect of Tea Production in C%ittagong
+rospect of tea production in the southeastern districts of Chittagong and
Co)"s 'a7ar seems to be *uite great# Recentl, the Tea 'oard and the
/inistr of Commerce has (ointl undertaken a plan of tea plantation in
&$,666 acres of land in these two districts of 'angladesh# The authorities
would like to preserve small private ownership so that there will be man
beneficiaries rather than a few as with the case of big tea companies of
<lhet#
Prospect of Tea Production in Panc%agar%
Tea production in +anchagarh has alread begun# It was felt for a long time
that this district, which is ver ad(acent to Falpaiguri, /aanaguri, <hiliguri,
and Dar(eeling of India famous for production of high *ualit tea, was
suitable for tea production#
Tea plantation in +anchagarh began in $666 when the Tetulia Tea Compan
-td# 0TTC-1 came forward with a plan of a small-scale tea production b the
small and the marginal farmers# <ince then, tea plantation has rapidl
e)panded here# :t present, $3 companies have come forward to start tea
plantation in +anchagarh with a prospect of bringing 3A,666 hectares of land
under cultivation#
Colour and &la'our
'angladeshi tea is known for its strong colour but it lacks flavour# Of late,
there is a change in this respect# In <rimongal of <lhet region, planters have
succeeded in producing strong flavoured Dar(eeling tpe tea# This tea has
created great interest among bidders in the tea auction market#
+roduction of flavoured tea is done with orthodo) machines# There is a need
for moderni7ing this process# Ihen this tea will be blended with other tea,
there is the possibilit of great increase in the demand for our tea#
(rganic Tea
+roduction of organic tea, that is, tea produced naturall without using
chemical fertili7er has begun in +anchagarh# The Ba7i and Ba7i Compan
have taken the lead in this respect# Recentl organic production of
agricultural products has become ver popular, as these are free from
the harmful effects of chemical fertili7er#
<o, producing of organic tea in 'angladesh has gained immediate popularit
and a Fapanese firm has alread bought the whole lot of tea in advance#
Organic tea here is produced in such puritan form that no chemical pesticide
is used and mechanical vehicle is allowed# Onl carts driven b cows and
horses are allowed to enter the gardens and processing areas# It appears that
organic tea has a great future here# In the developed world where labour is
e)pensive and use of power driven machines is common then organic tea
production is ver e)pensive# <o, 'angladesh can make dent into the world
market of organic tea and .ovt# efforts are needed in this regard#
)er*al Tea$ +inger, Clo'e, -eon Tea
There is a scope for producing tea that is mi)ed with and scented b citreous
fruit like lemon and strong spices such as ginger and clove# <uch tea is also
known to have health benefits besides having specific fragrance that is like
b different people# <ince agents that are herbal scent tea here, these tpes of
tea are likel to gain popularit in the countries both to the east and west of
'angladesh#
.all .cale Production, .all Producers
:n important feature of tea production in Chittagong and +anchagarh is the
opportunit, it offers to the small farmers# Unlike the big tea estates of
<lhet, farmers in small plots cultivate tea here# This has far reaching
povert alleviation implications with positive distributional conse*uences#
It is recommended that government give necessar support for preserving
this small scale nature of production so that it is not gobbled up b big
producers, concern about which has alread been e)pressed in the media
0Dail <angram, 2ebruar $, $66@1#
/AK0B and EC
It is worthwhile to report that Ra(shahi Brishi Unnaan 'ank 0R:BU'1 had
alread e)tended substantial amount of loan to the small farmers of tea in
+anchagarh# It appears that funding for tea production would be forthcoming
from this important bod# +roduction of tea on a small scale in this northern
district has attracted international attention# The >uropean Commission 0>C1
has announced that it will grant &6#& million taka to fund three pro(ects#
These areH setting up of an office of the Tea 'oard in +anchagarh,
establishing a Tea Research Institute here9 and helping production of clone
tea# The >C is also specificall helping the small and the marginal farmers#
Due help is forthcoming to give fillip to this important development of tea
production in 'angladesh#
/e'itali!ation of Tea Export fro Banglades%
It is evident from Table $ that there has been a decline in tea e)port of
