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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