Expanded cultivation of drought-tolerant paddy underscored

RANGPUR, July 18 (BSS) : Agriculture experts at a farmers' training course have stressed for expanded cultivation of drought-tolerant variety paddies to increase rice production for ensuring food security under adverse impacts of climate change.
RDRS Bangladesh organised the daylong training course for the farmers on cultivation of drought tolerant variety BRRI dhan-56 paddy at Laterhat Federation auditorium in Mohanpur union under Birganj upazila of Dinajpur on Thursday.
Birganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Dr Abul Kalam Azad attended the training course as the chief guest with President of Mohanpur Farmers' Forum Kalpona Soren in the chair.
Chairman of Mohanpur union parishad Dinesh Chandra Mohanta and President of Birganj Press Club Abed Ali addressed the occasion as the special guests.
Agriculture Officer for Dinajpur unit of RDRS Bangladesh Syeda Nazma Parveen conducted the training course, participated by 60 member farmers of local Farmers' Foundation, as the main resource person.
In her presentation, Syeda Nazma Parveen narrated the necessity for expanded cultivation of drought tolerant variety BRRI dhan-56 paddy during the T-Aman season to increase rice production under adverse climate.
She said that RDRS Bangladesh has been expanding cultivation of drought tolerant paddy under the Stress Tolerant Rice for Poor Farmers in Africa & South Asia (STRASA) Project of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with financial assistances of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The speakers narrated the farming technology for drought tolerant variety BRRI dhan 56 and BRRI dhan-57 paddies to harvest those within only 105-110 days in getting excellent rice production at reduced costs even under drought-like situations.
They said early harvest of these paddies adopting the short duration Aman paddy-mustard-mug-parija paddy cropping pattern helps overcoming seasonal lean period creating huge farm activities and enabling farmers to cultivate early winter crops.
They put special emphasis on increasing production of cereal crops, including rice, for meeting food demand of the growing population when cultivable land area has been decreasing one per cent annually in the country amid climate change threat.
The chief guest lauded the STRASA Project and RDRS Bangladesh in disseminating farming technology and distribution of BRRI dhan-56 paddy seed free of costs among farmers for expanded cultivation of drought tolerant paddies under adverse situation.