Course On Tea Technology

Nepal is one of the pioneer countries in South Asia in terms of tea farming. One hundred and sixty long years have elapsed since the nation began planting tea. With suitable climate for tea cultivation, Ilam has been very popular for its beautiful tea gardens and factories producing a variety of teas. Commercial tea farming in Ilam started in 1863 when Ilam Tea Estate, the first of tea industry, was established. In Nepal, tea is produced in areas ranging from 800 metres to 2,200 metres above sea level. Tea cultivation has now expanded to nearly 29,000 hectares of land in more than a dozen districts nationwide. With a gradual expansion of tea cultivation across the country, tea has now become an important exportable item as Nepali tea has gained popularity among tea lovers at home and abroad. Tea has emerged as a vital source of foreign exchange earnings. Nepal was able to export a total of 7,846 metric tons of tea worth Rs. 2.8 billion in first seven months of the fiscal year 2021-22. The country exports tea to as many as 166 countries, including India, China, the United States of America, Japan and the United Kingdom. Tea is the second largest exportable agricultural product after cardamom. 

Despite this, the country has yet to provide formal education on tea production. But the Ratna Kumar Bantawa Polytechnic Institute (RKBPI) in Sankhejung of the district is making preparations to offer tea technology-related education soon. Under this plan, students will be taught about the process of producing quality tea. The two-year tea technology course has already got approval. The Curriculum Development and Standardisation Division formulated the tea curriculum, which has been endorsed by the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT). As part of the course requirement, the students will have to spend the first three months studying in the classroom and the remaining period in practical classes in tea firms. The students who have just completed their Secondary Education Examination (SEE) will be enrolled. The course will have 20-40 students. As the course is dedicated to tea cultivation, it will produce skilled professionals required for this sector. It is notable that the Koshi Province government has provided financial support to run the course. 

Because Nepal's tea is regarded as a high quality product, its demand is high in numerous countries. As the country holds huge prospects for tea production and export, it can generate a lot of jobs within the country. As per the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, nearly 70,000 people have got direct jobs in the tea sector while additional 15,000 small farmers have been engaged in tea farming. According to a news report published in this daily on Thursday, Nepali tea is prepared based on knowledge acquired from India and other countries. Tea producers in Ilam say that most Nepali industries have learned tea production techniques from Indian experts. In such a scenario, the launch of this formal education on tea technology is expected to contribute to the country's tea industry and related expertise greatly.

The international market for Nepali tea has improved significantly after 10 out of 16 tea producing firms from Nepal were able to receive prestigious awards at the Second World Black Tea Quality Evaluation Competition held in China in September 2022. With their successful performance, the tea producing firms have been encouraged to upgrade the quality of their products. There are more than five dozen large-scale tea factories in operation across the country. Of them, 38 are CTC and 30 orthodox tea producing firms. Likewise, more than 150 small firms that process orthodox tea. The districts in the Koshi Province alone account for about 99 per cent of the total tea production in the country.