Three tea processing plants are going to be set up in private sector in Bandarban, a hilly district of Bangladesh. It is learnt that the three tea processing plants are being set up soon in private sector with the assistance of Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) to process tea produced in the small tea holdings of Bandarban
Land selections have already been started and the factories may go in operation by the middle of next year.
The BTB meanwhile held several rounds of talks with the three investors about the feasibility of tea processing plants.
BTB will set up an office at Sualock, near Bandarban district headquarters, where a tea nursery has been developed to supervise and assist the tea growers. The district administration agreed to provide eight acres of land set up the office
Tea cultivation started in Bandarban under private initiative in 2003. In order to encourage tea cultivation in the area each investor BTB provides Tk. 15,000 as grant to buy seedlings and Tk. 1.26 lakh as loan as loan per hectare of land, repayable in five instalments.
BTB sources said, initially Tk. 25,000 hectares will be brought under tea plantation in Bandarban.
Meanwhile, with the help and co-operation of the district administration, about 500 hectares of land have been prepared and out of it, 200 hectares have been brought under plantation.
Sources said, about 46,850 hectares of land in Chittagong Hill Tracts are suitable for tea plantation. Initially 3,475 hectares in four upzilas in Khagrachari, 3,475 hectares in three upazilas in Bandarban and 1,250 hectares in three upzilas in Rangamati have been selected for tea plantation.