Zinc fortified rice at low cost should be developed: Matia
Thursday, 12 May 2011
FE Report
The scientists should develop the zinc fortified variety of rice at low production cost, said agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury Wednesday at a workshop on "Zinc Fortified Rice." She said the price of fertiliser to be used for cultivation of the crop should also be affordable as the farmers have no capacity to spend huge money. She said this as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a two-day-long national workshop on "Addressing Micronutrient Malnutrition in Bangladesh: A case of Zinc Fortified Rice". HarvestPlus, an international research organaisation, in collaboration with Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), organised the workshop in the city. Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC) executive chairman Wais Kabir, BRAC executive director Mahabub Hossain, HarvestPlus product delivery head Harrie Hendrickx, , Bangladesh rice research institute (BRRI) principal scientific officer M Alamgir Hossin, ICDDRB nutrition division senior scientist and head, Tahmeed Ahmed spoke at the workshop. The minister said they are trying to make the country self-sufficient in food by 2013. For this the government is working actively, she added. "To eliminate malnutrition the zinc-fortified rice can be helpful for the country," said the minister. "But the scientists should make the rice attractive, otherwise the people will not receive it," she added. The researchers hoped that the zinc-fortified rice can be developed and released in 2012 to the farmer. Harrie Hendrickx said micronutrient malnutrition is one of the main problems in the country for the children under five years, 43 per cent of them are stunted, 17 per cent wasted and 41 per cent suffer from underweight, 64 per cent of the children suffer from anemia. In Bangladesh, rice is the main source for zinc in the diet, he added. He said the aim of HarvestPlus is to deliver high zinc rice to increase the nutrient level in the malnourished rural areas of the country. "The aim of HarvestPlus is also to replace significant acreage of the existing varieties with high yielding high zinc rice verities," added Mr Harrie. Nearly half of the population is suffering from the zinc deficiency in the country. Lack of zinc in pregnant women can raise the risk of pregnancy complications, including low birth weight babies, said the experts in the workshop. In most cases of stunting and poor immune response, the absence of zinc is to blame; its absence also affects the body processes of other life-saving nutrients, according to HarvestPlus. Seven out of 10 women in Bangladesh do not get enough zinc in their diets, according to preliminary studies by ICDDR-B. Lack of zinc in pregnant women can raise the risk of pregnancy complications, including low birth weight babies or stillbirths, warned HarvestPlus.
The scientists should develop the zinc fortified variety of rice at low production cost, said agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury Wednesday at a workshop on "Zinc Fortified Rice." She said the price of fertiliser to be used for cultivation of the crop should also be affordable as the farmers have no capacity to spend huge money. She said this as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a two-day-long national workshop on "Addressing Micronutrient Malnutrition in Bangladesh: A case of Zinc Fortified Rice". HarvestPlus, an international research organaisation, in collaboration with Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), organised the workshop in the city. Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC) executive chairman Wais Kabir, BRAC executive director Mahabub Hossain, HarvestPlus product delivery head Harrie Hendrickx, , Bangladesh rice research institute (BRRI) principal scientific officer M Alamgir Hossin, ICDDRB nutrition division senior scientist and head, Tahmeed Ahmed spoke at the workshop. The minister said they are trying to make the country self-sufficient in food by 2013. For this the government is working actively, she added. "To eliminate malnutrition the zinc-fortified rice can be helpful for the country," said the minister. "But the scientists should make the rice attractive, otherwise the people will not receive it," she added. The researchers hoped that the zinc-fortified rice can be developed and released in 2012 to the farmer. Harrie Hendrickx said micronutrient malnutrition is one of the main problems in the country for the children under five years, 43 per cent of them are stunted, 17 per cent wasted and 41 per cent suffer from underweight, 64 per cent of the children suffer from anemia. In Bangladesh, rice is the main source for zinc in the diet, he added. He said the aim of HarvestPlus is to deliver high zinc rice to increase the nutrient level in the malnourished rural areas of the country. "The aim of HarvestPlus is also to replace significant acreage of the existing varieties with high yielding high zinc rice verities," added Mr Harrie. Nearly half of the population is suffering from the zinc deficiency in the country. Lack of zinc in pregnant women can raise the risk of pregnancy complications, including low birth weight babies, said the experts in the workshop. In most cases of stunting and poor immune response, the absence of zinc is to blame; its absence also affects the body processes of other life-saving nutrients, according to HarvestPlus. Seven out of 10 women in Bangladesh do not get enough zinc in their diets, according to preliminary studies by ICDDR-B. Lack of zinc in pregnant women can raise the risk of pregnancy complications, including low birth weight babies or stillbirths, warned HarvestPlus.