February 7: Nepal exported tea worth Rs 38 million in the first six months of the current fiscal year. According to the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, tea farming is done in around 27,500 hectares of land in the country and Jhapa covers more than one third of the total tea gardens.    
Of the total 28 million kilograms of tea produced during the review period, Jhapa alone produced 18 million kilograms, which is the highest in terms of district-wise production, said chief of the board Indra Prasad Adhikari.    
The districts of the Province 1 produce almost 99 per cent of the total tea in the country, according to Adhikari.    
In Nepal, a total of 68 large-scale tea industries including 38 CTC and 30 orthodox tea producing industries are in operation. Likewise, more than 150 small companies are processing orthodox tea.    
The board said that more than 70,000 people have got direct employment from tea production and 15,000 plus small farmers are engaged in tea farming. -- RSS