Torchbearer of traditional rice varieties in the country

Rice is an integral part of the history, tradition and culture of Bangladesh. The economy of rural Bengal revolves around this main food product.

But with the evolution of time there has been a change in the cultivation method of rice. Sophisticated planting, cutting and threshing machines have replaced the cultivator. High-yielding new varieties of the crop have been developed to increase production for food security of the country’s growing population.

Therefore, to preserve the lost traditions, the country’s first rice museum has been established at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Gazipur.

The BRRI set up the institution spending Tk 1 crore in 2018 and the museum was opened to visitors on March 12 this year, according to museum officials.

The museum, which is built in modern architectural style, has become a centre of attraction for domestic and foreign tourists and researchers, the sources said.

Mohammad Abdul Momin, a senior liaison officer of BRRI and programme director of the BRRI Rice Museum, said the museum displays replicas of 10 major stages of rice farming, with descriptions on the 140-150 days’ life cycle of rice to visitors.

“We usually see a single stage of paddy farming on the field, but in the museum, we display and describe the whole seed-to-seed operation until the 80% mature stage of rice through replicas,” he also said.

The museum showcases 324 samples of 108 varieties of rice innovated by the BRRI. It also includes 99 inbreed and seven zinc fortified hybrid rice varieties. Visitors, farmers, and students of agricultural universities now have the opportunity to learn about rice under a single roof.

“We have 8,600 germplasms of rice mostly locally grown from which we developed the modern variety of rice. In the germplasm corner of the museum, we have displayed 350 samples, mostly lucrative and attractive varieties,” Momin added.

A total of 14 sections or corners in the museum have been set up to showcase rice cultivation, husking methods, and traditional and antique tools used in rural Bangladesh.

A separate section displays 60-70 antique machinery such as rope tackers, cattle-drawn yokes, traps for herons, hammers and other farming tools along with 37 modern-day machines with descriptions of their use.

The rice-centered rural culture is showcased in another corner, where 12 landscapes and sculptures have been set up for visitors to promote local heritage.

A book corner, a world rice map, and a photo gallery also help visitors understand the rice production and procurement chain across the globe.

The BRRI developed the BRRI-28 and BRRI-29 rice varieties in 1994 that fostered agricultural transformation in Bangladesh in a revolutionary way to address food security.

The museum also houses the geographical indication (GI) certificate of the two Bangladeshi rice varieties — namely Katiaribogh and Kalijira.

Mohammad Abdul Momin said there was a lack of well-equipped rice museum in BRRI as an international research institute. Therefore, the museum has been set up to highlight the country’s past history of rice research, tradition, rice-based rituals and culture and the country’s success in food security to local and foreign tourists.

“All the processes from planting paddy to raising it as rice to the farmer’s house are shown here through pictures. Students of different schools, colleges and universities, domestic and foreign tourists and researchers visit this international research institute almost every day,” he added.

They are presented with the stages of growth of rice from seed, samples of different types of paddy and rice developed by BRRI in the last five decades.

In addition, different rice made cakes which are usually prepared in the rural areas in the country like khai, mike pitha, nimpata pitha, pana pitha, golap pitha, bapa pitha, chitoi pitha are displayed in the museum.

The museum has preserved every variety of rice invented in the country. From traditional rice cultivation to modern rice planting, threshing and harvesting; ancient and modern materials are kept on display, said Abdul Momin.