Saidul Islam Montu, Betagi (Barguna) :
Cultivation of zinc enriched high yielding rice varieties increase day by day in the southern region of the country.
Farmers cultivated BRRI dhan62, BRRI dhan72 and BRRI dhan74 varieties and got bumper yield and increase their interest on these varieties.
Farmers collected the seed from NGO with proper guidelines for cultivation and got highest yield, so they change their life style. They are so much happy and excited due to highest yield and economically profitable varieties. Easy production technology, brain development for the child, disease prevention, and low production cost increase farmers interest to cultivate these varieties. Superfluous raining, no raining and tidal water flow damage huge amount of crops in the tidal or coastal area every year. Maximum case farmers are unable to overcome this loss and creates vast amount of economic losses, suffer from different malnutrition, children die up due to under nutrition. By this regards Bangladesh Rice Research Institute developed these zinc enriched rice varieties with the financial help of HarvestPlus who works with nutrition rich staple food crops worldwide.
An NGO Integrated Social welfare Association (ISWA) distributed these zinc enriched rice varieties seed in coastal area with the help and aid of an International program HarvestPlus Bangladesh within the farmers in this locality from 2014. Agriculture Officer from Betagi Upazilla said, in the Aman season thousands and one hectares of land covered by HYV rice in this area but newly developed zinc enriched rice are different from other varieties. Farmers have keen interest to cultivate these rice knowing nutritional quality and high yield.
Farmers from Kismat Bholanathpur of Betagi Upazilla Md Habibur Rahman said to local reporter, he cultivated zinc enriched rice and got highest yield comparatively other verities cultivated in this area.
Market price also high so he is excited and stored 40 kg seed for next season; he said other farmers demanded zinc rice seed from him. Farmers from Mokamia Union Mahendro Samadder said, he cultivated different rice varieties from long but didn’t get profit; this year he cultivated BRRI dhan62 two times is a season, this was possible only for its short duration and got double profit. He said it was like dream to him. ISWA distributed zinc rice seed to 1650 farmers in last Aman season at BetagiUpazilla with free of cost. Country Manager of Harvest Plus Bangladesh Dr. Khairul Bashar said, zinc is so much important for human health.
High yielding zinc enriched rice varieties contain upto 24.2mg zinc, which can accomplish around 70% zinc demand for human being. BRRI dhan62, the world’s first zinc-rich rice variety has been released in Bangladesh. BRRI dhan62 life cycle only 100 days in Amanseason so farmers can easily cultivate other cropslike mustard, potato and pulse after harvesting of this variety.BRRI dhan72 is suitable for the high and medium highlands, particularly for the southern part of the country. These varieties are capable of fighting diarrhea and pneumonia-induced childhood deaths and stunting.
JahidHussain, Officer-Agricultural research and Development, Harvest Plus Bangladesh, Barisal region officials said, Harvest Plus Bangladesh reached over thirty five thousand farmers house hold with zinc enriched rice varieties in southern seven districts. These farmers community consumed zinc rice in their family. At present farmers feel some positive sign within their family members’ characters, health, children merit who consumed zinc rice from the first. They got more profit; harvested zinc rice variety early got more value when other varieties are in the field. Farmers become interested to cultivate these varieties due to economic benefit and nutritional quality of rice
Md Rafiqul Islam, Director, ISWA said, farmers cultivated newly developed zinc enriched rice and they are success. We have very positive response from farmers’ community by disseminating these varieties in Barisal region. We are grateful to HarvestPlus and feeling proud to be a partner of HarvestPlus Bangladesh and their activities with biofortifies crops.
The role of zinc in human body includes helping normal growth and development, brain development, maintenance of body tissues, vision, sexual function and the immune system. Zinc deficiency causes stunting while zinc supplementation can reduce the severity of morbidity from a number of common childhood diseases including diarrhoea and pneumonia.
Cultivation of zinc enriched high yielding rice varieties increase day by day in the southern region of the country.
Farmers cultivated BRRI dhan62, BRRI dhan72 and BRRI dhan74 varieties and got bumper yield and increase their interest on these varieties.
Farmers collected the seed from NGO with proper guidelines for cultivation and got highest yield, so they change their life style. They are so much happy and excited due to highest yield and economically profitable varieties. Easy production technology, brain development for the child, disease prevention, and low production cost increase farmers interest to cultivate these varieties. Superfluous raining, no raining and tidal water flow damage huge amount of crops in the tidal or coastal area every year. Maximum case farmers are unable to overcome this loss and creates vast amount of economic losses, suffer from different malnutrition, children die up due to under nutrition. By this regards Bangladesh Rice Research Institute developed these zinc enriched rice varieties with the financial help of HarvestPlus who works with nutrition rich staple food crops worldwide.
An NGO Integrated Social welfare Association (ISWA) distributed these zinc enriched rice varieties seed in coastal area with the help and aid of an International program HarvestPlus Bangladesh within the farmers in this locality from 2014. Agriculture Officer from Betagi Upazilla said, in the Aman season thousands and one hectares of land covered by HYV rice in this area but newly developed zinc enriched rice are different from other varieties. Farmers have keen interest to cultivate these rice knowing nutritional quality and high yield.
Farmers from Kismat Bholanathpur of Betagi Upazilla Md Habibur Rahman said to local reporter, he cultivated zinc enriched rice and got highest yield comparatively other verities cultivated in this area.
Market price also high so he is excited and stored 40 kg seed for next season; he said other farmers demanded zinc rice seed from him. Farmers from Mokamia Union Mahendro Samadder said, he cultivated different rice varieties from long but didn’t get profit; this year he cultivated BRRI dhan62 two times is a season, this was possible only for its short duration and got double profit. He said it was like dream to him. ISWA distributed zinc rice seed to 1650 farmers in last Aman season at BetagiUpazilla with free of cost. Country Manager of Harvest Plus Bangladesh Dr. Khairul Bashar said, zinc is so much important for human health.
High yielding zinc enriched rice varieties contain upto 24.2mg zinc, which can accomplish around 70% zinc demand for human being. BRRI dhan62, the world’s first zinc-rich rice variety has been released in Bangladesh. BRRI dhan62 life cycle only 100 days in Amanseason so farmers can easily cultivate other cropslike mustard, potato and pulse after harvesting of this variety.BRRI dhan72 is suitable for the high and medium highlands, particularly for the southern part of the country. These varieties are capable of fighting diarrhea and pneumonia-induced childhood deaths and stunting.
JahidHussain, Officer-Agricultural research and Development, Harvest Plus Bangladesh, Barisal region officials said, Harvest Plus Bangladesh reached over thirty five thousand farmers house hold with zinc enriched rice varieties in southern seven districts. These farmers community consumed zinc rice in their family. At present farmers feel some positive sign within their family members’ characters, health, children merit who consumed zinc rice from the first. They got more profit; harvested zinc rice variety early got more value when other varieties are in the field. Farmers become interested to cultivate these varieties due to economic benefit and nutritional quality of rice
Md Rafiqul Islam, Director, ISWA said, farmers cultivated newly developed zinc enriched rice and they are success. We have very positive response from farmers’ community by disseminating these varieties in Barisal region. We are grateful to HarvestPlus and feeling proud to be a partner of HarvestPlus Bangladesh and their activities with biofortifies crops.
The role of zinc in human body includes helping normal growth and development, brain development, maintenance of body tissues, vision, sexual function and the immune system. Zinc deficiency causes stunting while zinc supplementation can reduce the severity of morbidity from a number of common childhood diseases including diarrhoea and pneumonia.
