PANCHAGARH, Nov 15: A conference of tea growers was held in Panchagarh to further bolster the progress of the tea industry. The day-long event took place on Saturday at the Panchagarh Government Auditorium.
The conference commenced with a colourful procession in the morning. This was followed by a discussion session, a workshop on improving tea quality, the inauguration of the Tea Garden Owners' Association website and mobile applications, and a cultural programme at the government auditorium.
Speaking at the conference were Deputy Commissioner Sabet Ali, Tea Board Officer-in-Charge Arif Khan, Tea Garden Owners Association President Didarul Alam, General Secretary Manik Uddin, tea grower Ahsan Habib Sarkar, Supreme Tea Factory Manager Abu Zayed, and other tea farmers.
The speakers stated that in recent years, tea growers had incurred losses due to not receiving fair prices from factory owners' syndicates. However, over the past year, the plains' tea industry has seen a turnaround due to strong measures implemented by the district administration.
Although a price for tea leaves is set, the current price of raw tea leaves is now being sold at over 30 to 36 taka per kilogram. The price of Panchagarh tea has also risen in the auction market due to the production of high-quality tea. They called upon all stakeholders, including tea growers and factory owners, to work together for the further development of the tea industry in the coming days.
During the event, memorial awards were presented to the Panchagarh Regional Tea Board, Senior Scientific Officer, Supreme and Royal Tea Factories, Tuku Rahman of Tuku Football Academy, Mofazzal Hossain Bipul of Two Star Football Academy in Boda Upazila, National Environment Medal recipient, and tea grower Mahmudul Islam Mamun, for their contributions to tea cultivation in Panchagarh.
