The variety yielded 6 tonnes a hectare and ripens a month and a half earlier than conventional aman rice.

Farmers in Gopalganj have increased their income by growing BINA dhan16, a short-duration, high-yielding early aman variety developed by the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA). As it allows three to four crops a year, farmers have become keen on growing this profitable variety.

According to the BINA Gopalganj sub-station, the rice has been grown for at least five years in Gopinathpur, Suktail and Jalabad unions of Sadar upazila and Maheshpur, Bethuri and Fukra unions of Kashiani upazila. This year 300 farmers in the district grew BINA dhan16 on 150 hectares. The variety yielded 6 tonnes a hectare and ripens a month and a half earlier than conventional aman.

Suman Khan, a farmer from Paikerdanga village in Gopalganj Sadar upazila, said: "Conventional aman gives a maximum yield of 3.5 tonnes. I planted BINA dhan16 in July and it ripened in 100 days. We are now harvesting the ripe crop. This variety yielded 6 tonnes a hectare. Along with the bumper yield, we can sell the straw at a higher price. By growing this short-duration rice we are profiting from three to four crops a year on the same land."

Mahatab Uddin, a farmer from the same village, said: "BINA dhan16 yields well and takes less time to produce. The grain is fine and sells at a slightly higher price in the market. So I will keep growing this profitable rice."

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Debdas Mallik said: "BINA dhan16 is short-duration and high-yielding. Farmers began growing it five years ago with seed from the BINA Gopalganj sub-station. They save the seed and expand cultivation every year, which is raising their income. That is why this variety has become popular among farmers."

Robiul Islam Akanda, inspector and scientific officer at the BINA Gopalganj sub-station, said: "We are carrying out field research for the development of farmers and agriculture. Our efforts to commercialise agriculture continue, and we are getting a positive response from farmers. So farmers are raising their income by taking our seed, technology, advice and training."

Dr Mirza Mofazzal Islam, director general of BINA, said: "We want to double farmers' income by 2030 by increasing crop intensity. We are working so that farmers can raise their income through year-round cropping and change their socio-economic condition. So by encouraging farmers to grow BINA dhan16, we are giving technical support and techniques to grow three crops on two-crop land and four crops on three-crop land while keeping the soil fertile."

Source: Dhaka Tribune. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.