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CHATTOGRAM: Though tea production has increased significantly in Bangladesh in the just-ended decade, the country's annual tea production has not yet surpassed its domestic demands, industry insiders and officials said.
The total annual tea production in the country is yet to reach the level of resuming its export after meeting the local demands for the aromatic beverage, said noted tea business observer and former president of Bangladesh Tea Association, Chattogram Branch, Nasir Uddin Bahadur.
According to the officials of the BTB, the tea gardens of the country produced around 89.65 million kilogram (KG) of tea from January to November in the last calendar year. The country's total tea production is estimated to be around 95 million KG from January to December in 2019. Whereas, the country produced 82.13 million KG tea from January to December in 2018. The annual production has increased by 13.77 million KG till November in the just-ended year.
Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) officials said tea production in the country increased in the past year than the previous year. In last year, the tea gardens produced around 95 million KG of tea, they mentioned.
According to the BTB, tea January-November (2019) tea production was around 89.65 million KG while production in the last 12 months (Jan-Dec, 2029) will be more than 95 million KG.
Jan-Nov, 2019, tea production was 13.77 million KG more than that in the 12 months of the previous year, BTB officials said.
Secretary of BTB Kuldwip Chakma said that Bangladesh used to import a total of 7.0 million KG of tea from different countries of the world. But, as the production increased in the last year significantly, the government gave permission to import 3.5 million KG tea from other countries this year, he said. "Good weather and care by garden owners are the main cause of the tea production increase in Bangladesh now," he pointed out.
BTB sources said, Bangladesh produced a total of 59.99 million KG tea in 2009, a total of 60.04 million KG tea in 2010, 59.13 million KG tea in 2011, 62.52 million KG in 2012, 66.26 million KG in 2013, 63.88 million KG in 2014, 67.38 million KG in 2015, 85.05 million KG in 2016, 78.95 million KG in 2017 and 82.13 million KG in 2018.
Chairman of Bangladesh Tea Association, Chattogram Chapter, Jahangir Alam said, "The country's current weather condition has supported the tea production. As a result, the production has marked a significant rise."