Measuring Impact of Kazi & Kazi Tea Estate Limited, Panchagarh-An Organic Garden in Bangladesh

Abstract

Measuring impact of Kazi & Kazi Tea Estate (KKTE) was conducted over the period of four months starting from May, 2011 to August 2011. This survey was conducted exclusively in the KKTE operating areas covering 3 Upazillas of Panchagarh district. The main objective of this study was to make an assessment on impact of KKTE within its vicinity in Panchagarh. In order to get qualitative information data were collected through 20 FGDs with each respective respondents (Two FGDs from each unit, one FGD with the KKTE workers and another one FGD with outside KKTE people) to get real picture of the study areas. Total 50 respondents were interviewed through structured KII formats (5 persons from each unit: One Govt. Official, one UP member/chairman, one KKTE regular staff, one KKTE male worker and one KKTE female worker). Most of the respondents were mentioned that KKTE is serving for the population by creating employment opportunity, creating knowledge platform for organic farming, and ensuring eco-friendly farming activities. Women are getting job/work priority in KKTE at the same time disable, ethnic and minority is getting special priority during selection of workers. KKTE is also performing lot of social activities reported by the respondents from all categories including financial support to the meritorious poor students, sport goods to the youth clubs, school, college and madrasha, Donation to the mosques, clubs, schools and colleges. KKTE is also playing great role in raising awareness on health & hygiene among the workers and community people through training and hardware support likely distribution of sanitary latrine among the community people free of cost and training on several issues. Community people are the major stakeholders of KKTE getting benefits both ways either directly or indirectly through employment, supplying various products including bamboo, straw, baskets, top soil etc. Respondents were mentioned that KKTE is playing great role in environmental conservation by planting trees, organic farming and using renewable energy. KKTE is offering diverse products in the local to national and even crossing international boundaries including tea, tulshi tea, lemon grass, mint tea, ghee, honey and sweets. KKTE is emitting less carbon by using nature friendly inputs. KKTE is using renewable energy and promoting for communal uses including solar energy and bio-gas plant. Chemical contaminations from others conventional farming are the main problem for KKTE. On the other hand, lack of workers during peak (plucking season) seasons are the common problem for KKTE. It is recommended that if the perceived problem could be solved by setting up of more tea processing industries, competitive markets at the grass roots for tea leaves, supply of natural gas and resolving problems like power crisis could accelerate the production of tea. KKTE needs to initiate more social activities in the wider scale in the diverse field for the well being of the