RANGPUR, May 24, 2022 (BSS) - Experts at a farmers' field day have called for enhancing cultivation and consumption of zinc-enriched BRRI dhan74 rice to meet nutritional demand and increase disease resistance capacity of people.
 
With assistance of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, organized the event at village Ghonapara in Taraganj upazila here to demonstrate cultivation and harvest of BRRI dhan74 rice on Monday afternoon.
 
The NGO is providing seeds and technologies to farmers for farming zinc-enriched rice varieties during the Boro and Aman seasons with assistance of HarvestPlus Bangladesh under the Integrated Food System Approach to Build Nutrition Security (IFS) project.
 
Agriculture Research and Development Officer of HarvestPlus Bangladesh Md. Ruhul Amin Mondol attended the function held on the exhibition plot of BRRI dhan74 rice of farmer Kochhim Uddin of Ghonapara village as the chief guest.
 
Presided over by Agriculture Officer of RDRS Bangladesh Md. Shahinur Islam, Sub-assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) of the DAE Md. Badsha Alamgir Bakshi attended the event as a special guest.
 
A large number of male and female farmers of the village and adjoining areas were present.
 
After cutting BRRI dhan74 rice cultivated on his one hectare of exhibition plot, farmer Kochhim Uddin got a very high yield rate of 7.83 tonnes of dry paddy (with 14 percent moisture) per hectare of land.
 
"I am happy getting 7.83 tonnes of BRRI dhan74 rice in terms of dry paddy per hectare of land when local farmers are getting yield rates of other rice varieties between 5.50 and 6 tonnes per hectare of land this season," said Kochhim Uddin.
 
Agriculture Officer Shahinur Islam narrated the importance of enhancing cultivation and consumption of zinc-enriched BRRI dhan74 rice for meeting nutritional demand of people.
 
Badsha Alamgir Bakshi said the field level DAE officials are extending assistance and technologies to farmers to assist them in cultivating zinc-enriched rice varieties in Taraganj upazila.

Ruhul Amin Mondol called upon farmers to further expand cultivation of high yielding varieties of zinc-enriched rice varieties like BRRI dhan74 to meet zinc deficiency of the poor, children and pregnant women.
 
"Each kilogram of BRRI dhan74 rice contains 24.2 milligram zinc, 8.3 percent protein and one person needs 16 gram of zinc daily," he added.