Dark ears of rice are swaying among green paddy in Golok Pratimachhara, Panchhari upazila, Khagrachhari, where young entrepreneur Enamul Haque has grown black rice on a trial basis on 12 decimals of his own land. Local people say it is the first attempt to grow black rice in Panchhari.
Enamul bought seed paddy in Bogura at Tk 500 a kilogram, raised a seedbed on his land and transplanted the seedlings. The plants are now putting out dark ears, some of them large and well filled, and he expects a good harvest.
Twelve decimals could give four maunds of paddy, Enamul said. By his account black rice is in good demand and fetches a good price, Tk 250 to 350 a kilogram of rice, and is also sought for its nutritional value. If the yield meets his hopes he plans to grow it on a larger scale next year.
Upazila agriculture officer Rashidul Kabir said the black rice grown in Panchhari has yielded well. It is a highly nutritious rice, he said, and farmers would earn more if its cultivation spreads; the agriculture office will give farmers technical support and advice to expand it.
Sub-assistant agriculture officer Nayantu Chakma said Enamul brought the seed from another district. He described it as a new variety developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and a high-value crop that can make farmers a profit.
Photo: Koba-chan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5); a representative picture of a black rice field
Source: Samakal
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