BSS, Gaibandha :
A joint initiative has been taken by RDRS Bangladesh and Harvest Plus Bangladesh, two non-governmental organisations, to popularize the farming of zinc enriched rice BRRI Dhan 64 among the farmers’ of the district.
Agri-experts sources said the zinc enriched rice BRRI Dhan 64 played a significant role to meet the necessary requirement of micronutrient for a human body and increase disease resistant capacity of children.
Zinc is one of the most vital micronutrients. Deficiency of zinc hampers normal growth of children and also decreases the disease prevention capacity of the poor and the vulnerable people including the pregnant women, the experts said.
The BRRI released the variety for all over the country last year after a latest breakthrough in research in the field, and it’s a short-duration high-yielding variety of rice which could be cultivated in Boro season, they added.
Each kilogram of rice of BRRI dhan-64 contained 19 mg of zinc and nine percent of protein which will ensure high nutrition and will play a vital role in prevention of diseases, the experts said, adding that zinc also prevented the man from liver-related diseases.
Terming the zinc enriched rice BRRI Dhan 64 as short duration variety the experts said it could be harvested 100 days after plantation and this variety might give yield up to 4.5 to 6 tonnes per hectare if nurtured properly.
To motivate the farmers, a total of 50 demonstration plots were set up in the district during the current Boro season at the joint enterprise of the organisations so that they could farm the variety in large scale next seasons, said programme manager of RDRS Bangladesh Porsia Rahman.
Nazrul Islam, a farmer of Islampur village under Ballamjhar union of Sadar upazila, said he farmed the variety on a bigha of land this Boro season and the seedlings of the variety grew well that gave him a symptom of desired output against the crop.
Earlier, the RDRS Bangladesh provided him and other fellows with quality seed and fertilizer free of cost to motivate the farmers in cultivating the variety with much enthusiasm, he added.
Shorifa Pasha, agriculture officer of RDRS Bangladesh, said not only that the organisation was also providing the growers with technological support to make the farming a success in the district.
