Staff Correspondent, Khulna

A Farmers’ Field Day (FFD) was organized to display the farming of BRRI Dhan-102 by Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation and Urea Super Granule (USG) fertilizer method with the initiative of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) at Koyra upazila in Khulna.

During a discussion, farmers stated that using AWD technology requires minimal irrigation which helps to reduce cost. Deputy Assistant Plan Conservation Officer Sukdeb Kumar Sadhu also spoke at the event and focused on this method not only conserving water but also improving root development, reducing methane emissions and making rice cultivation more climate friendly. Assistant Agricultural Officer Md Zakir Hossain said that USG fertilizer application is equally important that leads to reducing fertilizer loss and increasing yield.

The project has been implemented in 16 unions of Dacope and Koyra upazilas under Khulna district.  The project is working directly with 128 farmers groups and 32 youth groups with around 4000 participants. This initiative is being supported by the Climate Action at Local Level (CALL) project, implemented by Uttaran. The program is managed by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and funded by Switzerland Embassy of Bangladesh.

Farmers said that compared to traditional fertilizer uses, USG significantly lowers fertilizer expenses while improving productivity with high growth in paddy panicles, filled grains. They expect a yield of 27-28 mounds per bigha. Agricultural officers are astonished by the result while others field expects 22-23 mounds per bigha comparatively.

Participating in farmers recently shared their experiences and expressed satisfaction with the visible benefits. The reduced production cost combined with higher yield potential has motivated them to adopt the AWD & USG technologies in the coming seasons.

Besides, Md. Lutfar Rahman, Acting Chairman of Koyra Sadar, GM Altab Hossain, Upazila Manager of the CALL Project also attended the program.  The Farmers’ Field Day concluded with a strong commitment from the community to expand the use of AWD and USG technologies. The event highlighted how modern, climate-resilient practices can improve farmers’ livelihoods while protecting natural resources.

As part of the ongoing climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive agricultural initiatives, a Farmers’ Field Day was organized at the demonstration plot of farmer Md. Asadul Islam in 2 No. Koyra Sadar union under Koyra upazila of Khulna district. The event celebrated the successful harvesting of the bio-fortified, zinc-enriched BRRI dhan-102 variety cultivated using Guti Urea technology.

BRRI Dhan 102, a newly developed rice variety developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and approved by the National Seed Board along with several other high-yielding rice varieties for cultivation is Bangladesh which is gaining attention among farmers and agricultural officers.

Agricultural experts called it has been designed to help address micronutrient deficiencies particularly zinc deficiency among the people which remains public health concerns recently that creates attention among farmers and agricultural experts. Agricultural experts have encouraged grassroots farmers to expand the cultivation bio fortified zinc rice, particularly BRRI Dhan 102 to strengthen nutrition security and improve farmers productivity across the country.

FFD brought together local farmers, agricultural officers, Union Parishad Chairman and Member, community leaders to observe the promising results of climate-smart rice production, which is resistant to salinity, stress tolerant and capable of good yields with nominal irrigation.

The BRRI Dhan 102 demonstration plots with AWD and USG technology uses attracted significant attention due to its healthy crop stand and visible reduction in water usage compared to control/conventional rice fields. Farmers expressed enthusiasm as they walked through the field observing the strong panicles, filled grains and improved plant growth.

CALL project supports farmers with technical training, seeds, fertilizers, demonstration plots, required technical support, alongside coordination with Government agricultural agencies.

The specific objectives of the project are people and communities benefit from improved climate actions and better management of climate and disaster risks, local system actors undertake the actions, sharing knowledge and evidence-based advocacy to strengthen climate governance mechanism in Bangladesh.

Key project activities include enhancing the effectiveness climate resilient agricultural practices such as micronutrient enrich & saline tolerant vegetables cultivation, integrated farming system, home stead and year round vegetables, Beta Carotene enriched Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) cultivation, hermetic storage to reduce post-harvest loss, eat well live well campaign, matchmaking among farmers, input and output buyers and community MSME based business collaboration.

It also emphases increasing awareness about climate change impacts, forming and facilitating the Multi-stakeholders Platform (MSP) at 16 Unions Parishad and strengthening close coordination with relevant government departments like agriculture, livestock and fisheries.  Youth groups are empowered through training, campaigns and e-learning so that they can help farmers using agricultural apps and mobile applications to manage crop disease and pests.