Our Correspondent – PANCHAGARH, Jan 16: The number of small tea gardens are rapidly increasing in Panchagarh district.  Sources said at present there are 215 mini tea gardens in Panchagarh district while there are only 13 medium-size tea gardens and 18 big tea estates. Generally gardens comprising one to five acres of land are regarded as mini tea gardens while gardens comprising five to twenty acres of land are regarded as medium gardens and tea gardens comprising above twenty acres of land are called big tea-estates.  The sources added according to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tea Board Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) is providing loan to the tea-gardens in the region. When contacted an official of the Tea Board in Panchagarh said so far 1815 acres of land have come under tea cultivation in Panchagarh district and the area of tea cultivation is increasing steadily. He further said land of Panchagarh district is very tea-friendly. As a result more and more people from other districts as well as local entrepreneurs are investing in this sector.