'angladesh# This was due to several reasons, foremost among which are
stead increase in domestic demand, stiff competition in the international
market, lack of diversit in the *ualit of tea produced, and locali7ation of
tea production in a single district#
It appears now that 'angladesh is breaking awa from these problems# The
new varieties of fragrant tea, production of organic tea, possibilit of
producing herbal tea like clove and ginger-flavoured tea, and citreous tea
like lemon tea will at last give 'angladesh the edge in the international
market that it needs#
Ler recentl, 'angladesh researchers reported the development of a new
variet, called 'T-3A, that is ver high ielding 0about 3@C more than the
conventional ones1 and highl resistant to common diseases of tea leaves#
Ihen this variet will be read for use in our gardens, tea production and
e)port in 'angladesh will receive a great fillip#
The high demand for 'angladeshi fragrant tea and the selling out of all
organic tea of +anchagarh in advance and the development of 'T-3A
indicate that the fall in tea e)port can effectivel be reversed#
<U..><<TION< 2OR T;> I/+ROL>/>NT
2rom the above discussion it becomes clear that for e)pansion
of tea production and its e)port promotion, the following polic
recommendations ma be put forwardH
i1 : determined effort should be made to infill all tea gardens with
oung tea plants immediatel to increase production of tea#
ii1 Rough plucking of green tea leaves is to be avoided for *ualit
production of tea#
iii1 To meet the local demand of low priced *ualit tea and to increase
e)port of tea appropriate measures coupled with government
initiative should be undertaken#
iv1 Use of modern technolog and machine is an imperative to
produce *ualit tea and to keep the cost lower# Tea producers
should be encouraged to replace !Orthodo)" method graduall#
v1 :s 'angladesh can make a dent in the world market of organic tea,
the industr ma be given due support that it needs and deserves
b the government#
vi1 :ttempts ma be made at the government level to increase e)port
of tea to /uslim countries through bilateral contract#
vii1 The government should pla its due role b giving ade*uate and
timel credit, creating infrastructural facilities and preserving
small-scale production b the small and marginal farmers#
viii1 :ppropriate weight and importance on research should be given to
produce ;=L tea and more new tpes of herbal tea#
i)1 The /inistr of 2orestr, the /inistr of Commerce and the
'angladesh Tea 'oard, for the successful implementation of
bringing new areas under tea plantation, both in the northeastern
and the southeastern part of 'angladesh ma take coordinated
approach# This ma help povert alleviation as the government
would like to distribute land among small farmers in these areas#
)1 <eminars, smposium and tea festivals on 'angladesh tea ma be
organi7ed abroad b the 'angladesh Tea 'oard individuall and in
collaboration with the 'angladesh +or(oton Corporation#
The suggestions made above, if carefull pursued, can bring about
tangible changes leading to a rise in both production and e)port of tea from
'angladesh# The measures that should be followed would give 'angladesh
an edge in international competition#
The success of implementing these suggestions will can for government
support in terms of ta) e)emption, creation of ade*uate infrastructure
snchroni7ed with an overall effort to moderni7e tea production and
processing and a greater drive to increase our tea e)port#
CONC-U<ION
The tea industr in 'angladesh is an old et underdeveloped industr#
The tea industr suffered significant damages during the liberation war in
3483, after poor management, insufficient inputs and inade*uate
maintenance led to lower ield and poor tea *ualit# The 'angladeshi tea
industr has a huge potential for contributing to the economic development
of the countr and the improvement of overall socio-economic conditions of
'angladeshis, including small farmers and working women, in the tea
growing districts # 'ecause of the increase of interest in tea farming and
the significant potential of the tea industr, the 'angladeshi government and
the 'angladesh Tea 'oard 0'T'1 have e)pressed interest in further
developing the industr# -ocal tea growers, chamber leaders and officials
have recommended to establish more tea processing industries, competitive
markets for tea, and to resolve problems such as gas suppl and the power
crisis to boost up our tea industr# Improvements in 'angladesh"s tea
industr are hoped to increase wages and self-reliance of tea workers and
small-scale farmers#