Rice research shines light of hope against Monga

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In an effort to find out a way to alleviate monga in the northern region, Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) has become successful in the research of producing hybrid rice in the shortest possible time from paddy ratoons, a process which also allows farmers to have two yields of rice from one batch of planted seeds.
The organisation with assistance from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) carried out the research on the site of a proposed university campus for RDRS at Monthona under the Sadar upazila.

Ratoons are shoots that grow up from the bases of crop plants after the previous growths have been harvested. RDRS planted paddy ratoons in late June and harvested the crop on September 7.

The production rate of rice from ratoons is 3.5 tons or 1500kg per hectare of land. The yield is as much as any other hybrid rice, agriculturists of RDRS claim. RDRS wishes to introduce the new technique of cultivating hybrid rice among farmers of the region during the next rice season.

Hamid Mia, chief of IRRI, Bangladesh also former director general of BRRI said ratoon rice is not a new variety.

“Farmers can now produce hybrid rice at least twice after buying seeds only once. The second time they can get a yield from the ratoons. It is not a new variety,” said Hamid Mia. “After Boro crop is harvested, farmers can again plant the ratoons in a field and the day labourers of northern region can stay employed during the monga season,” Hamid Mia added.

Only hybrid rice can be cultivated from ratoons, according to agricultural experts. Agricultural Coordinator of RDRS MG Neogi told The Daily Star that cultivation of hybrid rice using the technique is profitable in many ways.

First of all, he said, it can be harvested in the shortest possible time. “No rice other than ratoon rice can be harvested in 75 to 80 days. It takes 90 to 120 to produce a yield of hybrid rice cultivated from seeds,” he added. He claimed that cultivation of hybrid rice from ratoons may curtail production cost by 50 percent and the farmers may use the savings to purchase seeds and to prepare seedbeds.

RDRS carried out the research to find out a way for alleviating monga (near famine situation) in the northern region, he said. He explained that now the farmers may harvest hybrid rice in September also and may cultivate robi crops during October and November, creating an opportunity for the agricultural day labourers to stay employed through the monga season.

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