Nerica rice variety creates high hope among farmers

RAJSHAHI, Nov 12 (BSS): Nerica, a short duration and drought tolerant rice variety brought from Africa in 2009, has been found as tolerant in for the drought-prone Barind area creating high hope among the farmers and others concerned. Before being revealed the prospect a feasibility study has been conducted on trial basis in some demonstration plots during the current transplanted Aman season. Deputy Director (potato-seed) of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Rajshahi, Pradip Chandra Dey who supervised the study, revealed the success story at two separate field-visit, crop-cutting and field evaluation ceremonies at Tanore and Puthiya upazilas in Rajshahi district recently. Basically, we have cultivated the variety on around two acres of farmers field and the harvested yield was seen satisfactory and promising, Pradip mentioned. Before the trial, he said the farmers and sub-assistant agriculture officers were imparted training on farming methods practically. In addition to the specialised characteristics of short duration and drought tolerant he said the variety can be cultivated round the year which is a good sign for ensuring food security of the nation. Giving a salient feature of the rice variety he said it will give satisfactory yield with scanty rainfall without any irrigation during the rain-fed transplanted Aman season in the drought-prone area. The declining rainfall coupled with the enhanced temperature due to adverse impact of the climate change has put the agriculture sector at a vulnerable condition. So, we have no way but to go for the drought tolerant varieties for increasing farming of drought-tolerant paddy to ensure the country's food security, he pointed out. To cope with the degradable position, BADC and Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) jointly conducted the field level research in the Barind area and finally attained the success. Pradip Day mentioned that average yield of the variety is 4-4.5 tonnes per hectare, which is similar to the varieties of BINADHAN-7 and Brridhan 33 and 39. By dint of its early harvesting aspect, he attributed that the variety will help early plantation of various winter crops and vegetables like wheat, mustard-seed and potato as the region is conventionally famous for farming of those. Deputy Director of DAE, Rajshahi, Nurul Amin stated most of the long-durable varieties have become vulnerable due to the crisis of irrigation water. So, the newly developed variety would easily supplement the crop loss side by side with meeting up the farmers demands. Besides, he hoped that the exotic variety would bring a positive result for around 2 million hectares of land in the rain-fed drought prone area alongside playing a vital role in boosting rice yield in the days to come. Terming the development of the drought-tolerant variety as the demand of time, he expected that the new variety would contribute a lot to ensure food security. In this regard, he stressed the need for successful expansion and promotion of the paddy variety among the farmers in the vast Barind tract for boosting rice production to feed the countrymen. Kidnapped college girl yet to be rescued A college-girl was kidnapped from near her resident in Rajshahi city around over three weeks ago but couldn't be rescued as yet. Khandaker Zulfikar Ali River, husband of the kidnapped girl, said some anti-social elements kidnapped his wife Ismat Jerrin Eva, a second-year (Honours) student of Social Welfare Department of Rajshahi College, on October 21 last. Narrating the kidnapping story to the newsmen at Metropolitan Press Club here today he said a case has been lodged with Boalia Model Police Station in this connection on the same day. He demanded immediate step in this regard as all the family members including her three-year son are passing their days with grievous anxiety over the incident.