Golden rice, a new variety of rice helpful to fight Vitamin A deficiency, will be released soon.
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzak made the disclosure after a meeting with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at the secretariat in the city on Thursday.
"Golden rice is important than the other varieties of rice as it will be helpful to fight Vitamin A deficiency. The rice variety has already got clearance in the USA, Canada and Australia, "he said.
"A committee of the Ministry of Environment will give clearance to Golden rice for its production. We will be able to start cultivation of the rice in Bangladesh within 2/3 months upon getting clearance from the ministry," he said.
Different verities of rive now available in the market contains low quantity of Vitamin A and this new variety of rice will help to meet the need of vitamin.
Quantity of Vitamin-A is very low in the rice which are being eaten by people in the country. But most of the people of our country live on rice. They also do not take sufficient vegetable, for that the demand of Vitamin-A remained unfulfilled. When the rice will be produced, the demand of Vitamin-A will be fulfilled, said Razzak.
Besides, it also will be also easier to cultivate golden rice in coastal area combating with salinity condition, added the minister.