PESHAWAR, Feb 26: Government efforts to make the country self-sufficient in tea production have not produced noteworthy results, it is learnt.

The Pakistan National Research Council had established the National Tea Research Institute (NTRI) in 1970 to lead the country towards self-sufficiency in tea production and reduce the import bill, which stood at Rs15 billion annually.

Sources said that despite favourable climate and availability of fertile land in different parts of the NWFP and adjoining tribal areas only 1,350 acres had been brought under tea cultivation during the last three decades.

"At the present pace it will take over 300 years to achieve the target," an official said, adding that 170,000 acres should be brought under cultivation to fulfil the country's requirements.

Figures show Pakistan imports 150,000 tons of tea every year and its requirement will reach 170,000 tons by 2010. Besides, a huge quantity of tea is smuggled from land and sea routes.

Giving a breakdown of the cultivated area, officials said the NTRI had cultivated tea over 360 acres, a private organization had brought 900 acres under cultivation and the NWFP government had carried out tea plantation over 100 acres in Mansehra and Swat districts.

Sources said that about 300,000 acres had been identified in the Malakand region where whether conditions and soil were found favourable for the production of a fine quality of tea.

Shangla, a remote district of the NWFP, had strong potential for tea plantation, said an official. Kurram, Orakzai, North and South Waziristan and Mansehra are also suitable for tea plantation.