Production and marketing of zinc rich rice should be strengthened to meet the nutritional needs. The Department of Agriculture is working to motivate stakeholders in the production and marketing of zinc-rich rice. It will be possible to meet the nutritional needs through this rice production.

There is no alternative to producing zinc-rich rice to meet the nutritional needs Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md Yusuf Rana Mondal was speaking at the workshop on “Biofortified Zinc Paddy Production and Increase Consumption” organized by Harvest Plus Bangladesh at the convention hall of Hotel Mom Inn in Bogura on Wednesday.

Joint-Director of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Rangpur and Rajshahi Region Md Delwar Hossain,  Deputy-Country Manager of Harvest Plus Bangladesh Dr. MA Salek, Food Control Officer Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, TMSS Board Advisor Ayesha Begum and others spoke in the workshop.

Abu Hanifa, CBC Project Co-ordinator of Harvest Plus gave a multimedia presentation. Top officials and researchers of the Department of Agriculture took part in the workshop. They also expressed their views in the workshop.

Dr. Khairul Basar said that the need for zinc for human body is immense. Zinc-rich rice is playing a leading role in ensuring nutrition for all. To meet the nutritional needs, zinc rich rice production should be spread all over the country. Every year, 36 percent of children and 57 percent of women suffer from malnutrition due to zinc deficiency.

In addition, 44 percent of adolescents are getting shorter due to zinc deficiency. This picture has come up in the research of Harvest Plus Bangladesh. Experts are focusing on the production and supply of zinc-rich foods. It is possible to meet the nutritional needs through the production of zinc rich rice.

According to the workshop, cultivation of two varieties of zinc rich rice has started in the country. Another variety of paddy will soon reach the farmer stage. Among the farmers in North Bengal, interest in cultivating zinc-rich Bri-74 and Bri-84 varieties of paddy has increased.