Trial cultivation of BINA dhan25 in Mirsarai, Chattogram, has produced a bumper yield, and the heavy crop in a short time has enthused local farmers. BINA dhan25 is a newly developed, premium-quality boro variety. The agriculture office says growing it as an alternative to basmati rice could cut imports of fine rice.

At the BINA dhan25 demonstration in Jamalpur village of Hinguli union, the panicles have a golden sheen, the plants stand in straight rows and every panicle carries fine grains. The crop will be ready to harvest in a week. Babul Kanti Majumder, Palash Dutta, Raju Majumder, Sumon Chandra Dey and Kamal Kanti Dey of Jamalpur grew BINA dhan25 on a trial basis on two acres under the PARTNER project, and they are smiling at the yield.

Farmer Palash Dutta said: "We received agricultural incentives and grew BINA-25 on two acres as a trial. This is the first time we have grown the new variety and the yield is bumper. Each panicle carries 300 to 350 grains, more than other varieties. With 20-25 maunds a bigha and a higher market price, we hope for a good profit."

According to the Mirsarai upazila agriculture office, the cluster technology demonstration (boro) of BINA dhan25 was grown in Mirsarai for the first time under the Programme on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship and Resilience in Bangladesh (PARTNER), with the support of the upazila Department of Agricultural Extension.

Demonstrations were held in Jamalpur in Hinguli union, Talbaria in Mirsarai Sadar union and Raipur in Durgapur union. In each, several farmers in partnership were given 20 kg of mother seed for 2 acres. The seed was supplied free to the beneficiary farmers for the trial.

Md Emranul Haque, a member of the Hinguli union parishad, said: "Many farmers here have been inspired by the trial BINA dhan25 demonstration of five farmers in Jamalpur. Because of the bumper yield the first time and the higher market price of this basmati alternative, many are showing interest in growing it."

Mirsarai upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said: "BINA dhan25 has given a bumper yield in trial cultivation in Mirsarai. This high-yielding paddy is premium quality and aromatic, and could be an alternative to basmati rice in the country. Farmers are being encouraged to grow it to diversify agriculture and to motivate them through good profits."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.