In this first hundred bigha land in Sharankhola of Bagerhat, there has been a bumper yield of BRRI-7 hybrid rice which are more productive than other varieties of the current planting season. The amount of paddy produced per bigha of land is 25 maunds. which is more than the target. Besides, other farmers cultivated other hybrid varieties of paddy with same amount of land and got yield of only 15 maunds. The farmers are now shocked to see this difference. Upazila Agriculture Officer Debbrat Sarkar said that through the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Gopalganj office, seeds of BRRI-7 hybrid rice were given free of cost to 110 demonstration farmers in the central Khontakata area of the upazila during the sowing season. Due to the regular maintenance of the farmers with the advice of the agriculture department, there is a flood of happiness among the farmers because of the bumper yield.
Harvesting of paddy began on Tuesday with a ceremonial crop cutting and field day ceremony in a festive atmosphere to bring home the golden harvest of farmers' hard work. Bagerhat District Agriculture Extension Directorate deputy director agriculturist Azizur Rahman presided over the virtual chief guest of the field day was Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Director General Dr Mohammad Shahjahan Kabir. Sharankhola upazila executive officer Noor-e Alam Siddiqui, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute's Gopalganj regional office head of cauliflower and seed division senior scientific officer Mohammad Zahidul Islam was the special guest. Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Debbrat Sarkar, Deputy Assistant Plant Conservation Officer Mostafa Moshiul Alam Babu and Farmer Ah Haq Member spoke among others.
Abdus Salam, the leading farmer of this demonstration field, said that 58 maunds of rice were grown in his 2 bigha land. I have never seen it in my age with such paddy yield. We are very happy to get this yield. Our neighboring farmers have grown only 15 maunds of paddy per bigha by cultivating paddy with other hybrid varieties. After seeing our production, those who cultivated other varieties of paddy are now regretting it. He demanded to supply such rice to the farmers from the agriculture department in the future.
Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Gopalganj Regional Office Mohammad Zahidul Islam said, BRRI-7 is the first hybrid rice variety of Aush season. The breed was developed by maternal line (IRRI) and paternal line BRRI. The National Seed Board has cleared this rice as BRRI-7 in 2020 for cultivation in Khulna, Chittagong and Rangpur regions during the aush season. More than 100 farmers in Madhya Khontakata area of the upazila have distributed BRRI-7 demonstration seeds funded by the High Yielding Hybrid Rice and Research Modernization Project. With the help of Sarankhola Agriculture Department and the proper monitoring and sincerity of the farmers, the cultivated land has yielded expected bumpers. which is higher than the target level.
This rice contains amylose 23% and protein 10%. Slightly salt tolerant, less disease and insect attack than conventional varieties. Due to the short life of this type of rice, the price is high due to the demand because the rice is thin and the rice is neat. plays an important role in ensuring food security. Two thousand TK per bigha of straw is sold. During the current Aman season, it has been distributed among farmers in different upazilas of Gopalganj, Bagerhat and Narail districts.
