BSS, Gaibandha :
Harvest of short duration and drought tolerant variety BRRI Dhan 56 began in Shaghata upazila in the district a few days back amid much enthusiasm among farmers.
Office sources said a total of 125 bighas of land of the upazila have been brought under the farming during the current season with the production target of 75 tonnes of rice.
Earlier, quality seeds of BRRI Dhan 56 variety were distributed to the farmers free of cost to motivate them in cultivating the variety. The
initiative was taken by RDRS Bangladesh and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University in cooperation with Krishi Gobeshana Foundation.
The BRRI Dhan 56 has grown well on the land and the harvest of the variety has already started in the areas.
On Sunday afternoon, deputy director of department of agriculture
extension (DAE) AKM Ruhul Amin formally inaugurated the harvest of the variety at the land of one farmer Anwar Hossain in Nayabandar area under Padumshahar union of the upazila as the chief guest.
Shaghata upazila agriculture officer AKM Mubinuzzaman and agriculture extension officer ATM Hamim Ashraf were present at the event as special guests.
With local union parishad chairman M. Mofizul Haque in the chair, the function was also addressed, among others, by programme manager of RDRS Bangladesh Porsia Rahman, assistant coordinator of Agriculture and Environment Unit Nuhera Begum, agriculture officer Sharifa Pasha, and research assistant Akbar Hossain.
Speaking at the function, the agri-experts in their speech stressed the need for farming BRRI Dhan 56 in Aman season to get desired output against the crop to help achieve the country’s food security in changed climatic condition.
The BRRI Dhan 56 could be cut in 92 days just after transplanting the 20 day-old seedlings on the high land and medium high land at drought prone areas; they said adding that the farmers could get a good return against the variety.
After cutting the paddy, the farmers expressed their satisfaction over the output of the variety as over 15 maunds of paddy were produced from a bigha of land under normal management with nominal cost.
A large number of people including public representatives, local elite, invited guests, farmers and journalists of print and electronic media participated in the function.
