Staff Reporter :
Rice production in greater Rangpur and Barisal regions has increased by 12-15 percent over the last two years, which was revealed at a workshop, organised by the Integrated Agricultural Productivity Project (IAPP) held at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur on Tuesday.
BRRI Director General Dr Jiban Krishna Biswas attended the programme as the chief guest with Md Hemayet Uddin, Deputy Director of the IAPP, in the chair.
BRRI Director (Admin) Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir and Md Tofazzal Hossain, Additional Director of Field Service Wing of Department of Agricultural Extension also spoke at the function.
Principal Scientific Officer of BRRI Plant Breeding Division Dr KM Iftekharuddaula presented the keynote paper.
Speakers at the workshop said that the IAPP has been working since April 2012 under the supervision of the World Bank. The project aimed at increasing rice production in greater Rangpur and Barisal, where the crop is usually affected by natural disaster like flood, drought, cold and salinity.
In this backdrop, BRRI has been working to achieve the target of increasing rice production in the regions. According to an estimation of the Development Impact Evaluation and Monitoring (DIME), rice production in greater Barisal and Rangpur regions has increased by 12-15 percent following the adoption of the project, said the speakers.
The seminar was informed that the BRRI’s project IAPP has contributed to develop two rice varieties and four crop management technologies. It has produced 8.6 tons of breeder seed and conducted 256 technology exhibitions and 762 participatory variety selection as well as adaptive research validation trials. It has developed advanced breeding lines for the release of drought, flash flood tolerant and upland Aus rice varieties.
