Debut of new Zinc Rice seed business in Northern Bangladesh

Senior Staff Reporter, Rangpur :
A daylong discussion meeting on zinc rice seed value chain actors was arranged by HarvestPlus on 12, 13 and 15 this month in Lalmonirhat and Thakurgaon under its Commercialization of Biofortified Crops (CBC) Program. The objective of those events was to create a connection between local zinc rice seed producers, seed companies, seed dealers, retailers, BADC, zinc rice commercial producers and other market chain actors. It will ensure the commercial production and marketing of zinc rice immensely thus helping to create a sustainable market and mitigate the deficiency of zinc micronutrients in the communities of Bangladesh. On those events, district level government officials (BADC, SCA and DAE), HarvestPlus authorities presented simultaneously.
On the eve of the discussion, Assistant Deputy Director of BADC, Lalmonirhat district said, “There is a huge demand for Zinc dhan74 BRRI dhan74 variety in our region. Apart from BADC and national level seed companies, now more than 30 local companies have made their debut in this region with whom they have approximately 1,100 metric tons of zinc rice seeds ready for marketing in 2022-23 Boro season.
Special thanks to HarvestPlus and CBC Program for working together with us especially in expansion and commercialization of zinc rice”.
Approximately 120 seed producers, seed company owners, seed dealers, retailers, NGO representatives, journalists and commercial producers of zinc rice participated in the said event in Lalmonirhat and Thakurgaon. The presented guests treated BRRI dhan74 as a mega variety due to high disease resistance, good yield, high market value, tasty to eat, good yield even late, the farmers of northern part are now preferring zinc rice BRRI dhan74 during Boro season.