Rice grown by a woman in a remote part of Bagerhat has caused a stir. More than 1,100 grains have been found on a single panicle, and the yield is double that of the varieties now grown in the country. Because it was grown on Fatema Begum's land, it has already become known locally as "Fatema rice".

Everything about Fatema rice, from the plant and yield to the leaves and panicles, is completely different from any other variety. One seedling is planted per hill, which grows into 8 to 12 tillers. Each plant is 115 to 130 centimetres tall, and each panicle is 36 to 40 centimetres long with 1,000 to 1,200 grains weighing 30 to 35 grams. The leaves are 88 centimetres long, the flag leaf 44 centimetres, and the leaves are an inch and a half wide. The stem and leaves look much like sugarcane and are very sturdy, so there is no risk of the plants lodging in storms and rain. Fatema rice yields about 130 maunds an acre, which sets it apart from any other variety.

On Friday, a crowd was seen at Fatema Begum's home in Chakulia village. People had come from far away to buy seed of her rice, and some went to look at the field where it was grown. But the seed had run out a few days earlier, so buyers were going home empty-handed.

Fatema Begum said that during the Boro season of 2016, while harvesting hybrid Aftab-5 rice on land next to her house, she noticed three panicles of a different kind. They were much bigger than the others and carried far more grains. She took the three panicles home, dried and processed them and kept them as seed. The following year she asked her son Lebuat to grow the rice, and that year they got two and a half kilograms. This year, after planting a larger area, the rice has been abundant and has caused a stir beyond the area. The rice looks like BRRI dhan28.

Lebuat Sheikh said that this year they grew the rice separately on about 42 decimals within a one-and-a-half-bigha fish enclosure beside the house. They gave it the same ordinary care as other rice, applying 20 kg of urea and 30 kg of potash in two doses and spraying pesticide twice against insects. The plants are much taller than other varieties and the panicles much bigger, with 1,000 to 1,100 grains each. The land produced about 2,600 kg of rice. After keeping some seed for themselves, they sold the rice at Tk 400 a kg, earning Tk 7 lakh 20 thousand. People came from Sylhet, Rajshahi, Satkhira, Khulna and other places to buy it.

Md Solaiman Ali, sub-assistant agriculture officer for the Maskata block in Fakirhat, said they supervised the rice after it was planted, and the grower followed their advice.

Farmer Riazul Islam said that after being inspired by Fatema rice on YouTube, he waited about six months before collecting seed from the mother of Bagerhat farmer Lebuat. He first planted it on 75 decimals of his land at a total cost of just Tk 10,000, and hopes for about 95 to 100 maunds from the plot. He believes steps should be taken to spread the rice across the upazila. He hopes to profit from it and become self-reliant, and plans to plant more land with it this year.

Alfadanga Upazila Agriculture Officer Ripon Prasad Saha said the Fatema variety developed by the Bagerhat farmer has many special features. Its yield could astonish not only the country but the whole world, and it could help meet the country's food shortfall and even be exported. He said farmers in the upazila are being encouraged to grow more of it.

Source: Staff Correspondent. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.