Climate-smart rice, quality seeds in focus during WB visit

Promoting climate-resilient rice cultivation and ensuring quality seeds for farmers came under the spotlight as a high-level delegation from the World Bank, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) visited TARAPS Project activities in Tangail on Friday.

The delegation observed field demonstrations and interacted with farmers to assess the benefits and challenges of adopting improved agricultural technologies.

The World Bank team was led by TARAPS Task Team Leader Ashoka Okumura and Co-Task Team Leader Samina Yasmin. Representatives from DAE and IRRI Bangladesh also joined the visit. The team observed several technology demonstrations, including Triadic Comparison of Technologies (TRICOT), Urea Deep Placement (UDP), Wet Direct-Seeded Rice (Wet DSR) and Dealer-Customer Demonstrations.

These technologies are designed to enhance resource efficiency, reduce production costs and promote climate-smart rice farming. TRICOT enables farmers to compare rice varieties and cultivation methods based on field-level experience. UDP improves fertiliser management, while Wet DSR provides an alternative to conventional rice transplantation.