BSS, Rangpur :
The farmers are expecting bumper production of flood-tolerant rice as its harvest continues with excellent yield rate now in the country after expanded and successful cultivation during this Aman season.
In most areas, the growing plants of flood tolerant rice varieties survived inundation under floodwater for over two weeks during recent floods and resumed normal growth again to give better production in the vast flood-prone areas of Bangladesh.
According to the farmers, the submerged plants of flood tolerant BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BINA dhan11 and BINA dhan12 rice plants resumed normal growth in the low-lying areas of the flood-prone districts throughout the country.
The Stress Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) Project, being funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), extends assistance for cultivation of stress tolerant rice with GO-NGO collaboration through the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Farmers Beauty Begum of village Kanipara and Profulla Roy of village Purbo Echlee in Rangpur said they have cultivated flood tolerant BINA dhan12 and BRRI dhan52 rice on 50 and 30 decimals land respectively this season.
“Our growing rice plants remained submerged for 18 days, then resumed normal growth after recession of floodwater and we are expecting excellent production after harvesting of the crop this season like in previous years,” they said.
Farmers Mostaq Ahmed and Boytullah of Lalmonirhat said they will soon harvest BRRI dhan52 rice cultivated on 50 and 52 decimals of land respectively though their growing rice plants remained submerged for two weeks this season.
Farmer Suvanol Chandra of village Sankibhanga in Gaibandha has already harvested BINA dhan11 on last Sunday and got 4.28 tonnes paddy per hectare despite the growing rice plants remained submerged under floodwater for 19 days.
Farmers Antaj Ali of village Khanpara, Shaher Ali and Hossain Ali of village Chhatrapur in Kurigram said their growing BRRI dhan51 and BRRI dhan52 plants remained submerged for 22 days in three phases during the recent floods.
“But, we are still expecting better production of our cultivated rice after harvesting within the next two weeks,” the happy farmers said adding that farming of these flood-tolerant rice varieties have improved their livelihoods during the past four years.
Farmer Janab Ali of village Dorsha in Mymensingh district told BSS that his growing plants of BRRI dhan51 rice on three acres of land remained submerged for 15 days, 17 days and one month in three phases respectively this season.
“After the first and second submergences, the partially damaged rice plants again resumed normal growth after recession of floodwater, but the third time submergence damaged most of the crop except little survival on 18 decimals land,” he said.
According to sources, different government, non-government and private organisations distributed 1.13 lakh tonnes of stress tolerant rice seeds among farmers during this Aman season to cover 45.36 lakh hectares land under STRASA-IRRI Project in Bangladesh.
Besides, thousands of more farmers have cultivated these stress tolerant rice varieties during this Aman season using their own seeds stocks produced by them during the last Aman season under the programme in all 64 districts of the country.
The farmers are expecting bumper production of flood-tolerant rice as its harvest continues with excellent yield rate now in the country after expanded and successful cultivation during this Aman season.
In most areas, the growing plants of flood tolerant rice varieties survived inundation under floodwater for over two weeks during recent floods and resumed normal growth again to give better production in the vast flood-prone areas of Bangladesh.
According to the farmers, the submerged plants of flood tolerant BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BINA dhan11 and BINA dhan12 rice plants resumed normal growth in the low-lying areas of the flood-prone districts throughout the country.
The Stress Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) Project, being funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), extends assistance for cultivation of stress tolerant rice with GO-NGO collaboration through the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Farmers Beauty Begum of village Kanipara and Profulla Roy of village Purbo Echlee in Rangpur said they have cultivated flood tolerant BINA dhan12 and BRRI dhan52 rice on 50 and 30 decimals land respectively this season.
“Our growing rice plants remained submerged for 18 days, then resumed normal growth after recession of floodwater and we are expecting excellent production after harvesting of the crop this season like in previous years,” they said.
Farmers Mostaq Ahmed and Boytullah of Lalmonirhat said they will soon harvest BRRI dhan52 rice cultivated on 50 and 52 decimals of land respectively though their growing rice plants remained submerged for two weeks this season.
Farmer Suvanol Chandra of village Sankibhanga in Gaibandha has already harvested BINA dhan11 on last Sunday and got 4.28 tonnes paddy per hectare despite the growing rice plants remained submerged under floodwater for 19 days.
Farmers Antaj Ali of village Khanpara, Shaher Ali and Hossain Ali of village Chhatrapur in Kurigram said their growing BRRI dhan51 and BRRI dhan52 plants remained submerged for 22 days in three phases during the recent floods.
“But, we are still expecting better production of our cultivated rice after harvesting within the next two weeks,” the happy farmers said adding that farming of these flood-tolerant rice varieties have improved their livelihoods during the past four years.
Farmer Janab Ali of village Dorsha in Mymensingh district told BSS that his growing plants of BRRI dhan51 rice on three acres of land remained submerged for 15 days, 17 days and one month in three phases respectively this season.
“After the first and second submergences, the partially damaged rice plants again resumed normal growth after recession of floodwater, but the third time submergence damaged most of the crop except little survival on 18 decimals land,” he said.
According to sources, different government, non-government and private organisations distributed 1.13 lakh tonnes of stress tolerant rice seeds among farmers during this Aman season to cover 45.36 lakh hectares land under STRASA-IRRI Project in Bangladesh.
Besides, thousands of more farmers have cultivated these stress tolerant rice varieties during this Aman season using their own seeds stocks produced by them during the last Aman season under the programme in all 64 districts of the country.
