A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed after Eidul Azha amongst all stakeholders to start tea plantation on vast tracts of land in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to make it a major tea-growing area, Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) chairman Dr Farid A. Malik told Business Recorder here on Monday. Dr Malik, who is the co-ordinator of 'application of tea technology in Azad Kashmir' said that scientists of the National Tea Research Institute (NTRI) and the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir have identified Jhelum, Neelum and Leepa valleys as the most suitable areas for tea plantation with its suitable geographical texture and environmental conditions.
He said the government of AJK will give lease of 1000 acre parcels to private sector companies on long-term basis for tea plantation in these three high altitude valleys while NTRI, PSF and Center for Excellence in Technology Entrepreneurship Development (CETED) will help in land development, plantation and tea processing.
He said the PSF has already initiated a project for the establishment of Pilot Green Tea Processing Plant at Shinkiari, Mansehra with technical collaboration of the NTRI.
He said from private sector companies, Qarshi Group and Janoo Group are expected to sign the MoU.
Dr Malik said Pakistan is the second largest importer of tea after the United Kingdom. It imports tea to the tune of Rs 16 billion per annum, which is the second biggest import item after oil and petroleum products. Keeping in view the economic importance of this vital commodity, self-indigenisation from cultivation of tea to its marketing is a prerequisite.
The PSF chairman said the quality and flavour of the tea grown in hilly areas of Pakistan is better than that of Sri Lanka, Assam and China. Tea sapling needs three years to mature in high mountains with clouds comforting the tea plant/bush and moisturising its leaves. Although tea plants flourish in tropical climate, cool mountain air and shades from clouds produce the highest quality tea.
The tea plant is a flowering evergreen shrub. In its one hundred years life, the plant can go up to 4 meters. Plucking of leaves can be started after three years. Quality and flavours of the tea depends on climate, soil, altitude, conditions on how and when it is plucked and processed. He was confident that with local cultivation of tea for which everything is available, import bill of the country could be considerably decreased in four to five years which otherwise constantly on the rise.