Hundreds of tea growers in Thakurgaon are elated as they are getting handsome prices for their hard earned produce in the market.
According to the Panchagarh regional office of Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB), there are 306 registered tea growers in the district.
Dabir Uddin, director of Dabir Tea Garden situated at Ruhiya Thana in Sadar upazila, had cultivated tea on six acres of land. He got around 7000kgs to 8000 kgs of tea leaves from his three gardens and sold it to various tea processing factories including Popular and Sultan.
He said: “Last year per kg of tea leaves was sold for Tk10 to TK14. But this year, I have sold per kg of leaves for Tk 32.” I am really happy to get a fair price for my tea leaves.”
Last year, the small tea growers incurred losses in the district as the price of tea leaves was comparatively low. But this year the reasonable price of the produce have inspired the growers to expand tea cultivation.
Khademul Islam Sarkar, the owner of Joy Tea Garden said: “I have plucked 2000kgs of tea leaves from my 2 acre tea garden. And I have sold per kg of leaves for Tk30.”
After getting handsome prices, Khademul is delighted to such an extent that he will buy the caretaker of his garden Goni Miah a bicycle.
“We are being inspired by the reasonable price of tea leaves,” said another tea grower Kalam Azad Manik, a tea grower from Lahiri village of Balidangi upazila.
Regarding the price of tea leaves, AKM jahidul Hasan Jahid, general manager of Popular Tea Factory, said: “The rate of tea leaves increased due to the shortage of tea leaves as the production has comparatively gone down this year. Besides, the quality of the tea leaves is enhanced due to favorable weather which has caused the price to go up.”
Sayedul Haque, farm assistant at BTB's Panchagarh Regional Office in Thakurgaon, said that the quality of the year’s tea leaves was good.
He also explained why the price of tea leaves has soared.
He said: “Every year tea growers would pluck tea leaves at the same time. Taking advantage of the huge production, tea factories would reduce the price of tea leaves. But this year tea growers did not pluck tea leaves at the same time which created an artificial crisis in the market. It has caused the price to go up.”
