Farmers urged to cultivate flood tolerant paddy to avoid losses

GAIBANDHA, Dec 5 (BSS): Speakers at a function on Saturday urged the farmers to cultivate flood tolerant paddy in large scale to get additional yield through avoiding disaster risk and losses to achieve the country's food security by 2012. "The farmers will not be affected economically any more if they cultivate flood tolerant variety BRRI dhan- 52 on the low lying land as the seedlings of the varieties are not damaged after remaining under flood water at a stretch for 15 days," they said. They made these observations while addressing a field day ceremony on flood tolerant paddy BRRI-52 harvesting on the land of farmer Khalil Miah at Bagura Villager under Gidari Union of Sadar Upazila on Saturday noon. Dr. Wazed Research Institute of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur arranged the function under its Research Capacity Building and Knowledge Management on Climate Change project to inspire the other farmers of neighbouring disaster prone areas to cultivate it in next seasons. Deputy Director (DD) of the university and programme coordinator (PC) of the project ATGM Golam Firoz, research officer Taposh Kumar Goshwami, assistant research officer Niranjan Sarker and farmer Khalil Miah addressed the function, among others. DD and PC ATGM Golam Firoz in his speech said successful farming of flood tolerant paddy with good results had already ushered a new era in the project command areas in Rangpur and Gaibandha districts as they got desired production against the yield. He said farmers should be motivated to cultivate flood tolerant paddy on the low lands to avoid losses due to floods. He also sought cooperation of the journalists to create awareness among the farmers in this regard. Farmer Khalil Miah in his reaction said though the transplanted seedlings of flood tolerant variety BRRI dhan -52 remained under floodwater for 12 days at a stretch, the seedlings were not damaged.