Photo: Collected
Premier-quality basmati rice is usually imported from India-Pakistan. Rice is sold at the rate of Tk 300 to Tk 450 per kg in Super Soap. Biryani, polao, and sadabhat of this rice are very popular among the elite class people. Such aromatic and premier quality Basmati is produced in Gopalganj.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRI) has developed the Basmati rice variety Bridhan-104. This paddy rice will reduce the import dependence of Basmati from India-Pakistan. It will save foreign exchange. There is a huge demand for this rice in different countries of the world. If paddy cultivation increases, it will be possible to earn foreign currency by exporting rice abroad. Potentially Bridhan-104 will transform the country's agriculture into commercial agriculture. Mohammad Zahidul Islam, Chief and Senior Scientific Officer of Gopalganj Regional Office of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, gave this information.
The official said that in the current Boro season, farmers planted the Bridhan-104 variety in 3 demonstration plots in 3 plots of 300 percent in Gopalganj. The rice of those plots was cut, threshed, and weighed in front of agricultural scientists, extension officers, and farmers and it was found that this rice yielded 6.8 metric tons per hectare. If properly managed in a suitable environment, this variety is capable of yielding up to 8.71 tons per hectare. Disease and insect attacks in Bri rice 104 cultivation are much less than in conventional varieties.
Bri Gopalganj Regional Office Scientific Officer Srijan Chandra Das said Bri Dhan 104 has all the characteristics of modern Ufshi rice. The seeds can be saved for next year's cultivation. The average lifespan of the breed is 147 days. The average weight of 1 thousand nutritious rice is 21.5 grams. This variety is the only fragrant rice variety of Basmati-type brie. The amount of amylose in this rice grain is 29.2 percent. In addition, the protein content is 8.9 percent and the rice is neat. The quality of this rice is good i.e. the shape of the rice is extra long and thin (7.5 mm long) and the color is white.
Gopalganj Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Mafroza Akhter said Basmati rice of Bri Dhan 104 will transform our agriculture into commercial agriculture. It will be possible to earn a lot of foreign currency by exporting this paddy rice abroad. This paddy will increase the farmer's income several times. So we will encourage the farmers to expand this paddy cultivation.
Farmer Monir Gazi of Haridaspur village of Gopalganj Sadar Upazila said that by planting this rice on 100% land, we got about 7 tons of yield per hectare. This rice can be sold at a higher price. So I will profit from this paddy cultivation. Seeing the yield of rice in my field, the neighboring farmers expressed interest in this rice cultivation. I will plant this rice on 200 percent of the land next year.
Source: Online/GFMM
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