BSS, Rangpur :
Experts at a training course have stressed on expanded cultivation and consumption of zinc-enriched rice to prevent deficiency of micronutrients and increase disease resistant capacity of children.
RDRS Bangladesh organised the daylong farmers’ training course on ‘Seed Production, Procession & Storing of High Zinc Rice’ at its Training Centre in the city here Wednesday with the assistance of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
The NGO organised the training as the local implementing partner of The Harvest Plus Programme being coordinated by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
A total of 25 male and female farmers of Rangpur Sadar and Mithapukur upazilas participated in the course to gather practical knowledge and expertise on production of high zinc-enriched rice seed, its processing and storing technologies.
Deputy Director of the DAE Zulfiqar Haider, Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Afzal Hossain and Principal Scientific Officer of Rangpur Regional Station of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Dr Shahidul Islam conducted different sessions in the training course as main resource persons.
The NGO has provided five-kilogram seed of high zinc-enriched BRRI dhan 62 variety rice, necessary inputs, fertilisers and pesticides on various scales among each of the 350 beneficiary farmers of Rangpur, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts for cultivation in one bigha of land each during this Aman season.
The beneficiary farmers have set up 350 exhibition plots of BRRI dhan 62variety zinc enriched rice fields in these districts including 75 plots in Rangpur, 200 in Nilphamari and 75 exhibition plots in Gaibandha this season.
The experts and trainers said zinc, iron and vitamin-A are the three most vital micronutrients, deficiency of which hampers natural growth of children and decreases their disease prevention capacity.
They said over 40 percent of the under-five children are stunted while an estimated 44 percent children of the same age group faces the risk of zinc deficiency and badly require supplementation of these micronutrients for their normal growth.
