Hybrid rice spells crop disaster in Noakhali

Farmers in Bangladesh who planted imported Chinese hybrid rice seeds are suffering massive crop losses. Meanwhile, China's leading hybrid rice seed company, Yuan Longping Hightech Agriculture is pursuing investments in Zambia and Brazil.

Thousands of farmers are struggling to stomach a massive crop loss of hybrid rice 'Jhalak' in Noakhali district.The district's Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said Jhalak was cultivated on 1,665 hectares of land, of which crops of 465 hectares were entirely ruined and that of the rest partially.

DAE officials and importer of Chinese-origin Jhalak paddy seed, Energypac Agro Ltd, blamed fluctuating temperature and blast disease for the debacle.  The officials said the district's Boro rice production target would fall short by at least 2000 tonnes this season due to the setback.  A visit to the area last week revealed that flower-spikes of most of the plants in the field have dried or are drying before the paddy ripened. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers