Editorial
Rice revolution
Congrats to BRRI
ON the heels of the good news regarding advancement in jute cultivation, that will see the moribund sector revitalised, we have another very good tiding, this time in the rice sector. The National Seed Board will approve today a new variety of rice that will have a high content of zinc. In fact two new varieties of high-zinc content rice for two different seasons are ready for release.
The development is phenomenal, and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute deserves our compliments for presenting the nation with yet another variety of rice that will not only be high in yield but will also contain between 20 and 22 parts per million of zinc. That is 30 percent more of zinc than in other varieties of rice. And even more heartening is that these varieties will mature early. We can rightly take pride in the fact that Bangladeshi breeders have left their Indian counterparts behind in this regard.
The outcome of this development will have a salutary impact on the growth of children in Bangladesh. Given that nearly 44 percent children under the age of five in the country are at risk of zinc deficiency, this variety of rice will help prevent stunted growth of children.
This is yet another example where dedicated research has brought unimaginable dividends to the country. We would implore the government to continue promoting research and development with increase investment, particularly in the field of food grains development that will be able to meet the country's requirement of not only food but nutrition also.
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