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The Minister
for Agriculture, Mr. M. K. Anwar, along with the Chinese Ambassador,
Mr. Chai Xi, visited BRAC’s Hybrid rice project in Sreepur in
Gazipur on Monday last. Other officials from the Ministry of Agriculture,
its affiliated organizations and the Chinese Embassy were present during
the visit. The visit was intended to brief the Minister about the prospects
and potentials of hybrid rice in increasing food-grain production in
Bangladesh. The first venue visited was Uzilabo, Sreepur where the visitors
saw Hybrid Rice Seed Production field; they then visited a Demonstration
Plot with experimental new breeds of hybrid rice in Dhalua, finally
visiting the BRAC Seed Processing Centre at Jainabazar.
Following the visit a discussion session
was held at the BRAC Centre for Development Management (BCDM) at Rajendrapur.
A detailed presentation was made about BRAC’s agricultural programme
with special emphasis on its hybrid rice seed production initiative
in Bangladesh in collaboration with the China National Hybrid Rice Research
& Development Centre (CNHRRDC). Mr. Quan Yong Ming, Deputy Director
of CNHRRDC apprised the meeting about their support to BRAC in this
matter. The Chinese Ambassador elaborated the successes achieved by
his country in the development of hybrid rice and the numerous gains
made by China in food grain production because of this new technology.
He assured all out support to Bangladesh in this area. The Honourable
Minister thanked BRAC for its valuable work towards achievement of food
security in the country and for organizing his visit to its hybrid rice
seed programme and expressed optimism about the positive role that hybrid
rice seeds can play in attaining food self-sufficiency in Bangladesh.
The Minister urged BRAC to increase its share of the seed market in
Bangladesh in the greater interest of the country. |
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