Staff Reporter, Rangpur :
A workshop on Zinc rice grain value chain actors meeting was held on 23rd June 2022 at the Training Center of RDRS Bangladesh in Rangpur with the generous support from HarvestPlus. The objective of the event is to make a linkage among the market value chain actors who can contribute in zinc rice commercialization. Krishibid Mr. Emdad Hossain Sheikh, Additional Director, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of Rangpur region presented as the chief guest of the program. Md. Nazrul Ghani, Head of Admin and General service of RDRS Bangladesh presided over the workshop where Md. Reyajur Rahman Raju, District Controller of Food-Rangpur, Md. Royich Uddin, Upazila controller of Food-Taraganj, Rangpur, Md. Mamunur Rashid, Senior Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh, Md. Ruhul Quddus, Project Officer of HarvestPlus CBC Program presented as the special guests on the occasion.
As the chief guest, Additional Director of DAE highlighted the current status of zinc rice, market expansion and plans for commercialization of zinc rice in northern Bangladesh. He addressed “11,884 Hectare land is covered with biofortified zinc rice cultivation in Rangpur district in 2021-2022 Boro season which is a remarkable growth. Due to having high yield, environment resistance and nutritional benefits, farmers in northern Bangladesh are extensively choosing biofortified zinc rice BRRI dhan74. Now this is time to include biofortified rice in all the safety net programs of Bangladesh Government which will be the huge market for commercialization”.
District Controller of Food expressed that this is a good initiative to include Rangpur district in zinc rice public procurement as a pilot phase. We have the target of purchasing 900 Metric Ton of zinc rice from farmers in 2021-2022 Boro season but we are ready to purchase more than the fixed amount. We will work together both Govt. sector as well as development sectors in inclusion of zinc rice in public procurement from all the districts. Special thanks to HarvestPlus and GAIN for their joint initiative in implementing the Commercialization of Biofortified Crops (CBC) Program. Hopefully they will work with us to create a vast market of zinc rice to reduce hidden hunger from Bangladesh in the upcoming years.
Md. Ruhul Quddus, Project Officer of HarvestPlus CBC Program explained about the importance of zinc rice to combat zinc deficiency, pointed out zinc rice production hotspots and commercialization ways of biofortified zinc rice through power point presentation. He also addressed that some millers and food processors have already marketed zinc rice with branding with their own initiatives and they are agreed to continue this business due to having more profitability. He showed some zinc rice branding packet from private sectors in front of the participants.
The presented guests assured the overall support and cooperation of the new entrepreneurs of zinc rice. Approximately 40 representatives from various government and non-government sectors, zinc rice producers, rice traders, millers, rice retailers participated on the workshop and they agreed to work together for the expansion and commercialization of biofortified zinc rice.
