Tea is a way of life in Bangladesh. They love their cuppa. Reputed organic tea company, Teataulia also owns a tea farm in this wonderful part of the world. As The Daily Star had reported, Camellia Open Sky School is an innovative initiative of the Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) since October 2020. The school is aiming to create competent tea farmers, develop the skills of small-scale tea farmers and flourish tea cultivation in five northern districts namely Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Nilphamary, Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur. This unique school is a practical training programme beside many tea gardens, in open areas, for the marginalized tea farmers of different places.

Objective: To provide training facilities on tea cultivation process at the doorsteps of small growers.

The BTB is conducting training at different villages in mentioned five districts considering prospect of tea cultivation in northern region. Here, tea farmers are taught on the tea cultivation process both in theory and practice, such as selection of tea variety, setting up tea nursery, techniques of planting tea saplings, irrigation, drainage, applying fertilizer, pest & disease management, pruning and tea plucking.  

Dr Shamim Al Mamun, project director of ‘Development of Small Holding Tea Cultivation in Northern Bangladesh’, mentioned that earlier BTB imparted training to small-scale growers at their Panchagarh office. Dr. Shamim added further “The name of the school is inspired by two factors, firstly, the scientific name of tea – Camellia sinensis and the training being conducted under open sky.

At least 32 workshops have been conducted so far at different venues from October 25 last year. On an average 60 growers took part in training at each class. The training is being conducted in union-level in each week. Following the surge of Covid-19 infection, the training is imparted using virtual platform. About 1,510 registered and 5,800 unregistered growers will be provided training this.  

About 50,000 acres of land is suitable for tea cultivation in five northern districts of which, 10,170 acres have been brought under cultivation by this season.

According to Mr. Golam Mostafa, 48, of Mujabarni village in Thakurgaon sadar upazila who owns a 12 acre tea farm, Earlier the people of northern region had a limited knowledge on tea cultivation. The Camellia sky school is playing a vital role to disseminate knowledge on the whole process of tea cultivation.

Mr. Matiar Rahman, 55 is a large-scale tea planter of Sonapatila village of Atwary upazila of Panchagarh. He started cultivating tea with 5 acres in 2001. But now he owns 60 acres. According to him tea growers of their locality can take care tea field properly after taking lesson from the school.

Earlier, tea farmers could not understand what steps to be taken in case of pest attacks on their tea plants, now they easily manage pest attacks and nourish the plants properly resulting in a good yield.

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References

1. Main Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/camellia-open-sky-school-2115657
2. Bangladesh Tea Board: http://www.teaboard.gov.bd/