Workshop on tea leaf: MoALI Union Minister addressed the workshop

The workshop on the cultivation of Tea leaf plant and future prospects was held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Nay Pyi Taw in the morning on 16th August with the presence of Union Minister U Min Naung, Deputy Ministers and Senior officials, responsible persons from Myanmar Tea Producers and Exporters Association (MTA) and the persons who are interested in Tea plantation and production from the regions and states via online.

The workshop is conducted with the aims at Bringing out the strength, weakness, opportunity and challenges along the tea value chain and developing roadmap to promote the tea value chain for enabling to plant the tea leaf trees extensively by designating zones for the cultivation of tea leaf trees which have prospects as new export item.

In his remark at the workshop, the Union Minister U Min Naung said that the countries which cultivate tea leaf plants are the developing ones and the 60% of tea leaf cultivation and production are being produced by the small land holder farmers. So, the cultivation of tea leaf plant plays the crucial role for the rural development, poverty alleviation and food security.

Myanmar is one of the regions where the tea leaf plants originated. The tea leaf plans are being cultivated in the traditional plantation methods in Myanmar and Shan State is producing it the most and it’s also grown in Mandalay and Sagaing regions. According to the statistics of 2020-2021, total production of tea leaf was about 69 million visses and 2.5 million USD was fetched in 2021 from exporting tea leaf.

The persons who are attending this workshop are urged to give suggestions for the growth of per acre yield and methods for strengthening in the sectors of techniques, policy and tactic to be able to expand the cultivation and production of tea leaf.

Next, the Director General of Planning department clarified the purpose of conducting workshop and Directors General of the department of agriculture and the department of agricultural research explained the status of tea leaf production, consumption and exporting, strain, suggestion for utilization of fertilizer from the perspective of researchers.

The responsible person from Yezin Agriculture University clarified the subjects on tea leaf which are being given in the curriculum and the subjects to be supplemented and a responsible person from Myanmar Tea Producers and Exporters Association explained the challenges faced from the beginning of plantation from the biological, social and economic perspectives.

Then, the experts and professionals in tea leaf cultivation and production took part in the group discussions at SWOT Analysis program.

Next, the Deputy Minister Dr. Tin Htut discussed regarding with developing roadmap for promotion of tea leaf value chain and the Union Minister U Min Naung gave a speech of conclusion.