RANGPUR, Aug 2 (BSS): Agriculture experts at a farmers' field day here today stressed the need for nationwide cultivation of the off-season, indigenous, short-duration local variety Parija rice to ensure food security.
They said this while addressing the field day arranged for exhibiting Parija rice cultivation technology and its harvesting by RDRS Bangladesh, a non-government organisation (NGO), at village Melabor under Barovita Union Parishad (UP) of Kishoreganj Upazila in Nilphamari district.
The NGO, in association with the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University (BSMRAU), organised the event with the assistance of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) and the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
The main objective of the event was to demonstrate the 'early Aman rice-mustard-potato-mungbean-Parija (Aus) cropping pattern' evolved by RDRS Bangladesh to enable the farmers reap more benefits through getting four crops from same land annually.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Nilphamari Golam Mohammad Idris attended the function as the chief guest with Chairman of local Barovita UP Alhaj Md Fazlar Rahman in the chair.
Professor of the Department of Agronomy of BSMRAU Dr Md Moynul Haque, Consultant of International Rice Research Institute Dr MG Neogi, Senior Monitoring Officer of KGF Abdul Baten and Kishoreganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohd Rezaul Islam were present at the function as special guests.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid delivered the welcome speech narrating farming technology of Parija rice on the occasion.
A total of 400 male and female farmers of the area attended the function to observe the farming technologies of Parija rice and its harvest on the field of farmer Dhiren Chandra who got a yield of four tonnes paddy per hectare.
The experts said the farmers completed transplantation of 15 to 18 day-old Parija rice seedling by May 31 and the harvest will end by August 15 next to produce 3.5 tonnes additional paddy per hectare on an average.
They said Parija rice can be harvested in 70 to 75 days after seedling transplantation during the off season in between late May and mid-August when the fields remain fallow after Boro harvest and before plantation of T-Aman seedlings.
In his address, the chief guest said cultivation of Parija rice has been expanding fast creating a new era and suggested its expanding farming to increase rice production ensuring four crop yields annually from the same land for attaining national food security.
