“Tea farmers in Panchagarh suffer losses from low leaf prices.” | (पंचागढ़ चाय किसानों को कच्ची पत्तियों की कम कीमत के कारण नुकसान उठाना पड़ता है )

Main Points In Hindi (मुख्य बातें – हिंदी में)

1. कम कीमत और आर्थिक नुकसान: पंचगढ़ के छोटे और बड़े चाय किसानों को कच्ची चाय की पत्तियों की कम कीमतों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है, जिससे उन्हें गंभीर आर्थिक नुकसान हो रहा है। कई किसानों को अपने बागानों को उखाड़ने पर मजबूर होना पड़ रहा है।

2. पत्तियों की गुणवत्ता और बिक्री की समस्याएं: लगभग 40-45% कच्ची चाय की पत्तियां खराब गुणवत्ता की होती हैं या सूखी होती हैं, जिससे किसान असंतोषजनक कीमतों पर बेचने के लिए मजबूर हैं। इस कारण, उनकी आय बगीचे की रखरखाव लागत भी नहीं निकाल पा रही है।

3. उच्च गुणवत्ता की आवश्यकता: चाय उद्योग के विशेषज्ञों के अनुसार, किसानों को उच्च गुणवत्ता वाली पत्तियों का उत्पादन करना आवश्यक है ताकि कारखाने उन्हें बेहतर कीमतों पर खरीद सकें और आर्थिक स्थिरता प्राप्त कर सकें।

4. निर्यात की संभावनाएं: अगर सरकार चाय की पैदावार को अंतरराष्ट्रीय बाजारों में निर्यात कर सके, जैसे पाकिस्तान और सऊदी अरब, तो इससे पंचगढ़ में चाय उद्योग को मजबूती मिल सकती है।

5. सामूहिक प्रयास की जरूरत: चाय किसानों और कारखाने के मालिकों को मिलकर काम करने की आवश्यकता है, ताकि समस्याओं को हल किया जा सके और पंचगढ़ में चाय उद्योग की स्थिति में सुधार लाया जा सके।

Main Points In English(मुख्य बातें – अंग्रेज़ी में)

Here are the main points derived from the text about the challenges faced by tea farmers in Panchagarh:

1. Economic Losses for Tea Farmers: Both small tea farmers and large plantation owners in Panchagarh are suffering from low prices for tea leaves and damages due to uprooting tea plants. Farmers often struggle to cover the maintenance costs of their gardens from the earnings of selling tea leaves.

2. Price and Quality Issues: Tea factories purchase raw tea leaves at prices ranging from 10 to 15 Taka per kilogram, with a significant portion (40-45%) being either of poor quality or unsellable. This results in considerable economic hardships for farmers, leading many to uproot their tea gardens despite years of protests for better pricing.

3. Deteriorating Condition of Tea Gardens: Many plantation owners are neglecting the maintenance of their tea gardens due to financial losses, contributing to the decline in the quality and quantity of tea produced in the region.

4. Need for Export Opportunities: Experts suggest that if the government facilitates the export of tea produced in northern plains to countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, it could alleviate some of the challenges faced by farmers. Selling tea at better prices would encourage farmers to focus on maintaining their plantations instead of uprooting them.

5. Collaboration for Improvement: To improve the tea industry in Panchagarh, there is a need for collaboration between tea farmers and factory owners. Producing higher quality leaves and marketing them effectively could help stabilize and potentially boost the local tea economy.

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Complete News In Hindi(पूरी खबर – हिंदी में)

Complete News In English(पूरी खबर – अंग्रेज़ी में)

In Panchagarh, both small tea farmers and large tea plantation owners are suffering due to low prices for tea leaves and the uprooting of tea plants in their gardens.

Tea growers mentioned that fresh tea leaves are harvested and sold in six rounds throughout the year. Typically, after the first round of harvesting, the second round occurs within 45 days. This means farmers collect fresh leaves from their gardens six times a year. However, during the sale of these leaves, garden owners often face various challenges in each round. Sometimes, due to low prices set by factories for fresh leaves and the presence of low-quality tea leaves, farmers end up with little to no money after selling their leaves to the factories. This issue is particularly significant during the first and last rounds of the season, where farmers cannot even cover the maintenance costs of their gardens with the money they earn from selling the leaves.

Meanwhile, small tea farmers have reported that tea factories buy fresh tea leaves at prices between 10 to 15 taka per kilogram. Additionally, between 40 to 45 percent of the fresh tea leaves are either not dried properly or are of poor quality and are discarded. As a result, the remaining leaves that farmers manage to sell lead to significant financial losses for them. Despite years of protests and movements regarding the prices of fresh tea leaves in Panchagarh, they still struggle to receive fair prices, and many small tea farmers are abandoning their gardens. Many plantation owners are neglecting to maintain their fields, leading to a decline in the condition of tea gardens.

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Kazi Anisur Rahman, a long-time tea farmer and owner of a large tea plantation in the Tentulia sub-district, as well as a former chairman of the union council, stated that his tea garden spans around 60 acres. In 2022, he spent approximately 2.3 million taka on maintenance, but he only earned 1.9 million taka from selling the tea leaves. To avoid further losses, he decided to uproot about 6 acres of his tea garden in 2023. As a shareholder and director of the Bismillah Tea Factory, he said that despite investing in the factory, he is unable to sell the tea produced. Consequently, the factory is also facing losses. If the situation continues, he may have to convene a meeting with other directors to discuss permanently shutting down the factory.

Experts in the tea industry have noted that the quantity of tea produced in Panchagarh and the northern plains exceeds the market demand for tea leaves. If the government can export the tea produced in the northern plains to countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern nations, it would help save tea farming in Panchagarh. Furthermore, if factory owners can sell the produced tea at good prices, they can buy leaves from farmers at a rate of at least 20 to 25 taka per kilogram. This would encourage farmers to focus on maintaining their gardens instead of uprooting them.

MD Amir Hussain, a development officer at the Bangladesh Tea Board’s Panchagarh office, mentioned that a third tea auction center has been established in the district. However, due to low market demand compared to the quantity of tea produced, the prices of fresh tea leaves have decreased. To sustain this promising industry, farmers need to produce high-quality leaves (two buds and one leaf) for factories to supply. By processing the supplied fresh tea leaves into high-quality tea, factories can sell them at higher prices at auctions. Ultimately, improving the tea industry in Panchagarh and overcoming its challenges will require collaboration between both tea farmers and factory owners.



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