CHATTOGRAM, Jan 6, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) will reduce the imports of tea from abroad due to maximum output of the tea cultivation in the country.
According to BTB sources, in last calendar year up to November, tea produced about 9 crore kgs which may exceed by 9.50 crore kgs up to December last.
Total production was 8.21 cr kgs in 2018 which was increased by 1.37 crore kgs.
BTB sources said initiatives have been taken to lessen the import of tea from abroad this year. A total of 70 lakh kgs tea were imported from abroad including Kenya in 2019.
Director of Duncun Tea and Chairman of Bangladesh Tea Association Mohammad Shah Alam told BSS that following the positive initiatives of the BTB for plantation from small scale to large scale across the country and government subsidy for procurement of tea saplings and trainings to tea garden workers for developed garden management, tea production increased in immediate last year.
He said once Bangladesh was a tea exporting country and 30% productions out of total was exported earlier to about 30 countries and Bangladesh was ranked at 8th position of tea exports.
Following the increased local demand of tea recently, Bangladesh now turned into a tea import country, he added.
BTB additional secretary Irfan Sharif told BSS that tea production in Bangladesh has increased gradually.