'Quality seeds can up paddy yields by 3.2m tons a year'

Bangladesh currently produces 37.5 million tons of paddy each year.

The additional produce could meet the demand for rice of the growing population for seven years, said the survey presented at a workshop in the city.

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Mahbub Hossain, head of social science division of Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (Irri), conducted the survey under the Seed Health Improvement Project (Ship).

The Irri has been implementing the five-year project since 1999 in collaboration with Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural University, Rural Development Academy, Bogra, Brac, Proshika, Care, Grameen Krishi Foundation and Wave.

Hossain said the amount of rice produced by the trained farmers under the project was higher by 0.7 tons per hectare in the amon season and by 0.43 tons per hectare in the boro season than the rice yield produced by the traditional farmers.

Agriculture Minister MK Anwar appreciated the project findings and urged the farmers to use healthy seeds for crop production.

According to BRRI Director General M Mahiul Haque, the project was taken to assess the quality of seeds produced by the farmers, estimate the yields from quality seeds and impart training to women on improved method of selection, drying and preservation of seeds.

A total of 14,000 farmers have been trained in the last four and a half years under the Tk 100 crore project.

Tarik Hassan, director general of Department of Agriculture Extension, and Noel P Magor, IRRI representative, also spoke at the workshop held at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (Barc).