Agriculture experts have stressed for enhancing cultivation of zinc-enriched BRRI dhan62 rice to increase disease resistant capacity of the children for normal growth through meeting their nutritional demand.
They put emphasis on consumption of zinc-enriched rice to prevent deficiency of vital micro-nutrients like zinc, iron and vitamin-A of the children as well as pregnant women to increase disease resistant capacity and ensure normal growth of the babies.
They were addressing a farmers’ training course organised by RDRS Bangladesh, a reputed NGO, with assistance of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) on “Zinc Rice Varieties and Benefit of Zinc” at its Training Centre here on Thursday.
The NGO has been expanding the technology for farming, seeds production, processing and storing of high zinc-enriched rice as a local implementing partner of The HarvestPlus Challenge Programme.
The International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) have been coordinating the technology dissemination process for enshrining quality seed production, processing and storing of high zinc rice.
Assistant Coordinator (Agriculture) of RDRS Bangladesh Syeda Nuhara Begam presided over the training course participated by 25 male and female farmers of Mithapukur, Sadar and Kawnia upazilas in Rangpur district.
The NGO has been conducting the course for 1,100 farmers to set up 1,100 exhibition plots of zinc-enriched rice on 1,100 bigha lands in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Lalmonirhat during this Aman season.
Deputy Director of the DAE Zulfiquer Haidar attended the training course as the chief guest and put special emphasis on enhancing cultivation and consumption of the zinc-enriched BRRI dhan62 that yields 4 to 4.5 tonnes paddy per hectare.
Principal Scientific Officer of Rangpur Regional Station of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Dr Shahidul Islam, Rangpur Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Afzal Hossain, Agricultural Research & Development Officer of HarvestPlus Bangladesh Ruhul Amin Mandal addressed as special guests.
Sub-assistant Agriculture Officer Ansar Ali, Agriculture Officer Shamim Ahamed of RDRS Bangladesh and its Administrative Assistant Krishna Kamal Roy spoke.
The speakers said many people in Bangladesh depend on rice for meeting majority of their vitamin and mineral requirements though common rice does not contain enough micro-nutrients required for leading healthy and productive life.
The chief guest termed zinc, iron and vitamin-A as the three most vital micro-nutrients and said that deficiency of these micro-nutrients seriously hamper natural growth of the children and decrease their disease prevention capacity.
He called for expanded cultivation of zinc-enriched BRRI dhan62 rice for supplementation of zinc deficiency of the poor and vulnerable people, including children and pregnant women, side by side attaining national food security.
