Students from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) and other agricultural institutions across the country are busy now preparing bed for late Aman seedling to face the post-flood food crisis.
Several districts in the eastern part of the country have been devastated by severe flooding, submerging roads, homes, and damaging farmlands. There is a possibility of a food crisis emerging in the post-flood period. To address this situation, students from various agricultural universities have started an initiative to preserve rice seeds.
The students said that if the flooding persists for 14 to 21 days, it will be impossible to produce rice in the affected areas during the Aman season, leading to a potential food crisis. In such a scenario, the government will need to import a large amount of rice to meet demand. To prevent this situation, the students have quickly begun preparing seedlings.
After the floodwaters recede, they plan to distribute ‘late Aman’ rice seedlings for free to farmers in flood-affected areas to help recover from the damage. The students believe that if these seedlings can be delivered promptly after the water recedes, it will help the country avert a food crisis.
Professor ABM Arif Hasan Khan Robin from the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding at BAU stated that the teachers are ready to provide full support to the students in their initiative.
He said that arrangements would be made to allocate one acre of land from the university for seedling preparation. The rice varieties BRRI-52, BRRI-71, BRRI-75, and BINA-16, BINA-17 will be suitable for the flooded areas. The BRRI-52 variety can survive underwater for 15 to 21 days.
Ziaur Rahman, the Chief Supervisor of the Farm Management Division at BAU, said, "I have spoken with the students. We are facing a shortage of seedlings, but we can help by providing three acres of land."
Nasrin Akhtar Banu, deputy director of the Mymensingh Department of Agriculture Extension, said that the students' initiative will play a crucial role in addressing the food crisis in the country after the flood.
However, it will take 20 to 30 days to produce seedlings from new seeds. It's important to ensure that the seedlings are planted immediately after the floodwaters recede in the affected areas, she added.
Students Ali Ahsan Apurba and Tawhid Al Abit said that they have initially secured five acres of land for sowing seeds, with efforts underway to expand this area. They are also in contact with various companies to collect as many seeds as possible.
The more seeds they collect, the more seedlings they can plant in flood-affected areas. It would be even more effective if they could secure land in nearby regions of the affected areas.
Wasim, Nosha, and several other students said that the severe flooding in several districts in the eastern part of the country has caused significant damage to homes, farmland, and people's livelihoods.
As a result, a food crisis could arise in the post-flood period. To address this potential crisis, they, along with their fellow classmates, have taken the initiative to preserve rice seeds. They expect to prepare seedbeds with the shortage possible period to produce seedlings with the support of their teachers.
