Sharp fall in seed production feared due to land crisis

Production of wheat and maize seeds at Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI) in Dinajpur is likely to fall drastically this year.

A sudden decision to reduce land allocation for the institute would apparently lead to the situation, said officials at BWMRI, an organisation that has earned trust of farmers for its high quality seeds of wheat and maize. 

A letter from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), conveying their decision to reduce land allocation for the institute, reached the BWMRI authorities early this month, they also said.

According to the letter, the current land allocation has been reduced to 33.06 acres from the previous allocation of 64.61 acres at different sub-centres of BWMRI.

Last year, BWMRI produced 92.13 tonnes of wheat and 4.05 tonnes of maize seeds on 64.61 acres of land at the sub-centres in Gazipur, Jashore, Jamalpur, Rajshahi and Hathazari.

The decision came at a time when they were trying to increase their production capacity of both the seeds in line with the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as well as growing demands in the country -- presently 15,000 tonnes per year altogether, said BWMRI officials.

Last year, domestic production of maize was 54.03 lakh tonnes from 5.54 lakh hectares of land, while wheat production in the same year was 12 lakh tonnes from 3.50 lakh hectares of land.

A senior scientist at BWMRI said both research and production of seeds will be affected due to the reduction of land for the institute and it might not be possible to produce even 25 tonnes of seeds this year, as the land allocated to the institute is mostly infertile.

Under the circumstances, BWMRI is desperately looking for ways to get more land for the continuation of its research as well as for its targeted increase in production of seeds, he also said.

Within a few years of its inception in 2017, in Noshipur village of Dinajpur Sadar upazila, BWMRI so far developed 20 wheat and maize varieties that are tolerant to salinity, heat, flood and blast disease. The seeds produced at the institute are highly popular among farmers for their good quality.

BWMRI Director General (DG) Israil Hossain during a workshop on November 7 informed Mezbahul Islam, secretary to agriculture ministry, of the challenges and impediments that lie ahead for the institute due to the recent curtail of land allocation as well as the poor quality of the allocated land.  

As a means to resolve the situation, the DG also requested the agriculture secretary to allocate 250 acres of land for BWMRI at two nearby organisations -- Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and Setabganj Sugar Mills. 

Contacted, Israil Hossain said unless the land issue is resolved, their wheat and maize seeds production will decline in 2020-21 season.

This correspondent was unable to reach BARI Director General Nazirul Islam for his comments over the issue despite making multiple calls on his cell phone.