Photo: BSS

DINAJPUR, May 31, 2025 (BSS) – The experimental cultivation of high-yielding and zinc-enriched BRRI-102 rice this year resulted a good yield, stirring up hope among local farmers.

This newly developed quality of Boro variety rice has shown promising outcomes. As such, agriculturists and rice researchers are hoping that the cultivation of this rice will bring a revolution in the agriculture sector. 

Deputy Director (Research and Training) of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Md. Anisuzzaman told BSS that the Agriculture Department has cultivated BRRI-102 variety of Boro rice, developed by the Agriculture Department, on 220 hectares of land in the district this year on an experimental basis. 

Dinajpur Women's Multipurpose Education Center (MBSK) implemented this program with the funding and technical assistance of the PKSF Agriculture Unit. 

The BRRI-102 variety of rice was cultivated experimentally in six upazilas of the district -- Sadar, Birol, Chirir Bandar, Khansama, Kaharol and Phulbari.

Farmers have achieved great success in cultivating the newly invented BRRI-102 variety of rice. 

Farmer Md. Golam Mostafa has cultivated this variety of rice on 50 decimal of land in a demonstration plot in Danihari village of Kamalpur union in Sadar upazila. According to him, the yield of this rice on one decimal of land has been more than one maund. 

The Agriculture Department said that so far this variety has given the highest yield among the thin rice varieties. In addition, this new variety of rice does not have diseases and pests like other conventional varieties of rice. The rice of the variety is neat and delicious to eat. 

The Agriculture Department hopes that farmers will benefit from cultivating this high-yielding rice. 

Hossain Md. Abu Sufian, agriculture officer of Sadar upazila MBSK, said few farmers have cultivated the new high-yielding and zinc-rich variety BRRI-102 for the first time in Sadar upazila. The cost of cultivating this variety of rice is low.

Diseases are also comparatively very low. This rice can be cultivated as an alternative to BRRI Dhan-29 or Chikon variety. 

He said that many farmers have been inspired by the cultivation of this new variety of rice due to its high yield. 

This time, some farmers have cultivated this high-yielding variety in their land. Seeing the high yield of this new variety of rice, I hope that many farmers will cultivate this rice on their land in the future, he added.

Md. Golam Mostafa, a farmer from Danihari village in Kamalpur union of Sadar upazila, said, "This time I have cultivated this new variety of rice on one and a half bighas, or 50 decimal of land. This long and thin variety of rice has given the highest yield in my demonstration plot. I have never seen such a high yield of thin rice in my life before. It is safe to say that there are no diseases or pests in this rice cultivation. Next year, I will cultivate this new variety of rice on 3 bighas of land."

Seeing the high yield of this new variety of rice, many farmers have showed their interest in cultivating it next year.

Deputy Director of DAE Md. Afzal Hossain said the high-yielding and zinc-rich new variety of rice, BRRI-102, was cultivated experimentally by motivating farmers.

“I hope that the farmers will be motivated by seeing the high yield in this experimental rice cultivation. Next year, the cultivation of this new variety of thin rice will also increase,” he said.

He said that on January 18, 2022, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute released the zinc-rich high-yielding BRRI-102 variety of rice for cultivation during Boro season. 

Since then, experimental cultivation started across the country to increase the production of this thin rice. So far, farmers have obtained high yields in cultivating BRRI-102 variety in all districts. 

In the next Boro season, the seeds of BRRI-102 variety of rice will be sold to farmers from BRDC Seed Division of the Agriculture Department.