Farmers and industry officials in Panchagarh are gearing up for a record-breaking tea harvest this year as output is expected to top ten thousand tonnes, up from last year’s estimated eight thousand one hundred tonnes, thanks to favourable weather conditions and steady expansion in planting areas. This key event marks a turning point for the northern plains tea belt, where cultivation began in the early 2000s and has steadily grown into a major sector. Tea now covers over twelve thousand acres across Panchagarh and neighbouring districts including Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat, making the region the second largest tea producing zone in Bangladesh after Sylhet, with around nineteen percent of the country’s total output. Local growers and smallholders are increasingly drawn to tea farming, finding it more profitable and less labour-intensive than traditional crops, while the Bangladesh Tea Board has helped with low‑cost saplings, training, and mobile apps for cultivation guidance under national innovation initiatives. The establishment of the country’s third online tea auction centre in Panchagarh reinforces efforts to ensure fair raw leaf pricing and smoother market access, reducing middlemen and enhancing transparency for growers. The expansion of tea processing factories in the region is also accelerating, connecting local farmers to nineteen registered gardens, approximately eight thousand small plots and multiple processing units across flatland estates. Experts point out that this growth is powering rural incomes, creating new jobs for women and youth, and anchoring the local agro‑economy amid broader trade ambitions. The tea boom is helping balance rural livelihoods, improve export potential and contribute to national energy and economic targets through value‑added processing and market linkages. Observers note that maintaining this momentum will require coordinated support from public and private partners to sustain quality, manage export logistics and scale up infrastructure. If record production is realised as forecast, Panchagarh could set a new benchmark for integrating agriculture and trade strategies in Bangladesh. The region’s success may encourage further commercial cultivation across northern districts while strengthening the overall tea market’s resilience and inclusivity. A thriving tea sector in Panchagarh not only serves domestic demand and export opportunities, but also helps to stabilize prices, reward growers fairly and support sustainable rural development, aligning with long-term national goals.
