Plaque of honour awarded to BRRI

 The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has awarded the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) a plaque of honour on Wednesday, 23 March 2005.

On the occasion of the International Year of Rice 2004, the plaque has been awarded to BRRI in recognition of its outstanding contribution to food security and health of the people of Bangladesh at over three decades as well as its partnership with IRRI.

BRRI Director General Dr. M Mahiul Haque received the plaque from IRRI Representative to Bangladesh Dr. Noel P Magor in a brief ceremony held at the BRRI VIP conference room, Gazipur. Dr Haque presided over the meeting. Among others Dr S I Bhuiyan, former IRRI Representative to Bangladesh and Dr M A Hamid Miah, IRRI Liaison Scientist spoke on the occasion.

Dr M A Baqui, Director (Admin), Dr Nazira Quaraishi Kamal, Incharge Director (Res), Dr B A A Mustafi, Research Coordinator including divisional heads, senior scientists and officials were present.

Since its establishment in October 1970, BRRI has contributed to the national development through the release of 43 high yielding varieties of rice including one hybrid. It has improved rice production technologies of the country as a whole.

More than 50 improved technologies on soil, water, fertilizer and rice-based cropping patterns, 19 agricultural machinery, identification of 31 rice diseases and 266 species of rice insect pests, development of integrated pest management system specifically demonstrate the contribution of BRRI.

The institute has enriched knowledge level of the people through providing training to 11000 officers and more than 9000 block supervisors and farmers. It has published 181 books, journals and folders. It has preserved more than 8000 germplasm of rice’s, collected at home and abroad, in the BRRI gene Bank.

Rice production increased almost three times over the years in the country. International study has revealed that the return of per taka investment in rice research and extension is Tk 38.

Moreover, 20 BRRI rice varieties are being cultivated in 19 countries of the world.

For these achievements BRRI and its scientists have been honored with 11 national and international awards in the past.

Now the IRRI plaque to BRRI added a new mark in this respect. Observers say, the recognition further indicates that the present government policy in agriculture is sound and effective.

Senadhira Rice Research Award for 2006

Dr. M. A. Salam, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of BRRI's Plant Breeding Division, received the Senadhira Rice Research Award for 2006 at a ceremony at the International Rice Congress in New Delhi, India. He won the award for his outstanding contributions to the development of varieties for the rainfed lowlands of Bangladesh. The award is named after Dharmawansa Senadhira, one of IRRI's most successful rice breeders, who tragically died in a traffic accident in Bangladesh in 1998. Dr. Salam, began his career at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in 1977. Almost 30 years on, he is one of the country's most influential agricultural scientists. In the award giving ceremony, Ren Wang, deputy director general for research at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), noted that Dr. Salam--who studied for his Ph.D. at IRRI in 1985-88--has devoted his career to the service of Bangladeshi rice farmers, in particular those in marginal and difficult production areas. "Dr. Salam offers an excellent example of how international support for agricultural research directly benefits the national agricultural research systems, such as that of Bangladesh," said Dr. Wang. Dr. Salam had a strong hand in breeding BR11--currently grown on more than 2 million hectares in Bangladesh along with 16 other rice varieties. These included several varieties for deepwater rice areas, one of which allowed farmers in low-lying areas to grow dry-season rice and thus dramatically increase their production. Dr. Salam is also involved in breeding submergence-tolerant, arsenic-tolerant, and iron-rich rice, as well as salt-tolerant rice varieties for coastal areas Dr. Salam pioneered the use of farmer participatory breeding in evaluating breeding lines for unfavorable environments. This approach, in which scientists work hand-in-hand with farmers to choose promising lines, has advanced the development of varieties for saline and stagnant water conditions.