Framers in the ongoing Aus season have been able to harvest paddy in just 100 days by cultivating a new rice variety named 'BRRI Dhan 98'.
The paddy variety took 40-60 days less than that of earlier varieties, heralding the way for quadruple crop cultivation in a year, said agriculture minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Saturday.
"This variety has the potential to transform the landscape by not only maturing in a considerably shorter time frame, but also delivering an impressive yield of 25-30 maund per bigha or 33 decimals of land."
Mr Razzaque said while addressing a field day event held at Dhanbari under Tangail district, reads a press release.
The steady shrinkage in farmlands, juxtaposed with a growing population, has prompted the need for innovations to sustainably feed this populous nation, approximately 170-million people.
In light of this challenge, the minister added, it was imperative to cultivate multiple crops from the same land within a single year.
While traditional paddy varieties necessitate 140-160 days to mature in Bangladesh, a groundbreaking opportunity emerges with the prospect of harvesting within a mere 90-100 days.
Taking centre stage in this agricultural revolution is the BRRI-98 variety, which is ideally suited for cultivation during Aus season.
Mr Razzaque expressed his optimism about the widespread implementation of this transformative variety.
The significance of widespread adoption of BRRI-98 cannot be overstated, he said, adding that it could spearhead a revolutionary shift in the context of food security.
He pointed out that one of the pressing challenges impeding rice farming during Aus season has been a lack of improved varieties coupled with the risks posed by droughts, floods and heavy rains.
"However, the tide is turning with advancements made by our scientists who have successfully developed short-duration improved strains of Aus rice."
At the forefront of this progress stands BRRI Dhan 98, developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).
This variety holds immense prospects, serving as a beacon of hope for enhanced agricultural productivity, according to the minister.
The successful promotion of BRRI-98 at a grass-roots level could lead to a profound expansion of Aus season, thus creating new-found opportunities for farmers.
Not only could this pave the way for an increased Aus crop yield, but it could also allow farmers to maximise their profits, said Mr Razzaque.
Enthusiasm radiates from the farmers of Mudshuddi village at Dhanbari, as they aspire to harness the potential of BRRI Dhan 98.
They are now planning for growing four crops in a single year, utilising BRRI-98 for Aus season, BRRI-75 for Aman, BRRI-96 for Boro and concluding with a short-duration mustard crop following Boro season.
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