Bangladesh Rice Research Institute is going to release a high-zinc fortified rice, BRRI Dhan 100, which will fulfill nutritional and minerals demand of people.

This particular rice variety will be released formally as soon as possible during the Mujib year. The decision was taken at the 104th meeting of the National Seed Board at the agriculture ministry conference room in Dhaka on Tuesday, according to an official release.

The demand for zinc is very important. Because of deficiency of zinc-rich food many people suffer from diarrhea and the BRRI invented the rice variety to meet the need of people.

BRRI Dhan-100, containing 25.70 milligram zinc in per kilogram rice, will be cultivated during the boro season with maximum yield of 7.69 tonnes in per hectare breaking all the previous records of the zinc fortified rice cultivated during the Aman season, said agriculture secretary M Meshbahul Islam, also president of the National Seed Board.

The new zinc fortified variety will help to fulfill the zinc deficiency as most of the nutrition include calorie, protein and minerals of the poor people comes from the rice, said the official during the meeting.

According to nutritionists, common symptoms of the zinc deficiency is increased rates of diarrhea. Zinc deficiency also effects the skin and gastrointestinal tract; brain and central nervous system, immune, skeletal, and reproductive systems.

Terming the zinc fortified rice variety as the reflection of our long-cherished expectation, the BRRI scientists said the duration of the variety was 148 days and yield was more compared to BRRI Dhan 29, adding that the variety was expected to be more popular among the farmers due to its exorbitant production and nutritional quality.

Additional secretary Kamlaranjan Das, additional secretary and director general (seed) Balai Krishna Hazra, BADC chairman M Sayedul Islam, BRRI DG M Shahjahan Kabir, and BJRI DG ASM Anwarul Haque, among others, were present at the meeting.