BRRI releases 10 high-yielding Aman paddy varieties for Rajshahi 

The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has released 10 more high-yielding paddy varieties for Aman season for Rajshahi region, including its vast Barind tract - creating high hopes among the farmers in general and others concerned.

The varieties are: Brridhan51, Brridhan71, Brridhan75, Brridhan87, Brridhan90, Brridhan93, Brridhan94, Brridhan95, Brridhan103 and Brrihibriddhan6.

These varieties are comparatively higher-yielding, resource and irrigation-saving, drought-tolerant and short-duration compared to some other varieties, including Brridhan28 and Brridhan29than and Swarna which are prone to disease and attract insects that affect the farmers in terms of getting yield.

BRRI Principal Scientific Officer Dr Harun Ar Rashid revealed this while presenting his keynote paper at a workshop for selecting an implementation strategy for the paddy variety demonstration.

BRRI Rajshahi Regional office organized the workshop at the office conference of Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) here Monday attended by DAE district and upazila level officials and BRRI scientists and researchers.

DAE Additional Director Shamsul Wadud addressed the workshop as chief guest, while BRRI Principal Scientific Officer Dr Fazlul Islam was in the chair.

DAE District Training Officer Umme Salma and Regional Officer of Seed Certification Agency Mostofa Kamal Hossain also spoke as resource persons disseminating their expertise on the issue.

Dr Harun Ar Rashid mentioned that the Brridhan28 and Brridhan29than and Swarna varieties can easily be replaced with the modern varieties, in the Barind area, and this can be an effective means of ensuring food security through boosting paddy production.

The modern varieties have opened up the doors to enormous prospects of food security, and mitigating the crises of irrigation water.

Additional Director Shamsul Wadud urged the DAE field-level officials to expand farming of the drought-tolerant varieties to the drought-affected areas-like the Tanore and Godagari Upazilas in Rajshahi, Nachole and Gomostapur Upazilas in Chapainawabgonj; and Porsha and Shapahar in Naogaon districts-for a better yield.

He also urged them to expand the paddy varieties to the farmers for better yield as food security is largely dependent on rice.

He said the concerted efforts of all scientists, researchers, and extension officials are very important to boost Aman paddy yield to feed the gradually-increasing population of the country.

As rice is a staple food of the country, its production needs to be enhanced, by managing challenges like disease and adverse impacts of climate change.

Dr Fazlul Islam told the meeting that BRRI has developed many paddy varieties, which are suitable for cultivation in the region.

"We have released ten varieties, including some aromatics, for the Barind area," he said; adding that some of them have gained popularity among farmers during the last couple of years.

He also mentioned that the conventional varieties are being replaced by modern varieties - good signs for the region, in terms of boosting yield.

Dr Islam said they will set up demonstration plots on 216 bigha of land for the improved varieties and the farmers will be given seeds and fertilizers free of cost to make the varieties popular among the farmers.