BRRI Boosts Regional Rice Research Through Technology Villages
The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has embarked on a major initiative to advance region-specific rice varieties and technologies by establishing 15 "technology villages" under six newly formed regional offices. The move aims to strengthen existing laboratories and ensure faster dissemination of BRRI-developed innovations to farmers.
As part of the project, satellite stations are being established and research labs are being developed in the new regional offices. The initiative also includes the collection of local germplasm, production and preservation of high-quality seeds by farmers, and enhanced training for BRRI personnel, agricultural extension workers, and farmers to improve the yield of released BRRI rice varieties and ensure effective research and technology transfer.
These details were revealed on Saturday, 21 June, at a workshop held at the BRRI headquarters in Gazipur titled “Development of Location Specific Rice Varieties and Technologies and Strengthening of Existing Research Laboratories through Establishment of 6 New Regional Offices (LSTD).”
The LSTD project, which spans from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028, seeks to align BRRI’s core research activities with the evolving challenges of food and nutritional security amid climate change.
The workshop was presided over by BRRI Director General Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman. The chief guest was Md. Mahbubul Haque Patwary, Additional Secretary (Planning Division) of the Ministry of Agriculture. BRRI Research Director Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam and Director (Administration & General Services) Dr. Munnujan Khanam attended as special guests, while the keynote presentation was delivered by the project director, Dr. Md. Mofazzal Hossain.
According to the keynote, the LSTD project’s core objective is to support BRRI’s research in developing region-specific rice varieties and technologies that address the growing need for food and nutritional security in the face of climate change. In addition to establishing regional offices and satellite stations, the project also targets the development of six new location-specific rice varieties and 20 new technologies.
Efforts are being made to identify region-specific agricultural challenges—particularly in underdeveloped southern and hilly regions—and to develop practical solutions through applied research. The project also seeks to enhance the research capacity of BRRI’s 11 existing regional offices and upgrade laboratories in the newly established offices.
Through the creation of 15 technology villages across the country, BRRI aims to rapidly disseminate its innovations to farming communities. The keynote highlighted that one new rice variety is in the process of being developed and work on five new technologies is underway.
With assistance from BRRI’s regional offices and the Department of Agricultural Extension, 15 technology villages have already been selected. Within these villages, service providers have been appointed to demonstrate BRRI technologies and offer strategic services and training to farmers.
To promote the cultivation of BRRI’s high-yield Aman rice varieties, the institute has organized 165 field day programs and crop harvesting events for local farmers.
