Welcome to Business Outlook
Related Articles
Tea garden owners in Bangladesh that play an exemplary role in the industry and thereby further the country’s economy will now be recognised for their efforts, according to a gazette notification from the commerce ministry.
As per the “National Tea Award Policy 2022” announced on January 25, the awards will be given in eight categories — highest producing garden based on yields per acre, highest quality tea producer, best tea exporter, best small-scale producer and best tea garden in terms of workers’ welfare.
Besides, producers will be awarded for marketing diverse tea products and providing the best packaging while there is also an individual award for the best tea picker.
In its gazette, the commerce ministry said that the Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) and its various partners, including plantation owners, packaging and marketing companies, and other related industries are making significant contributions to the economy through their activities.
In order to accelerate their progress, the commerce ministry and BTB have decided to confer the National Tea Award on National Tea Day, which is held on June 4 each year, it added.
There are a total of 167 tea gardens that cover almost 280,000 acres of land across the country.
Bangladesh is currently listed as the world’s ninth largest tea producer, accounting for around 2 per cent of global production.
Local brands dominate the domestic market with a 75 per cent share while non-branded producers make up the rest.
However, domestic tea production decreased by nearly 3 per cent year-on-year in 2022.
Last year, some 94 million kilogrammes of tea were produced, according to the BTB.
The government has set a target to increase tea production by about 46 per cent to 140 million kilogrammes by 2025 in order to meet the growing demand for the beverage.
Ispahani Tea Limited is one of the largest tea trading companies in Bangladesh, capturing about 50 per cent of the market for loose tea leaves and 80 per cent for tea bags, according to its website.
Shah Moinuddin Hasan, general manager of Ispahani Tea, said the issue of this award had been discussed whenever tea day came around for the past few years.
“Finally, the matter was published in the form of a gazette,” he added.
Hasan then said the award will have a positive impact on the industry.
(TDS)
