In a remarkable agricultural feat, farmers have fetched bumper yields within a short duration by cultivating BINA-25, a premium variety of paddy during the Boro season.   

The BINA-25 paddy, the tallest and narrowest among all the rice varieties developed in the country, can be harvested within 138-148 days, which is 15-20 days earlier than the popular BRRI-29.

Dr. Sakina Khanam, the lead researcher of the Paddy project, noted that BINA-25 is naturally thin and long, yielding 7.5 to 8.5 tonnes per hectare.

"It cooks perfectly, tastes as good as premium-quality rice, and its production is 10-20 percent higher than other regular varieties of Boro paddy," she stated.

What sets BINA-25 apart is its resilience to pests and diseases.

"There's virtually no insect or disease attack on this rice. It also requires less water and urea, hence its nickname as the urea, water, and pesticide-saving variety," Khanam added.

This variety can withstand floods and other natural disasters for a few days, making it a reliable choice for farmers in flood-prone areas.

Field visits to two villages in Magura revealed the joyous faces of farmers cultivating BINA-25, hopeful of fetching a good price. In Moghi of Magura Sadar upazila and Bhaturia Danga of Mohammadpur upazila, over 20 farmers embraced this new variety.

Abul Kalam Azad, a farmer from Moghi village, expressed his satisfaction with BINA-25. "Due to its shorter duration, I can cultivate it after harvesting mustard. It needs less fertilizer and pesticide, which reduces my overall costs," Azad said.

Alam Molla, another farmer, noted that the price of BINA-25 paddy is Tk 250 more per mound than other varieties. He further added that its long straw could be sold at a higher price, increasing profitability.

Mirza Mofazzal Islam, the director general of BINA, emphasized that BINA-25's production is higher than the most popular varieties, BRRI-28 and BRRI-29. "The duration of the paddy variety is shorter than those paddy varieties," he added.

The Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) developed BINA-25 from BRRI Dhan-29 and distributed it to farmers in 396 upazilas across 22 districts this year.

The successful implementation of this new variety promises a bright future for Bangladesh's paddy farmers.