Record tea production in the northern plains

 

Record tea production in the northern plains

Panchagarh, March 7, 2026 : Tea cultivation is increasing every year in the five districts of the northern part of the country (Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari), and production is also increasing in line with it. 

In the recently concluded (2025) season, 30 tea gardens and more than 8,000 small-scale tea gardens covering 11,599.89 acres of flat land in five districts of the northern region produced 22.42 million kg of tea, which is 58.1 million kg more than the previous season.

Agriculturist Amir Hossain, officer-in-charge of the regional office of the Bangladesh Tea Board in Panchagarh, gave this information on Saturday.

The Tea Board said that this year, 97.746 million kg of green raw tea leaves were extracted from these gardens. This was processed in 31 factories operating in Panchagarh and Thakurgaon, producing 22.242 million kg of tea.

According to the Tea Board, despite various adversities, the extent of tea cultivation is increasing in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts of the northern region. This has created employment for about 30,000 people. The concerned people have expressed hope of producing about 25 million kg of tea from this region in the current season.

Meanwhile, after being closed for almost two months due to winter, tea leaf harvesting has started in the tea gardens of the northern plains including Panchagarh in the new season. The tea gardens have regained their vitality with new buds and leaves. Every year, tea factories close at the end of December due to the decrease in the supply of green tea leaves. Production has resumed after about two months. However, the concerned people say that we will have to wait until the end of March for the full season to begin.

The price of green tea leaves has increased at the beginning of the new season. Although the price set by the Botleaf Committee is 28 taka, green tea leaves are currently being sold at 34 to 35 taka per kg. However, the factories have said that the price may decrease slightly once the full-scale tea leaf harvesting begins.

According to Tea Board sources, tea was cultivated on a total of 11,599.89 acres of land in five districts of the northern region last season, which is 73.2 acres more than the previous year.

Of this, tea has been cultivated on 9,819.73 acres of land in five upazilas of Panchagarh district. 83.288440 kg of green tea leaves have been collected from these gardens and 17.247966 kg of finished tea has been produced.

Tea is cultivated on 1,457 acres of land in Thakurgaon district. Last season, 25,59,664 kg of finished tea was produced from 12,360,357 kg of green tea leaves from these gardens.

Besides, tea is cultivated on 322.87 acres of land in Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts. Green tea leaves produced from these areas are processed in factories in Panchagarh.

Currently, the Tea Board has approved 48 tea processing factories in the northern region. Of these, 30 are in Panchagarh and one factory is in operation in Thakurgaon. These factories purchase green tea leaves from tea farmers and produce tea from them. Later, the tea is sold in auction markets in Panchagarh, Chittagong and Srimangal.

Agriculturist Md. Amir Hasan, officer-in-charge of the Panchagarh regional office of the Bangladesh Tea Board, told BSS that tea cultivation in the northern plains including Panchagarh has opened a new horizon in the history of tea in the country. This region is now in second place in tea production in the country, leaving behind the hilly region. 

He said, "In addition to the increase in tea cultivation area, the demand for tea here in the auction market is also increasing due to the quality leaves. If there are no major natural disasters, it will be possible to produce 25 million kg of finished tea from this region this season."