Dhaka, Dec. 12 -- A record tea yield of 14.5 million kg in October has emboldened officials in Bangladesh for the first time to eye an annual production of 100 million kg this year.

Low prices at auctions, however, have the tea estate owners languishing in losses despite the rise in production. To ensure fair prices, traders demand an end to tea smuggling into the country.

Bangladesh adopted the Roadmap to Development: Bangladesh Tea Industry in 2017, setting 140 million kg production in 2025 as a target, reports bdnews24.com.

According to the Bangladesh Tea Board, the previous monthly production record was 13.4 million kg in 2019.

October's record haul accumulated to 79.3 million kg tea produced this year, exceeding the 2021 target o...