Our Correspondent :
Though more than two hundred varieties of paddy are cultivated in the country, only 8 to 10 varieties of rice are available in the market. On the one hand, consumers are being deceived; on the other hand, farmers are not getting their fair price. On the other hand, it is not possible to buy rice in the name of choice invented by the research institute. In order to overcome this problem, a group of 15 farmers has been formed in Nilphamari Sadar Upazila and measures are being taken to cultivate BRRI paddy-87 varieties of in block form. Millers from Nilphamari district have also expressed solidarity with the initiative.
Krishakmath Day was held at Kamarpara village of Tupamari union in the district headquarters on Today at 11 am on the occasion of cutting and branding of 6 varieties of premium quality Aman paddy and high yielding BRRI paddy-87 planted by contract farmers. Under USAID funded SISA (Serial Systems Initiative for South Asia) project and Shamsul Haque Auto Rice Mill Ltd. The chief scientific officer of the Department of Agriculture of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute was present as the chief guest on the occasion. Md. Shahidul Islam.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said agriculturist Abu Bakkar Siddique presided over it. Additional Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension was present as a special guest Abu Sayem managing director of the elite group and the owner of the Shamsul Haque Auto Rice Mill Shamsul Haque, International Rice Research Institute (ERI) Agricultural Research and Development Specialist Abu Abdullah Miyaji, International Maize and Wheat Research Center (CIMIT), Bangladesh and Sisa Dinajpur hub regional coordinator agronomist Elanuzzaman BRI Rangpur Regional Office Senior Scientific Officer. Rakibul Hasan, Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Kamrul Hasan and others.
In his speech, the chief guest said that Brie Dhan-87 will open new doors of possibilities for early cultivation of potato, mustard, maize, wheat and other Robi crops across the country especially in the northern region as it is an early and short-lived variety of Aman. He also said that the yield is 1 ton per hectare more than the local gold variety and the market price will be higher as the rice is long and thin. In his introductory speech the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Agricultural Research and Development Specialist Abu Abdullah Miyaji said that although different varieties of paddy are cultivated in the country more than 8-10 types of rice are not available in the market. In order to solve this problem, under the lead project, branding has been taken to motivate the Auto Rice Millers to deliver fragrant and refined rice at the consumer level.
Tan Mia a farmer’s representative said, “By cultivating this variety of paddy in just 127 days, I have got a yield of 18 Mont’s per bigha (33 percent).” He hopes that the market price will be higher as the rice is longer and thinner.
Mr. Shamsul Haque, owner of Auto Rice Mill. Shamsul Haque expressed his gratitude for taking the initiative to market the rice in the real name of the rice variety and sought the cooperation of all. He said the elite group’s agricultural products and other consumer items are being exported to 35 countries around the world. If joint ventures of various departments related to agriculture, development partners, traders and farmers are taken up, it will play an important role in the national economy and at the same time the consumers will benefit in general. Md. Elanuzzaman, an agronomist at the International Center for Maize and Wheat Research (CIMIT), Bangladesh and Sisa, Dinajpur Hub, expressed hope that the initiative of branding fragrant and fine rice in its own name would be spread across the country in the near future.
Deputy Director of Agriculture Abu Bakar Siddique said that a significant amount of land in Nilphamari district is used for potato cultivation in advance. BRRI expressed hope that the rice-87 variety would expand rapidly as it was advanced.
Special guest agriculturist Md. Abu Sayem said the present government has taken various initiatives to commercial agriculture. He hoped that the initiative of branding fragrant and fine rice in his name would further expand the rice export trade in the world market.
At the end of the discussion, the farmers along with the guests visited the field of BRRI Dhan-87. More than two hundred farmers were present on the field day.
