Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain has called for effective steps to be taken to improve the quality of Panchagarh tea industry and ensure that farmers get the right price. He said that the main problem of Panchagarh tea is quality. Whether anyone accepts it or not, quality has become a big challenge in marketing Panchagarh tea. He emphasized on increasing the awareness of farmers and collecting the right leaves to improve the quality of tea.
He said these things while talking to reporters after a training and exchange meeting titled 'Expansion of tea cultivation of tea gardens and small farmers in the northern region and improvement of tea quality' held at the regional office of the Tea Board in Panchagarh on Sunday (November 17) afternoon.
The Tea Board Chairman said, "The quality of tea is declining due to lack of knowledge in tea cultivation in Panchagarh and collection of substandard leaves. If the farmers supply high-quality leaves, it will be possible to ensure their fair price."
He also said that effective measures will be taken to prevent syndicates from being active in hindering the development of the tea industry. Monitoring will be increased to stop the sale of underground tea and strict steps will be taken through mobile courts. Monopolies will also have to be broken to create a competitive environment.
The meeting was attended by other officials of the Tea Board and the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) of Panchagarh. The Chairman said that the Tea Board will work to find effective solutions for setting up small tea factories for the benefit of the farmers.