New variant rice beneficial for diabetic patients

After years of testing, the high-yielding rice variant “BRRI dhan 105” was given approval for commercial production in Boro season by the National Seed Board on Thursday. The new variant, developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), has a low glycemic index (GI) score, meaning it causes a slower rise in blood sugar levels which is good for diabetic patients.
Unlike other high-GI rice, this variant slows down digestion which means a slower glucose release. The GI ranks food on a scale from 0 to 100. The scores indicate the effect of the food on blood sugar levels. The GI separates food containing carbohydrates into three general categories — high (70 and above), medium (56-69), and low (55 and lower). The BRRI dhan 105 has a GI score of 55.
Khandakar Md Iftekharuddaula, head of BRRI’s Plant Breeding Division, said BRRI dhan 28 and BRRI dhan 29 are cultivated during the Boro season in about 40 percent of rice fields. The average cost of producing a kilogramme of rice is Tk 27.10; the BRRI dhan 105 will cost the same. The average grain yield of BRRI dhan 105 is 7.6 tonnes per hectare compared to 6 tonnes per hectare of Balam rice.
This rice was first cultivated in 2006 in Cumilla on a test basis. Its yield and adaptivity were tested in 2017 and 2018 at the farmers’ level. The National Seed Board on Thursday also gave approval to BRRI dhan 106, a high-yielding rice variety suitable for non-saline tidal submergence areas.
Indeed, this is good news for our agriculture and the economy. Amid the country’s widespread non-communicable diseases, the rice variety will provide food supplements for diabetic patients.
We hope that this brand of rice will be widely available and reasonably priced.