BSS, Rangpur :
Experts at a farmers’ field day Thursday called for enhanced cultivation and consumption of zinc-enriched rice to prevent deficiency of zinc, iron and vitamin-A of the children to ensure normal growth and increase disease resistant capacity.
They were addressing the farmers’ field day organised by RDRS Bangladesh, a reputed NGO, for harvesting ripe zinc-enriched rice at a field near Rangpur Cantonment in the city to assess farming technology and yield rate of zinc-enriched BRRI dhan-62 variety rice.
The NGO has been expanding the technology for farming, seed production, processing and storing of the high zinc-enriched BRRI dhan-62 rice at 350 exhibition plots in Rangpur, Nilphamari and Gaibandha as a local implementing partner of the HarvestPlus Challenge Programme.
Commanding Officer of 15 Beer Battalion of Rangpur Cantonment Lt Colonel Md Shahadat Sikder attended the occasion as the chief guest while Programme Manager (Filed Coordination) of RDRS Merina Ahmed in the chair.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) for Rangpur Zulfiquer Haider was present as special guest, a press release said.
Post Doctoral Fellow of the HarvestPlus Challenge Programme and Senior Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Dr Mohammad Alamgir Hossain delivered keynote speech on cultivation and importance of high zinc-enriched BRRI dhan-62 rice.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) have been coordinating the technology dissemination process for ensuring seed production, processing and storing of high zinc rice.
Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Afzal Hossain, Rangpur Regional Director of the Integrated Agricultural Productivity Project Abu Sayem, Regional Project Coordinator of HarvestPlus Challenge Programme Mohammad Ali, Senior Scientific Officer of BRRI Ekramul Haque and Agriculture Officers of RDRS Banagldsh Anup Kumar Ghosh and ND Sharifa Pasha also spoke. The speakers said many people in developing countries like Bangladesh depend on rice for meeting majority of their vitamin and mineral requirements and rice does not contain enough micronutrients required for leading healthy productive life.
Terming zinc, iron and vitamin-A as the three most vital micronutrients, they said deficiency of these micronutrients seriously hampers natural growth of the children decreasing their disease prevention capacity.
In Bangladesh, over 40 percent children of the under five year age group are malnourished and stunted while an estimated 44 percent children of the same age group are remaining at risk of zinc deficiency and 60 percent women suffering from malnutrition, they said.
The speakers suggested for expansion of cultivation and consumption of high zinc-enriched rice to overcome zinc deficiency of the children as well as the women, especially pregnant women, for building a healthier nation by reducing maternal, neonatal and child deaths rates.
