Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, April 07, 2000 Bangla tea industry targets

85 mkg output CALCUTTA, April 6 UNDER a long-term programme covering 16 years to 2015, the Bangladesh tea industry wants to reach a production level of 85 million kg by replacing the old/unproductive bushes with younger ones, expanding the area under tea and raising the national average productivity to 1,500 kg per hectare. This information was contained in the paper presented by Mr. M.A. Rahman, Director (Operations) of Duncan Brothers (Bangladesh) Ltd, at the India International Millennium Tea Convention held under the aegis of Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations in New Delhi from March 2224. It is seen from Mr. Rahman's paper as also statistics made available at the convention that Bangladesh tea production fluctuated between 39 mkg in 1989 and 53.4 mkg in 1996. It dropped to 50.52 mkg in 1997 and picked up to 56.18 mkg in 1998. Last year, according to estimates, the production was lower at 47 mkg. Productivity per hectare varied between 844 kg in 1989 and 1,110 kg in 1996. For the three years thereafter, it was 1,061 kg, 1,185 kg and 940 kg, respectively. Some of the well-managed estates have, however, been able to achieve higher productivity rang ing from 1,700 kg to 2,500 kg per hectare. Mr. Rahman's paper notes a sharp spurt, fluctuating though, in the internal consumption of tea from 15.65 mkg in 1989 to 27.26 mkg in 1996. It dropped to 25.37 mkg in 1997; but rose to 33.96 mkg in 1998. And yet, the per capita consumption remains the lowest in the world at around 278 gm. Mr. Rahman has contended that export volume is on the decline because of rising internal consumption. The volume of exports fluctuated between 23.43 mkg in 1989 and 26.15 mkg in 1996. It dropped to 25.15 mkg in 1997 and further to 22.23 mkg in 1998. The share of Bangladesh in global tea exports varied between the low level of 2.08 per cent in 1989 and the high level of 2.77 per cent in 1993. For the years thereafter to 1998, it was 2.29 per cent, 2.35 per cent, 2.34 per cent, 2.18 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively. With the internal consumption picking up and a planned emphasis on improving quality, Mr. Rahman sees uptrend in tea prices in future. The mission of the industry in Bangladesh is to improve the image of its tea in the international markets, improve quality by using improved varieties of seeds/clone, bettering methodology and inducting superior technology. The paper also sees the case f or generic promotion. There are 158 estates. Tea is grown in the marginal, undeveloped land in the two districts of Chittagong and Sylhet. The grant area is 1,12,291 hectares and the area under tea is 49,155 hectares, 19,162 hectares controlled by foreign companies. Local companies including proprietary firms control 29,993 hectares. The industry mainly produces CTC black tea but some quantity of green tea is also produced. About 80 per cent of the annual crop is raised between May and October. It directly employs about 4,00,000 people, which is 3.3 per cent of the total employment in Bangladesh.