Flood tolerant rice ushers in new era in Bangladesh

RANGPUR, Dec 21 (BSS): The bumper flood-tolerant rice output achieved for the fourth consecutive time this year has ushered in a new era in the country's agriculture to ensure food security under changing climatic conditions.
After completing harvest, farmers have got excellent yield of flood tolerant BRRI-51, BRRI-52, BINA- 11 and BINA -12 rice varieties even after submergence of the growing plants for over two weeks during recent floods.
Following repeated bumper production of flood tolerant rice in recent years, the overall rice production has been increasing significantly bringing fortune to thousands of the farmers to improve their livelihoods.
According to farmers, they harvested 3.5 to 4.5 tonne paddy yield per hectare of flood tolerant rice varieties even after tender plants successfully sustained submergence under floodwater and resumed normal growth again in the flood-prone areas.
They thanked the authorities of the Stress Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) Project for assisting them with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) funding through the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in expanding cultivation of stress tolerant rice.
Talking to BSS, farmer s Beauty Begum of the village Kanipara and Profulla Roy of the village Purbo Echlee in Rangpur said they have got 4.5 tone average paddy yield per hectare after harvesting BINA-12 and BRRI-52 rice this season.
They said that their growing rice plants sustained submergence for 18 days, then resumed normal growth after recession of floodwater and finally they got excellent production.