Experts at a practical training workshop have stressed on adopting scientific methods and latest technologies in small-scale tea farming on plain lands to enhance production of the cash crop and reap more profits.
“Use of scientific methods can boost tea farming in the northern region,” said Senior Scientific Officer (Entomology) of Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) and its Project Director of Northern Bangladesh Project Agriculturalist Dr. Mohammad Shameem Al Mamun.
He said this while conducting the daylong event on ‘Plucking, pruning and pests’ management in tea plantation’ arranged by BTB at Paria village in Baliadangi upazila of Thakurgaon on Sunday, said a press release today.
The BTB organised the event to expand small-scale tea cultivation under its ‘Expansion of Small Holding Tea Cultivation in Northern Bangladesh Project’ by reaching latest scientific methods, technologies and tea related services to farmers’ doorsteps.
A total of 65 small-scale tea growers of different villages under Baliadangi upazila in Thakurgaon participated in the event that also included field visits of the experts and participating tea-growers.
Dr. Mohammad Shameem Al Mamun and Assistant Farm Superintendent at Panchagarh Regional Office of BTB and its In-charge Officer for Thakurgaon district Agriculturalist Mohammad Sayedul Haque conducted the event as resource persons.
Sayedul Haque discussed the technologies for plantation of tea samplings, plucking of green tea leaves, fertilisation and pruning in tea plantations in the workshop.
Dr. Shameem discussed management of tea nursery, soil and fertilisers, scientific methods of tea cultivation, plucking, pruning and tipping, management of tea insects, diseases and weeds and practical knowledge on tea cultivation.
“The plain land on the Kartoa Valley ecological zone comprising five sub-Himalayan northern districts of Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat is highly fertile and climatic condition favourable for tea cultivation,” he said.
He called upon farmers for expanding small-scale tea cultivation, as well as organic tea farming, on plain land in five northern districts on the Kartoa Valley to earn higher profits than many other crops for their faster economic development.
“Expanded tea cultivation on small-scale basis on plain lands in the valley has already unveiled a new horizon of economic prospect for farmers changing the fortunes of many of them in recent times,” Dr Shameem added.
