Tea: High time to upgrade quality, quantity

A tea garden at Fatikchhari. PHOTO: STAR

The experts and the garden owners, however, emphasised the need for increasing the hectare-wise tea production by planting high-yielding saplings for better quality and competitive edge in the future.

Bangladesh is still lagging far behind in hectare-wise tea production, compared to the major tea exporting countries like Sri Lanka, India and Kenya.

"The gardens on an average now produce 1200 to 1250 kgs of tea per hectare, some a maximum of 2000 to 2500 kgs and a few selective ones 3000 kgs at best," said Amanat Hossain Arman, managing director of Purbo Bangla Brokers Limited. On the other hand, the per-hectare tea production in Sri Lanka, India and Kenya stands in between 3000 to 4000-kgs," he said.

"To upgrade the quality, make our existing gardens high-yield and to keep pace with global competition, we need logistic supports from the government, revival of the abandoned gardens, and above all, plantation of high-yielding saplings replacing the old ones," said Nasiruddin Bahadur, a garden owner.

"The planting of high-yielding saplings instead of older ones should be made mandatory and the government must compensate for the losses whatsoever to the garden owners in this concern," he added.

Seven weekly international tea auctions out of 45 of the season were held till Tuesday and market feedback was very satisfactory. On an average, about 80 to 85 percent teas on offer in the seven auctions were sold and this upbeat trend will hopefully continue in the next few weeks, sources said.

Of the season's auctions so far, the sale no-6 on May 31 in particular was the 'best market' in terms of high price. It has drawn Tk 13.04 up for per kilogram of tea compared to the corresponding sale of last season (2004-2005).

The sale no-6 drew top price (Tk 78.71) against Tk 65.67 of the same sale during the last season, which is Tk13.04 up, sources said.

"Up to sale no-6 this season, about 52,21,868 kgs of tea were sold with an average price of Tk 75.14 per kg, which is Tk 7.51 up from the corresponding six sales of last year," said Amanat. "Around 36, 34,771 kgs of tea were sold with an average price of Tk 67.63 during the corresponding period (six sales) of the season 2004-2005," he added.

Sources said the trend of tea production is also good and well ahead compared to the same period of the last season.

"Total tea production is estimated at 5.37 million kgs till April, 2005 while 3.42 million kgs during the same period last year, which is 1.95 million kgs up," they said.

The sale no-7 witnessed a good demand on June 7 following quality. The blenders and loose tea traders were active. Pakistan, the single largest foreign buyer, was highly selective while the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) lent good support. Neat and good liquoring types were readily absorbed at rates fully firm to occasionally slightly dearer, and others were irregular and generally easier by Tk 1 to Tk 2, they said.

Of the total 22,500 sacks on offer on sale no-7, about 2,000 sacks were of leaf tea and 2,500 of dust tea.

Good types were sold at Tk 70 to Tk 75 per kg while a few selective lots were sold at Tk 104 per kg. Medium types were sold at Tk 63 to Tk 68 per kg and plain sorts at Tk 55 to Tk 60 per kg.

According to sources, the county's 156 tea gardens (143 in production) currently produce around 55 million kgs of tea a year. Of this, the local consumption is nearly 43 to 45 million kgs, while the rest is exported.

Experts said that Bangladesh's annual tea production has unfortunately been static for many years at a figure more or less in between 54 to 56 million kgs.