Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has developed eightmore high-yielding varieties of rice, six of them are expected to be released for commercial cultivation by the next year. The other two fine quality of aromatic rice are new awaiting the concerned authorities' approval to go for cultivation at field level.
Director General of BRRI Dr. Hamid Mia disclosed this to a group of journalists who went to visit the BRRI at Gazipur on Friday.
Dr. Hamid Mia said BRRI has so far released thirty-one high-yielding Modern Varieties (MVs) of rice, twenty-one of these are suitable for cultivation in the aus and boro seasons and ten in the transplant aman season.
The scientists at the BRRI opposed the idea of some imported hybrid varieties of rice for massive cultivation's at field level because the experimental cultivation of those varieties at BRRI's different stations has failed to give optimum results. The country needs hybrid varieties to come with the increasing demand of food-grains but such varieties would not be suitable unless those are developed on the basis of local agro-ecological and climatic situation, they observed.
It is learnt that recently the government had allowed some private firms to import hybrid varieties of rice seeds for field cultivation but without a proper laboratory test it would be risky to release those varieties for massive field cultivation. Some hybrid varieties were examined by BRRI, but only a single variety (CNSGC 6) was found suitable for cultivation.
When asked BRRI DG Dr. Hamid Mia said the success of hybrid varieties depends on their yielding, capacity in comparison with the local popular ones, quality of rice and the benefit of peasants. It should be wise to take into account of these issues before release of those hybrid varieties for massive cultivation's a field level.
He informed the journalists that BRRI was continuing its research activities to develop hybrid varieties and hoped that BRRI scientists would be able to release hybrid varieties suitable to local agro- ecological and climatic situations.
The BRRI is continuing its research to reach the target of producing 2.50 crore metric tons of crops across the country by the year 2002, BRRI sources said adding that some 1.86 lakh tons of paddy had been produced in 1997-98 fiscal by using its 35 varieties of high yielding seeds.
According to sources, the BRRI has developed 101 paddy related technology including 35 varieties of high yielding paddy by conducting massive research programmes from its inception in 1970, sources said. The RBBI has been able to reduce about 50 per cent wastage of paddy from harvesting to stockpiling every year after introducing the developed technology, BRRI officials said.
The sources said, BRRI entomologists have identified 175 species of rice insect pests, 99 species of parasites and 88 species of predators. Besides, thirty-one diseases have been identified.
The BRRI plant pathologists have developed screening methods for major diseases and have identified over 9,000 spruces of resistance, over 7,000 germplasms, of which about 5,000 are local, have been collected and preserved by BRRI plant breeders, BRRI sources said. (Courtesy: Dhaka-Bangladesh News).
Four-day BRRI internal meet begins Farmers get much less yield from modern varieties of rice A four-day annual internal review meeting of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) began in the city at the BRRI auditorium yesterday (27 April), reports BSS. Dr M A Hamid Miah, Director General, BRRI inaugurated the view meeting as the chief guest, a BRRI press release said. Some 150 scientists and specialists from different research institutes, universities, government and non-government organisations including BRRI are participating in the review meeting. In his opening comments, Dr M A Hamid Miah stressed the need for renewing agricultural research management and pursuing integrated approach to develop sustainable rice-based food production technologies and strengthening their rapid extension to ensure balance food security for the people. He said, "our farmers get much less yield from the modern varieties of rice than their actual yield potential and we should work relentlessly at the grass-roots to reduce this gap." He also stressed the need for introducing appropriate farm machinery to meet the shortage of agricultural labour force. Among others, Dr S M Hasanuzzaman, former member, the Planning Commission and former Director General (DG), BRRI, Dr A J M Azizul Islam, former DG, BRRI, Dr M A Majed, DG, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Dr S I Bhuiyan, IRRI representative in Bangladesh, Dr Isuyomi Mizuochi, representative, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Zhou Kunlu and Wu Xiaojin, hybrid rice specialists from China attended the session. In total 26 reports on last year's research activities of 17 research divisions and nine regional stations will be presented for discussion and recommendations. (The Daily Star).
