The Allure of Branding and GI Products

Bangladesh's century-old tea industry, while currently successful in production, has failed to establish a strong position in diversification and brand building in the global market. Where countries like Sri Lanka or India are securing high prices in the world market by leveraging their own tea branding and Geographical Indication (GI) recognition, Bangladesh remains largely dependent on traditional production and the domestic market. However, although 62 products in the country have received Geographical Indication recognition in the last 10 years, traditional tea has yet to obtain GI recognition. With proper planning in this regard, the challenges in this sector can be transformed into immense potential. According to recent data from the Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) and the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI), despite record increases in tea production in the country (e.g., a record 102.92 million kg produced in 2023), our export and desired price realization for tea in the international market remains limited. The main reason for this is that we are largely stuck producing standard quality 'CTC' tea, whereas the global demand and price for 'orthodox' and organic tea are significantly higher.