5 tonnes of rice seeds to be shipped to Bhutan

The government plans to ship 5 tonnes of rice seeds to Bhutan to help the country produce more paddy based on quality seeds, said a senior official of agriculture ministry.

"We have already given approval to BADC (Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation) to export the seeds to Bhutan," Md Azim Uddin, chief seed technologist of the seed wing at the agriculture ministry, told The Daily Star.

The ministry took the decision after Bhutan's agriculture and forests ministry sought 40 tonnes of rice seeds under a cooperation agreement signed earlier between the two ministries. 

Of the amount, the agriculture ministry gave nod to the BADC to ship 5 tonnes as the cultivation period of this year is going to end.

Two rice seed varieties—BR-26 and BRRI Dhan-28—are going to be exported to Bhutan with 2.5 tonnes of each variety.

Earlier, Bangladesh shipped high yielding varieties of seeds of mustard and lentils introduced by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute to Bhutan.