Villages to benefit with new improved rice varieties

The Tsirang Research Sub-Centre and the Drujegang geog extension office under Dagana Dzongkhag have introduced improved rice varieties in Drujegang on a trial basis. And 15 households in Pangserpo and Yongsibji villages are to initiate the varieties.
The new varieties include Bajo Kaap 2, Bajo Maap 1 and Bajo Maap 2 varieties.
The farmers were trained to develop a proper bed nursery that helped prevent root destruction during transplantation. Farmers carried out seed plantations in June recently.
These new varieties are high yielding and blast resistant, they are easy to thresh which is beneficial for rice growers. Farmers in other parts of the country have also found a lot of advantages with the improved varieties.
If the trial is successful, farmers will be encouraged to go for seed production since red rice has a good demand in the market and the program will encourage rest of the villages to go for red rice production.
A team from RDC-Bajo who made visits on August 2 to monitor the activity observed that the areas have huge potential for improved varieties including the red rice as the plants seemed to have made good progress.
The team would also proceed for yield check and look for the plants that are suitable for seed production in September-October this year. Under normal conditions harvest season begins from the first week of October.
The activity funded by the Biodiversity Use and Conservation in Asia Pacific (BUCAP) project under the National Biodiversity Centre, Serbithang.
The farmers are advised to report to the AEO if any problem arises with the plant.