DHAKA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's tea industry is facing multifarious problems that resulted in the decline of export earnings from the sector, private news agency UNB reported Monday.

    According to statistics, there are 162 tea gardens in the country. Of the total of 114,912 hectares of land in the 162 tea gardens, only 52,201 hectares are now under tea cultivation while the rest remained fallow.

    Sources in the Tea Board said tea production is being hampered due to unfavorable weather and lack of proper development and maintenance of the tea gardens.

    Besides, theft of shade trees, frequent load shedding and rise of production costs have also been hindering production.

    Tea Board sources said tea export has declined as the production of tea failed to keep pace with the increasing domesticdemand.

    The domestic consumption of tea has been rising 3.5 percent annually against 1.5 percent increase in production, they said. Enditem