Tea production has increased in 5 northern districts, including Panchagarh

File Photo

*Northern region ranks second in tea production for the fifth consecutive year.
*There are currently 12 registered and 18 unregistered large tea gardens in the five districts of the north.
*Last year, the area under tea cultivation increased to 11,600 acres.

Tea production has increased in the plains of the five northern districts of the country, including Panchagarh. At the end of last year, tea production in the five northern districts increased by 5.85 million kg compared to the previous year. This information was obtained from the Bangladesh Tea Board.

According to the Tea Board sources, 22.42 million kg of tea was produced in the plains of the five northern districts in 2025, which is 5.851 million kg more than the previous year. The five northern districts in which this tea was produced are Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, and Lalmonirhat. These five northern districts are known as the third-largest tea region in the country after Sylhet and Chittagong. However, they are in second place in the northern region in terms of tea production. These districts have held the record of the second-highest tea production for five consecutive years.

According to the Tea Board, in the just-ended season, about 94.912 million kg of tea was produced nationally across the country. More than 20 million kg was produced in the five northern districts alone. In 2021, the five northern districts collectively rose to second place in tea production. 14.540 million kg of tea was produced in the plains of these districts that year. Then, 17.759 million kg was produced in 2022, 17.947 million kg in 2023, and 14.390 million kg in 2024.

According to the Panchagarh regional office of the Tea Board, in 2000, several companies established tea gardens in Tentulia, Panchagarh. Since then, tea cultivation has spread to the smallholder level. After Panchagarh, tea cultivation started in Lalmonirhat and Thakurgaon districts in 2007 and in Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts in 2014.

According to the Tea Board, there are currently 12 registered and 18 unregistered large tea gardens (more than 25 acres) in the five districts of the northern region. In addition, there are 2,225 registered and 6,146 unregistered small-scale tea gardens (less than 25 acres). In 2024, tea was cultivated on about 11,527 acres of land in the northern region, but this time it has increased to 11,600 acres. Compared to 2024, the tea cultivation area in 2025 increased by more than 73 acres.

Meanwhile, considering the scope and production of tea cultivation in the northern region, the third tea auction center (online-based) was launched in Panchagarh on September 2, 2023. So far, 52 tea processing factories have been approved in the northern region. Of these, 30 are in Panchagarh district, and 1 factory is operational in Thakurgaon district.

Tea Board Panchagarh Regional Office Officer-in-Charge, Md. Amir Hossain said that last year, tea farmers got good prices for raw tea leaves, which increased their interest in tea cultivation. Therefore, the scope of tea cultivation has also increased somewhat. If this trend continues, tea production may increase further this year as well.