RAJSHAHI, Mar 10 (BSS): Agricultural extension officials urged the grassroots farmers to bring more lands under BRRI-Dhan 63 farming for boosting rice production in the region including its vast Barind tract.
They mentioned that production of BRRI-dhan 63, a fine quality high-yielding rice variety newly developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), has raised great optimism among farmers in the area as well as agricultural scientists, after it has been released to farmers for growing in Boro season.
They came up with the observation while addressing a farmers' field day at Alimganj area under Paba upazila in the district recently.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) organised the programme where more than 100 farmers both male and female attended.
DAE Director (Crop Wing) SM Hashen Ali and its Additional Director SM Mustafizur Rahman addressed the meeting as chief and special guests respectively with Deputy Director Shamsul Haque in the chair.
Deputy Directors Rafiqul Islam and Ajahar Ali, Upazila Agriculture Officers Sharmin Sultana, Dr Bimol Kumar Pramanik and Mamudul Faruque also spoke on the occasion.
The new high-yielding rice variety has raised rays of hope among farmers and scientists after its production of eight tonnes per hectare in the Boro session last year. 'Soru balam' or BRRI-dhan 63 is thin and long like miniket rice and it has no aroma, said a source of the meeting.
The success will further increase interests among the farmers of the Barind region in Boro session, local farmers said.
Agriculturist Hashen Ali observed that the BRRI-63 produced around eight tonnes of rice in only 148 days, which takes little time than BRRI-28 and BRRI-29 and shows somewhat more production than that of the traditional rice.
Farmer Asadul Islam of the area said the rice of the BRRI-63 is fine and tall. Its price is more than coarse rice in the market.
He said, "Many farmers expressed expectation to cultivate the paddy in the next session noticing my success."
The Agricultural extension officials told that the new high-yielding rice variety had been officially released to farmers in 2013 for growing in Boro season.
