Moulvibazar, Staff Reporter//

Due to the lack of rain and the severe drought of Chaitra, new buds are not getting on the trees in the tea gardens of Moulvibazar. Due to the effect of drought, tea production in the gardens has declined.

Due to the lack of adequate water, the trees are fading and the leaves are burning. Tea farmers are in trouble. In such a situation, the garden owners are afraid that the tea production target will be disrupted.

Due to the heat wave, various types of insect infestations, including red spider mite attacks, have increased in the gardens. Most of the farmers are in extreme trouble with their tea gardens.

It has been seen on the ground that most of the tea gardens are not getting new buds. Some of the trees in the tea gardens are burnt and pale. Even by sprinkling water in the gardens day and night, nothing is being done. Farmers say that fertilizer has to be applied twice a year in the tea gardens. In addition, during the drought season, irrigation has to be done every 15 days. Along with this, pesticides have to be sprayed at least six times a year. However, this can be more or less depending on the insect attack. Due to lack of money, tea plantations have not been able to invest and maintain them regularly, so the infestation of various insects including red spider mites has increased. In addition to irrigation, tea experts have suggested mixing some TSP with rotted cow dung and mixing it with the soil again in each seedling.

After investigation, it was found that there are 93 tea gardens in the district. Many of these tea hills have dried up. Due to heat and lack of rain, new buds are not coming. New leaves are not coming either. 40 percent of the newly created tea seedlings and 10 percent of the old tea trees have been burned in the drought. The tea garden authorities are trying to save themselves from this disaster by regularly irrigating some hills. That is also not working.
Tea workers said that due to the lack of rain, the leaves of newly grown tea plants in the tea gardens are getting burnt in the sun. Among them, they are being attacked by insects and grasshoppers. In the winter season, old trees in the gardens are uprooted and new seedlings are planted there. Weeds are cut. Then irrigation is provided.

Dipan Kumar Singh, manager of the Madhabpur tea garden of the National Tea Company (NTC), said that now is the season for picking tea leaves. But the leaves are not being picked at the rate that is supposed to be done. The trees are dying due to the scorching sun. If it rains, the trees will be normal.

An official of the Bangladesh Tea Association, an organization of tea garden owners, said on condition of anonymity that despite initiatives to protect the tea plants, irrigation is not being provided due to lack of water. Tea exports have already decreased compared to before. If production is low after that, it will have a serious impact.’

Aminur Rahman, general secretary of the Bangladesh Tea Estate Staff Association, said, “There is almost no production now due to the lack of rain. However, leaf picking has started in one or two gardens. Currently, the cost of producing tea per kg is 220 taka and it is being sold for 180 taka. How long the tea industry will survive with a deficit of 40 taka per kg is a matter of concern.

Akhter Hossain, manager of the National Tea Company (NTC) Patrakhola tea garden, said, “Rain and tolerable temperature are the main driving forces for tea production. Since there is no rain, we are artificially arranging water and sprinkling it on the tea plants. But it is not possible to irrigate everywhere. Rain is very necessary for tea plants.”

Golam Mohammad Shibli, chairman of the Sylhet region of the Bangladesh Tea Association, an organization of tea garden owners, said that the ideal temperature for tea is 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. However, tea plants can tolerate a maximum of 29 degrees. If it goes above this, it will burn due to drought. New buds have stopped coming as soon as water shortages occur. However, if there are enough shade trees in the garden, temperatures up to 35 degrees are tolerable. The temperature in the district is now 34 degrees and sometimes it rises to 36 degrees.
He also said that it has not been raining since the beginning of the season. This rain was very beneficial for tea plants. Due to the lack of rain, new leaves are not coming out on the pruned trees. There is irrigation and tube wells in large gardens. But there is no such system in small gardens. Now, if there is no rain, there is a high risk of damage to the garden.

Director of National Tea Company and member of the Moulvibazar District BNP Convening Committee Md. Mohsin Mia Madhu said that the cost of tea production is continuously increasing. Which is uncomfortable for garden owners. If there is no rain, there is a risk of huge damage to the tea industry.

In-charge of Srimangal Weather Observation Center Md. Anisur Rahman told The Daily Morning Sun that the tea region receives 15 to 20 millimeters of rainfall during this period. Last year, 48 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in March. However, only 4 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in March this year. Not only that, there has been no rainfall in the region for the last five months.

Express your opinion.