Bangladesh releases two new hybrid rice varieties

Bangladesh government has released two new hybrid rice varieties - BADC Hybrid Dhan 2 and Buyer Hybrid Dhan 4.

 

Of the two varieties, BADC Hybrid Dhan 2 has been sourced from China and can yield up to 6.5-7.2 tons per hectare; and Buyer Hybrid Dhan 4 has been sourced from India and can yield up to 6-6.5 tons per hectare, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

 

Currently, yield from hybrid rice varieties is about 4.7 tons per hectare. The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Seed Wing noted that currently, production from hybrid seeds in the country is very meager (about 10%-12% total production) and the government is keen increasing it significantly in the years to come by. He noted that the government is also keen on reducing agricultural land and at the same time ensure food security in the country.

 

Of the total 132 hybrid paddy introduced in the country, six were developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), two were developed by the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and the rest were developed by private companies, he added.

 

Bangladesh produced around 34.449 million tons of the rice, basis milled, in FY 2013-14 (July-June), up about 2.7% from around 33.833 million tons produced in FY 2012-13, according to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) data.

 

USDA estimates Bangladesh to produce around 34.6 million tons of milled rice in FY 2014-15 (May-April), up about 1% from an estimated 34.39 million tons in FY 2013-14. It estimated Bangladesh to import around 500,000 tons of rice in 2015, down about 26% from an estimated 678,000 tons in 2014.