Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation held a workshop on ‘community seed bank and adaptive research’ at the seminar hall of the BADC in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The workshop, organised with the funding of BADC’s partner project and at the initiative of the research cell, was attended by professors of Gazipur Agricultural University with expertise in the relevant field, representatives of various agriculture-related organisations, heads of various departments and wings of BADC, and field-level officials, said a press release.
Attending the workshop as chief guest, BADC chairman Md Ruhul Amin Khan said that the role of BADC in the overall agricultural management of the country was undeniable.
‘BADC is also currently playing a strong role in the field of research as per its mandate. So far, 39 varieties of crops and fruits have been released through the research cell and research activities are currently underway on 14 subjects.’
The BADC chairman further said that 10 community seed banks had been launched through BADC. ‘BADC is working to restore almost extinct local varieties through the community seed bank and necessary research activities are underway to restore 70 local rice varieties.’
Stating that research activities are underway at three seed breeding farms on varieties such as Kataribhog, Kalijira, Tulsimala, Rataboro and Gainja, he said, ‘Cultivation of local rice suitable for the region is still being done on a limited scale in different regions of the country.’
If research activities continue through the community seed bank, farmers will also be more encouraged to cultivate this field in addition to restoring local varieties, he mentioned.
