IRRI assures Bangladesh of strengthening cooperation in increasing rice production

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has assured of strengthening its cooperation and activities in increasing rice production and productivity in Bangladesh, as it has adopted a five-year work plan to this end.

The assurance came as an IRRI delegation called on Agriculture Minister Md Abdus Shahid at his Secretariat Office in Dhaka on Monday.

IRRI’s Asia Regional Director Jongsoo Shin, IRRI Bangladesh Representative Dr Humnath Bhandari, Executive Director Mohammed Shaheen Bhuiya and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Director General Shahjahan Kabir were present.

Noting that unless food security is ensured, a country faces various problems, the agriculture minister said Bangladesh has no food deficiency now.

But as the population is increasing in Bangladesh and it has to host Rohingya people, food production should be increased to ensure food security in the days to come, he said.

Abdus Shahid said the government’s target is to enhance production, and if production can be increased, problems like hoarding and the creation of artificial crises won’t exist.

The IRRI delegation said they are prioritising the production of high-yielding, short-duration, and quality rice varieties.

The innovation of climate-tolerant and nutritious rice varieties is becoming important to this end, they said.