Agrilife24.com:"Biofortified Zinc Rice Award, 2022" was held on December 20, 2022 in the hall of Agargaon Tourism Building. The event was organized by Directorate General of Food under the ministry of Food in collaboration with GAIN and HarvestPlus. Mr. Sadhan Chandra Majumder MP, Minister of Food was present as the chief guest in the said award ceremony. Mr. Md. Ismiel Hossain ndc, Secretary of the Ministry of Food presided over the event.
GAIN's Country Director Dr. Rudaba Khondker and portfolio lead Mr. Ashek Mahfuz delivered the welcome speech. Officials of various levels of Ministry of Food, Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate General of Food, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Journalists and distinguished guests from various professions were present in the event.
GAIN Bangladesh and HarvestPlus have been working in the country since 2019 to expand Biofortified Zinc Rice varieties developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture at the field level. In the meantime, some varieties of zinc enriched rice especially BRRIdan74, BRRIdhan84, BRRIdhan20 and Bangabandhudhan100 have gained popularity in different districts of the country. Considering the nutritional value of zinc rice, the Food Department procured the biofortified zinc rice from farmers and rice millers in the country from 2021 Boro season in first time.
Additional Director General of Directorate General of Food Mr. Abdullah Al Mamun and Director (Procurement) Mr. Md. Raihanul Kabir spoke on the occasion highlighting the importance of biofortified zinc rice collection. With a view to wide expansion of bio-fortified zinc rice in the country in the coming days, 11 farmers from different regions of the country, 3 rice mills and 10 officials of different levels of food department involved in production, milling and collection of bio-fortified zinc rice in the last Boro season, 2021 were given special honors in the event. The Chief Guest of the event, Food Minister handed over the crest to the selected farmers, rice mills and officials of the Food Department.
Director General of Food Mr. Md Shakhawat Hossain, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Mr. Benojir Alam, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Ruhul Amin Talukdar, Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Dr. Md. Shahjahan Kabir, Member Director of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Mr. Md. Mostafizur Rahman and Director of Bangladesh National Nutrition Council Dr. Jubaida Nasrin were present as special guest.
After giving the award, the food minister said, we are distributing fortified rice to 30 to 32 lakh poor people. But if the cultivation of biofortified varieties of rice increases in the country, we will be able to feed the people of the country with biofortified zinc enriched rice free of cost and the zinc malnutrition of the marginal people of the country will be removed. He also said that the coarse rice is being polished by the auto rice mill and as a result we are not getting the nutrients present on the surface of the rice. He requested the Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute to increase the various nutrients in all the varieties discovered in the future.
At the award ceremony, various speakers said that the country is self-sufficient in food and the country's food security is secured today due to the timely planning and proper direction of the agriculture-friendly government and the adoption of various encouraging activities. The government's agriculture related institutions are committed to ensure safe and nutritious food for every people of the country in future. GAIN Bangladesh is working with various departments under the Ministry of Food and Ministry of Agriculture, HarvestPlus, to extend zinc rich rice varieties with nutritional considerations. The food department has started direct procurement of zinc paddy from farmers and will purchase more zinc paddy in next season.
Speakers also said that by eating zinc-rich rice, it is possible to fill 75% of the zinc required by the human body. It is noteworthy here that 5 crore people in the country are deficient in zinc. Among them, women and children are suffering from zinc deficiency and due to lack of zinc the growth and development of children's body is stunted. Therefore, there is a need for rapid expansion of zinc rich rice varieties in the country. Farmer representatives, millers, field officers of food department among others presented their experiences on zinc rice in the event.
