Md Rakibul Haque, a 28-year-old entrepreneur from Dighanbari village in Bochaganj upazila of Dinajpur, has grown a Vietnamese black rice variety on 33 decimals of leased land. Upazila nirbahi officer Md Maruf Hasan said this is the first time the rice has been grown in Bochaganj.

Rakibul became interested after watching a documentary on black rice on YouTube. He then contacted the Khamarbari agriculture complex in Dhaka and other agriculture offices, and two agriculturists at farms in Gazipur and Rajshahi taught him the method. He bought seed from a seed store in Gazipur in mid-June, raised a seedbed and, in the first week of July, transplanted 20-to-22-day-old seedlings with the help of two labourers.

Land was the first hurdle. His father, Aminul Haque, knew nothing about black rice and refused to give him any, so he leased a plot. Aminul now says his son has made a stir in the area and that he will give him as much land as he needs in future.

Rakibul expects 20 to 22 maunds of paddy from this first crop and, with the yield and price he hopes for, sales of about Tk 3 lakh. He says it is grown like any other rice, with no extra fertiliser, water or special care. The panicles are longer than ordinary rice, and both paddy and grain are black. The aim this season is to test yield, market demand and whether buyers exist; if it goes well he plans to grow it on a larger scale.

Upazila agriculture officer Nayan Kumar Saha said black rice is rich in antioxidants, anthocyanin, fibre and iron and is called a “superfood” for its nutritional value. UNO Maruf Hasan said that, produced and marketed properly, it could be a profitable crop.

Md Afzal Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Dinajpur, said he visited Rakibul's field a few days earlier. The rice is in high demand in Chinese restaurants, he said, and the department is waiting to see Rakibul's results in the hope that more young people take up this high-value crop.

The special report was filed by BSS from Dinajpur.

Source: BSS