Overview
The action research for feasibility of diversification of tea products by smallholder tea leaf producers and launching of diversified products by sample leaf processors in the Panchagarh district. The action research included in-depth experimentation, preferably in small-scale tea farms and tea processors, for evaluation of the cost-benefit and viability of small-scale tea processing in Bangladesh. The main objectives of this action research are: a) to select the most potential/demanded tea products by small-scale tea processors in Panchagarh District; b) to analyze and evaluate the cost-benefit of small-scale tea processed products over raw tea leaf sales, including the financial viability of small-scale tea processors; and c) to provide comprehensive guidelines and suggestions for initiating tea process product business and marketing strategies for small-scale tea processors in Bangladesh. However, tea cultivation in five sub-Himalayan northern districts has significantly improved the fortune of farmers, with tea production increasing annually in the ‘Karotoa Valley’ ecological zone. In 2019, farmers cultivated tea on 8,681 acres of land in the northern part of the country, with 18 companies processing green tea leaves. This has helped 20,000 poor farm laborers, including 11,000 women, change their fortune. The world now commercializes value-added tea products like green tea, tea cola, tea toffee, ice cream, herbal tea, and tea wine.
