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Fertiliser crisis dashes hopes for better tea yield

Good prospects on favourable weather but fertiliser prices triple

Iqbal Siddiquee, sylhet
With favourable weather, prospect of tea production in country's main tea valleys in Sylhet seems to be better this year, according to sources in gardens and Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI).
Gardens in the area have so far cropped about 24 million kg of tea this year, which is about two million kg more than the harvest till thecorrespondingperiodlastyear.
An official of BTRI said, tea production target was filed at 60 million kg this year against last year's yield of about 53 million kg.
“We hope a better production this year", he said.
The country had the highest yield of 60.14 million kg in 2005. when the crop got the most favourable weather almost whole the season, the BTRI official said.
Md. Shahjahan. Manager of state
run Somonbhag Tea Estate in Juri valley told the Daily Star that tea producing region has been experiencing better rains this year from the beginning of the season in March and the rainfall is good so far.
Distribution of rainfall is also even with a favourable temperature and sunshine, which are also very important for the sensitive crop, he said.
“We had 38 inches rainfall so far which was evenly distributed amid good sunshine. No doubt it is well enough", he added.
But fertilisation of gardens has become a problem due to high piece of different fertilizers, they said.
Fertilisers have to be applied at regular intervals for a good crop. Murate of Potash (MP) and NPKare very important for tea plants in July-August. Tea gardens need these imported fertilisers also in time'. High price of the items would
hit the industry', the officials said.
Price of urea was around Tk •1.800 per ton at the beginning of the year, which rose to Tk 9,000 and now sells at Tk 12,000. MP sells at Tk 40,000 per ton.
Most of the tea gardens arc yet to get the second allotment of the fertilisers, the officials said.
Humayun Kabir, Manager of Habibnagar Tea Estate in Sylhet, said, "This year we started with a better season from the beginning with a favourable weather. But fertiliser crisis has hit us much”.
Numan Haider Chowdhury, general manager of Khadim Tea Estate said tea is a very sensitive crop, which needs uniform rainfall, sunshine and timely use of fertilizer from March to October. The gardens so far had a good trend this year so far as weather is concerned.
The overall situation and crop position is good and if the weather
behaviour continues the trend, there may be a much better crop this year, the senior tea planted told tliis correspondent.
But crisis fertilizers and their high prices would hit the industry, Chowdhury said.
"We are yet to get the second allotment while the time for application of MP and other fertilisers is passing fast”, he said.
Price and demand for Bangladesh tea are also much better in Chittagong auction market. The price was Tk 117 plus per kg last week against aroundTk 80 in August last year, said Numan, also Circle Chairman of Bangladesh Tea Association's North SylhetValley.
Tea is an important foreign exchange earner for Bangladesh. There are 160 tea estates in the country. Roughly, two-thirds of the yield is consumed at home an the rest is exported.