Cultivation of stress tolerant rice has been expanding successfully in Bangladesh during past four consecutive years to increase rice production substantially in ensuring food security despite climate change impacts.
Cultivation of the flood-, drought- and saline-tolerant rice varieties has already become popular following successful seeds multiplication and repeated bumper output during the period creating new hope in the country’s agriculture sector.
The Stress Tolerant Rice for Poor Farmers in Africa and South Asia (STRASA) Project has been implementing the programme with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) funding through International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for countrywide expanded cultivation of these rice varieties through seed multiplication.
According to concerned sources, different government, non-government and private organisations distributed 1.13 lakh tonnes of stress tolerant rice seeds among farmers during this Aman season to cover 45.36 lakh hectares land under STRASA-IRRI Project in Bangladesh.
Under the programme, over 1.087 lakh tonnes seeds of flood tolerant BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BINA dhan11, BINA dhan12, 78.8 tonnes of saline tolerant BRRI dhan53 and BRRI dhan54 and 4,009.7 tonnes seeds of the drought tolerant varieties like BRRI dhan56 and BRRI dhan57 rice have been distributed during this Aman season.
Project Scientist (Country Manager) of STRASA-IRRI project in Bangladesh Dr M A Bari told BSS that the seed multiplication project is being implemented in collaboration with different government, non-government and private organisations.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) distributed over 1.11 lakh tonnes of these stress tolerant variety rice seeds, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation over 1,363 tonnes, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) 3.2 tonnes, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) 10.5 tonnes, ACI Limited 26 tonnes, Lal Teer Seeds 5.6 tonnes and different seeds producers’ associations distributed 534 tonnes seeds of stress tolerant rice seeds this time.