MYMENSINGH, Apr 18: Bangladesh Agricultural University today conferred honorary DSc Degree on the world renowned agriculture scientist and Nobel laureate Dr Norman Ernest Borlaug, reports UNB. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over the certificate of the degree to Dr Borlaug at a function at the Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin auditorium of BAU this morning. The conferment of the degree was arranged through the first special convocation of BAU. Earlier, the Prime Minister led the convocation procession joined by 384 BAU teachers, including the Vice-Chancellor. Recalling the contribution of Dr Borlaug, the Prime Minister felicitated the Nobel laureate for his lifelong service for the cause of world peace and human welfare. "Bangladesh owes in particular among the beneficiaries to your genius in respect of HYV wheat cultivation," she said adding that "Bangladesh aspires to attain the goal of self-sufficiency in food". Dr Borlaug thanked the Prime Minister for giving him the honour and said civilisation of a country cannot be sustained if its agriculture collapses. Dr Borlaug is called the pioneer of 'Green Revolution' for developing HYV wheat. In her address Hasina also called upon the agricultural scientists to pay more attention in innovative work to bring the crop production system and management into a modern standard keeping pace with the changeable climate and weather. "Any technology we develop must be compatible with the agro-ecological and socio-economic factors of our country," she told the agri scientists. The Prime Minister said agriculture, which accounts for about one-third of the GDP and employs about two-thirds of the labour force, has been playing a dominant role in the process of economic growth of the country and this trend will continue in the foreseeable future. Referring to country's rich natural resources, like fertile soil, rich water bodies, abundant sunshine and moderate temperature and rainfall, Sheikh Hasina said it is unfortunate that we have not yet reached the desired level of development even after having phenomenal success in boosting cereal production like paddy through adopting HYV technology. Sheikh Hasina said an Agricultural Commission has been working for the formulation of an agricultural policy encompassing crops, fisheries, livestock and forestry sub-sectors adding that the implementation work of the already announced new Agricultural Extension Policy has started functioning. Referring to the 30-year Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, the Prime Minister said it has created immense potentialities to develop and manage water resources for rapid improvement of irrigation, inland navigation, fisheries, afforestation and the ecology. The Prime Minister also lauded the role of the BAU in the development, propagation and transfer of appropriate agro-technologies in the country and hoped that the university will take more and more research activities in order to innovate and improve the species of economically important crops following the deals of Dr Borlaug. (The Daily Star)
Nobel laureate agronomist Dr Norman Ernest Borlaugh has urged agricultural scientists to devote themselves in research work on cereals in the wake of population boom in various countries of the world. Dr Borlaugh, who has been confered with honorary D.Sc. degree by Bangladesh Agriculture University, was addressing a gathering of 500 scientists at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) at Gazipur recently, says a press release. Agriculture and food advisor to the Prime Minister, AM Anisuzzaman, attended the function as chief guest. Besides, executive chairman of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Centre (BARC), Dr Z Karim, DG of BARI, Dr MA Majed, DG of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Dr M A Hamid Mia, director and advisor of Wheat Research Centre Dr MA Razzak and Dr Craig A Meisner also spoke at the function. (The Daily Star)
Export of hilsa fish would decline significantly this year as its major international buyers have shifted from Bangladesh to other Asian countries. Exporters might lose Tk 150 crore as hilsa trading would decline by about 50 per cent, to 5,000 tonnes, exporters said. According to Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, some 2,000 metric tonnes of hilsa remained unsold for one year which had been kept in different cold storages. Prices of hilsa in some countries were low when harvests from the Bay of Bengal declined making it costlier, exporters explained. Revenue from Bangladesh's export of hilsa, the most popular fish among the Bangalis abroad, has been recorded at Tk 300 to Tk 350 crore annually in recent years. Malaysia was the top buyer, fish followed by the UK, the Middle East and EU countries and the US. Malaysia bought 2,000 tonnes of hilsa last year. "Malaysians have stopped buying our hilsa, because of their recent financial turmoil that made US dollar costlier for them," said Maqsudur Rahman, a top hilsa exporter. Traders also said hilsa catch declined due to water pollution in Karnafuli estuary in the Bay. Karnafuli Urea Fertiliser and Chittagong Urea Fertiliser were causing the pollution, they alleged. According to them, the water pollution has driven much of the hilsha population to neighbouring Naf river. As a result, the Myanmar fishermen are reaping the benefits and, naturally, offering low prices. (The Daily Star)
The overall jute production of the country was reviewed at a meeting of the Jute Advisory Committee here yesterday with the State Minister for jute, A K Faezul Huq in the chair, reports BSS. An official handout said the meeting was informed that the jute production will be 30 per cent less during the forthcoming season compared to the last season. About 64 lakh bales were produced in the country during the last season. The country will produce about 45 lakh bales of raw jute during the forthcoming season against its normal demand of about 50 lakh bale, the meeting was further informed. The State Minister who is also the Chairman of the Jute Advisory Committee said, the government will continue its efforts to protect the interest of the jute growers. He sought allout cooperation of all concerned to ensure fair price of raw jute and keep the price stable. The private jute traders have demanded to bring the Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) under the Ministry of Jute for better coordination. They appealed to the government to sanction working capital in the jute sector on time and reduce the rate of bank interest in other sectors like frozen food, garments and leather goods. The meeting was attended, among others, by the Secretary of the Ministry of Jute Mahfuzul Islam, Chairman of BJMC Abu Osman Chowdhury, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA) Abdur Razzak Akhand and its Vice Chairman Rezaul Karim, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Exporters Association (BJEA) Giasuddin Ahmed, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJSA) Nazmul Huq, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Goods Association (BJGA) Mohammad Ali, former president of FBCCI Abdul Wahab and representatives of concerned ministries, banks and trade bodies. (The Daily Star)