Even though the tea gardens were kept open due to Corona risk, the growth of production could not be maintained in the outgoing year. Tea production has declined due to unfavorable weather. However, despite the decline in production, exports have increased three and a half times in one year. The Tea Board on Thursday (21 Jan. 2021) released production data. According to the data, 8 crore 63 lakh kg of tea has been produced from 167 tea gardens of the country in 2020. This production is 10 percent or 97 lakh kg less than in 2019. However, although the production was low, there was no shortage in the market due to low demand. It did not have to import too much. The Tea Board says that although the production has decreased compared to last time, the production has increased as per the target. The production target was 7.5 crore kg. Production is 1 crore kg more than the target. Tea Board Chairman Major General Mohammad Zahirul Islam told reporters that the overall activities of all the tea gardens in the country were normal even under the COVID situation under the direction of the Prime Minister. In addition to production, the goal of tea production has been achieved by keeping the tea auction center open in compliance with hygiene rules, distributing fertilizers at subsidized prices at the right time, increasing the wages of tea workers, ensuring rations and healthcare. He added that the country's tea industry is able to achieve its production targets even in adverse conditions. With the exception of Kenya, the world's tea-producing countries have seen a decline in production. India, the world's second largest tea producer, has seen a decline in production of 14.21 crore kg. Production in Sri Lanka has decreased by 2.83 crore kg. In both countries, the rate of decline in production is more than 10 percent. Bangladesh is in a better position than that. Most of the tea produced in the country comes from the gardens of Moulvibazar district. 55% of the total tea is produced in this district. Then there is Habiganj district, where 22 percent is produced. Besides, 10 per cent production is in North Bengal, 7 per cent in Sylhet district and 6 per cent in Chittagong. Mohammad Shah Alam, president of the Bangladesh Tea Association, an association of tea garden owners, said unfavorable weather was the reason for the decline in tea production. No one has a hand in the weather or nature. Corona did not disrupt production that way. Exports have been declining for a long time due to increasing demand for tea in the country. Exports have come down to 6 lakh kg in 2019. Exports started to increase again in 2020. Domestic exporters exported 21 lakh 70 thousand kg of tea last year. The income from this is about Tk. 35 crore. In the last two decades, the highest tea export income was from 84 lakh to Tk. 97 crore in 2008. Source: Online/SZK
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