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Govt takes up TklOOcr tea farming programme in Panchagarh

BSS,Rangpur
The government has taken a massive TklOO crore special package programme to boost the growing small-scale tea farming that has already become very popular bringing fortunes to many in Panchagarh villages.
Under the programme being implemented by Bangladesh Tea Board, the small and marginal farmers are being provided with training on the latest technologies for tea farming, loans, tea saplings and necessary inputs, officials concerned said.
The government initiatives will further prompt economic advancements of the common people, farmers as well as working women, as the small and marginal farmers have been showing more interest in farming the cash crop in the areas.
Side by side with the latest assistance, local farmers and experts suggested setting up more tea processing industries, competitive markets for tealeaves and resolving some problems like power crisis for accelerating further growth of the sector.
The prospective tea sector has created opportunities for hundreds of working women to change their fate by achieving self- reliance through earning wages as plucking workers in tea gardens of the officially recognized third tea zone in the country.
Presently, nearly 7,500 skilled and unskilled workers, mostly women, have been working in about 260 tea gardens, including 18 big estates, 13 medium-size and 229 small-scale gardens set up on about 2,200 acres in Panchagarh alone.
Small-scale tea growers are now happier as the tea processing factories of Tentulia Tea Company Ltd and Karotoa Tea Garden started purchasing green tealeaves at Tk 11 per kg though the rate was only Tk 9.50 in the past.
As per a survey conducted by BTB, there is over 16,000 hectares land suitable for tea farming in Panchagarh alone and nearly 2,200 acres have so far been brought under tea farmingin the area since 2002.
The tea board has taken the special steps, including finding newer areas for tea farming, with a view to further expanding tea farming areas
and increasing tea production in the country to meet its growing local demand and increase exports.
There are tremendous prospects of the expanding tea sector and creating job opportunities to enhance economic activities further in the region, President of Panchagarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iqbal Kaiser Mintu said.
Tea is being cultivated mostly in Panchagarh on a 'small- scale gardening basis', the green tealeaves are being sold to the processing factories and companies and this concept has been attracting the small, medium and marginal farmers more and more.
Small-scale tea farmer Mozahedul Hassan while talking to the news agency recendy said he has been farming tea in seven bighas (20 kathas) of land after selecting 20 bighas for the purpose and lifting 90 to 100 kg tea leaves every week from the garden.
BTB's Development Officer in Panchagarh Amir Hossain said there is tremendous scope for expansion of the tea farming area in Panchagarh and the BTB has been
providing all necessary facilities including training to the farmers and per hectare subsidies.
About 5.37 lakh kg tea was produced during the last season and a total of about seven lakh kg tea is expected to be produced in Panchagarh alone this season, BTB officials said.
Female labourer Sabina Yasmin of Tentulia upazila kaid they are getting only Tk 60 to 70 per day and male labourers are getting Taka 80 to 90 per day as wages by plucking tealeaves.
"We are hopeful that the concerned authorities will take necessary further steps regarding our just wages and benefits as the tea sector has been expanding faster following huge interests among the small-scale and marginal farmers," she said.
"Increased tea fanning will bring further economic solvency to the people, especially empowering the distressed women in the district, with a positive change in their life and living ushering in a new hope for their future generations," an official said.