Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) is one of the largest agricultural research institute of Bangladesh. It was established in October 1970.

BRRI's Mission:

BRRI is dedicated to improve the welfare of rice producers and consumers of Bangladesh.

BRRI's Mandate:

The mandate of the institute is to conduct research on all aspects of rice, demonstrate improved technologies to the farmers, train up extenstion personnel regarding modern rice technology, and to publish booklets and leaflets for rapid transfer of technologies.

Organizational Structure:

Director General is the Head of the institute. Dr.M.S.U. Chowdhury is the Director General of BRRI. Under the Director General there are two Directors: Director (Administration) and Director (Research). Director (Administration)is responsible for all the adiministrative functions while Director (Research) takes care of everything related to research. Dr. S.B. Siddiqui is the Director (Administration)and Dr. A.N.M. Rezaul Karim is the Director (Research) of BRRI. Another vital managerial position of BRRI is Coordinator for Advanced Studies and Research (CASR) and Dr. Nizam Uddin Ahmed is the CASR.

BRRI has 9 regional stations in addition to its Head Quarter. These 9 regional stations are located in Barisal, Comilla, Chuadanga, Sonagazi (Feni), Bhanga (Faridpur), Habigong, Khulna, Rangpur and Rajshahi. BRRI scientists and staffs work under 18 Research Divisions and 7 Support Services Sections.

Research program of BRRI is operated under seven Program Areas: Varietal Development, Crop-Soil-Water Management, Pest Management, Rice Farming System, Farm Mechanization, Socio-Economic and Policy, and Technology Transfer. These seven programm areas are divided into 49 Sub-Programme Areas.

BRRI has a total manpower of 762 (4 managerial positions, 265 scientific positions and 493 support services positions). Its annual budget (salary and allowances) is about 52.3 Million Taka (approximately 1.19 million US$).

Plant Breeding Strategy of BRRI:

Development of dwarf, photoperiod insensitive varities for all regions of Bangladesh were the major focus of BRRI research upto 1980. But after 1980, BRRI is putting more importance to intermediate height plant, mild photosensitive and pest tolerant varirities for specific ecologies.

BRRI's Achievements:

BRRI has so far developed 31 modern rice varieties for cultivation in different rice growing seasons. BRRI varieties are grown both under rainfed and irrigated condition. BRRI varieties cover 52 percent of the rice area and 70 percent of the total rice production in Bangladesh. Popular BRRI varieties are BR 11, BR 3, BR 10, BR 4, BR 14, and BR 1. The area coverage (in thousand hectares) of these varieties are as follows: BR 11 (1635), BR 3 (73), BR 10 (69), BR 4(69), BR 14 (55) and BR 1 (50). Other popular modern rice varieties are Pajam and IR 8. Pajam and IR 8 covers an area of 958 and 108 thousands hectares, respectively. Pajam was developed in the mid 1960s by a collaborative effort of Pakistan, Japan and Malaysia while IR 8 is a variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in 1967. Two BRRI varieties (BR 22 and BR 23) are suitable for late plantation during the T.Aman Season. Therefore, they can be used as a flood mitigating technology. These two varities has also prospect for cultivation in the coasl areas of Bangladesh where CHINGRI GHER (the fields under shrimp culture) are ready for rice cultivation at the end of August. As a measure of flood mitigation technology BRRI has also developed some agronomic management practices, for example, tiller spliting.

BRRI scientists also developed System Based National Fertilizer Recommentdation Guide and Management Technologies for Sulphur and Zinc Deficient areas. It may be mentioned here that at present 4.5 million hectares of area is deficient in Sulphur and 1.7 million hectares is deficient to Zinc.

BRRI has identified 175 insects and 31 diseases of rice prevailing in Bangladesh. Among these insects and diseases 20 are major insects while 10 are major diseases. As a measure of yield recovery from insects and diseases BRRI has been successful to incorporate varietal resistance, and chemical and cultural control practices which are environmental friendly.

Irrigation and water management is another vital aspect of agriculture in Bangladesh specially in the erra when water scarcity is every where. Irrigation and water management research at BRRI has successful in developing techniques which can act as the irrigation water saving technologies. Maintaing Shallow water depth and rotational irrigation practices can save about 30 percent of water without hampering yield. Appropriate compaction and sand-cement morter may reduce water losses by about 40 percent. Supplemental irrigation at the critical crop growth stages may increase yields upto 50 percent and can reduce the negative effect of drought in farmers field.

Performance of agricultural activities depends a lot to the equipments which the farmers use for crop cultivation. To satisfy the farmers need for agricultural equipments BRRI developed Hydro Tiller, Rice-Wheat Threasher and Harvester Prototype. These equipments are permitted to the private sector manufacturers for production under agreement with BRRI. BRRI always encourages public, private and non-governmental organizations to promote its technology for the benifit and welfare of rice producers and consumers of Bangladesh.

Improved cropping patterns suggested by BRRI provides an increase of yield by 25 to 95 pecent in raifed environment. On the other hand, yield in irrigated enviroment may be increased by 7 to 60 percent if farmers follw the BRRI developed cropping patterns. The potential for increase in income through the adoption of BRRI developed cropping patterns is 24 to 130 percent in rainfed environment and 90 to 64 percent in Irrigated environment.

Returns to Investment in BRRI Research:

Different studies conducted by Gill (1983), Dey and Evenson (1991), Deb and Mustafi (1997) showed that the Benifit cost ratio of BRRI research is about 36 to 38. That is, BRRI has contributed about 36 taka to the society for each taka invested to BRRI.

Mahabub Hossain (1996) showed that modern rice technologies have increased rice production by 2.88, 3.68, 5.13 and 7.76 million tons during the period 1973-77, 1978-82, 1983-87 and 1988-93 period, respectively. He pointed out that modern rice technologies have saved cost of rice production by 147, 207, 292 and 457 million US dollars during the periods 1973-77, 1978-82, 1983-87 and 1988-93, respectively. He also pointed out that foreign exchange saving due to the modern rice technologies were 243, 377, 239 and 593 million US dollar, in the succeding four periods mentioned earlier, respectively. Hossain (1996) found that modern rice technologies has a positive contribution to the eleviation of poverty in Bangladesh.

It need to be mentioned here, while Hossain's studyis quoted, that these contributions are made by all research activities on rice while BRRI is the principal institute. Therefore, one can consider, as a rule of thumb, that about 90 percent benefits are due to BRRI.

Transnational Contribution of BRRI research:

BRRI breeding lines have also been released as varieties in different INGER participating countries of the rice growing countries in the world during 1975-95. These countries are Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra leone.

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