Sample Crop cutting of Agro-IRRI project has been completed successfully - Agribusiness Education and Research International

Sample Crop cutting of Agro-IRRI project has been completed successfully.

Agriculture is an important source of employment and money in Bangladesh’s rural areas and is consequently seen as a lifeline for the country’s economy.

In hilly areas of Bangladesh(Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachari districts), Agriculture has effectively intensified in order to sustain family food levels; it has evolved through the use of a brief fallow season for shifting agriculture, the adoption of cash crops, and the management of fruit and trees. However, food security requires sustainable land usage.

The majority of rural households in CHT rely on agriculture-related activities to produce food and earn money. Agriculture-related sources provide for more than half of all CHT households’ annual net income (UNDP 2009). At least one agriculturally related activity generates food and cash income. Ploughing land, shifting cultivation, paid wage labor, livestock and poultry rearing, trees/nurseries, fruit gardening, fishing, and creating agriculture implements are all examples of agricultural activity. Local ethnic households had a higher share of agriculture-related annual income than Bangalees (63 percent vs. 49 percent) (UNDP 2009). The Khumi, Marma, Mro, and Bawm ethnic groups generate more than 67 percent of their net yearly household income through agricultural activities (UNDP 2009). In Rangmati and Bandarban districts, shifting cultivation agriculture is more prevalent than in Khagrachari district (GoB and FAO 2013). The former two districts have substantially more hilly terrain than Khagrachari. In Bangladesh, rice is an important staple food crop. It is the favorite food of most ethnic groups in CHT, and it makes up a significant portion of their three daily meals. Where people merely plant the crop to meet their annual household demand, rice production is lower.

In the traditional shifting cultivation approach, farmers typically save local seed varieties from one season to the next, requiring fewer inputs for rice farming. In comparison to other parts of Bangladesh, CHT’s overall rice production capacity is low. As a result, the current rice production method will negatively impact accessibility and availability. Bangladesh’s government has taken practical steps to develop and implement hybrid rice technology on a broad scale, enlisting the help of public, private, and non-governmental (NGO) organizations. By encouraging farmers to accept hybrid rice, IRRI is always trying to increase food security.

Under the Accelerated Genetic Gain in Rice (AGGRi) initiative, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University partners with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to undertake HHAT. The project’s goals include gathering reliable data and verifying the suitability of modern, high-yielding, promising rice varieties in various parts of the country; comparing popular varieties with candidate products; selecting suitable varieties for specific regions; rapid expansion of candidate products at the field level; and gathering farmers’ feedback on cultivable varieties and taking appropriate steps.

The AGRRi seed system team in Bangladesh is providing all types of technical support for the trials, including coordination, field supervision, and need-based field assistance, as well as supporting and assisting the partner in conducting the trials in accordance with the IRRI-Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) protocol guidelines to avoid bias.

In collaboration with Agribusiness Education and Research International, funded by Build & Melinda Gates Foundation, this time in hilly, high yield in less time, 6 new types of disease-free hybrid rice, Bangabandhu dhan100, BRRI dhan 74, BRRI dhan 84, BRRI dhan 88, BRRI dhan 96 & Chakka Panja varieties are cultivated in demonstration field.

The trial has given more confidence to farmers in choosing the best product for their region or community through these different varietal characteristics exhibition with their own agronomic management practice. They never cultivated such kind of hybrid rice before.

Sample Crop cutting of Agro-IRRI project has been completed successfully in the month of May 2022 with the presence of local Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer respectively and other local farmers also.

Ucha Aung Marma, a local farmer from Thoaingapara village, prefers Bangabandhu dhan100 and BRRI dhan 96. He said that due to good yield in the current season, Farmers are very much happy and want to cultivate rice in the next Aman and Boro in the next season. Most of the farmers of Bandarban District prefer all Bangabandhu dhan100 and BRRI dhan 96 among other varieties.

‎the local farmer of east lungi para village of Kaukhali Upazilla of Rangamati District, thuishangma marma and sikkaling, prefers Bangabandhu dhan100, BRRI dhan 74 and BRRI dhan 96 respectively.

The local farmer of vuyachari block of Sadar Upazilla of Khagrachhari District, Md. Mofizal, prefers Bangabandhu dhan100, BRRI dhan 88 and BRRI dhan 96 respectively.

Md. Faridul Islam, a member of the local union council of Mahalchhari Upazilla, is happy to cultivate these high-yielding varieties himself. He prefers to cultivate Bangabandhu Dhan-100, BRRI Dhan-98, and BRRI Dhan-64 varieties and hopes to cultivate more land on a large scale in the coming season.

All those present at the sample harvesting event expressed their gratitude to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for organizing these demonstration in the hilly areas to ensure food security and called upon the concerned authorities to hold such demonstration again in future.

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