By Abdur Rob, from Netrakona

As part of efforts to identify native rice varieties suitable for the region during the upcoming Boro 2025 season, farmers in Netrakona selected eight preferred rice varieties at a Farmer Field Day event. The event was organized under the guidance of BARCIK as part of its “Farmer led Applied Research” initiative and included participation from farmers across various upazilas in the district.

After closely observing 40 experimental plots, the farmers selected varieties based on criteria such as plant height, panicle length, grain quality, disease resistance, and land type suitability (low, medium, and high lands). The selected varieties were: June-T, M-252, DS-03, DS-04, Jira, Churaikka, Bashful, and Puitta Aijong.

Among these, four varieties (June-T, M-252, DS-03, DS-04) were bred in the Philippines and are seen as potential alternatives to BRRI-28 and BRRI-29. The remaining four are local varieties known for their good yield, fine grain quality, and resistance to pests and diseases. Farmers expressed keen interest in cultivating these varieties during the Boro 2026 season.

A total of 21 farmers from Netrakona Sadar, Atpara, Kalmakanda, Madan, Kendua, and Tarakanda upazilas of Mymensingh participated in the field day. Following the field visits, a discussion session was held, chaired by farmer Syed Ahmed Khan Bacchu, during which participants shared their experiences and opinions on which varieties are most suitable for which types of land.

During the discussion, farmers highlighted that they are often deceived by market-dependent seed companies citing examples of overpriced, adulterated, or disease-infected seeds. This has made them more interested in producing and conserving native seeds themselves, to establish seed sovereignty and reduce dependency on external markets. They view BARCIK’s farmer led applied research as a crucial step in this direction.

Participants in the discussion included Sadeq Hossain (Laxmiganj), Abdul Motalib (Kalmakanda), Babul Mia (Madan), Md. Abdul Wadud (Atpara), Enamul Haque (Netrakona Sadar), Md. Rezaul (Atpara), Dulal Mia (Challisha), and Md. Abdul Hamid (Tarakanda).