Hundreds of temporary tea workers in the country are suffering due to a poor pay structure. Many of them are paid around 30 to 50 percent lower wages than permanent workers.
According to regional tea board officials, there are more than 700,000 small-scale tea farmers in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Dinajpur districts.
Farmers in Lalmonirhat are losing interest in tea cultivation as a lack of processing facilities in the area is preventing them from raising enough capital to sustain the business, according to growers and traders.