The government plans to incentivise farmers to produce more genetically modified (GM) brinjal [eggplant]….
[Eggplant, also known as brinjal and aubergine] is one of the staple vegetables in Bangladesh and across South Asia.According to the plan, the Ministry of Agriculture will provide seeds and fertilisers among 2001 farmers in 64 districts to cultivate Bt brinjal on 2001 bighas (667 acres) of land next season.
As an incentive, each farmer will receive 20 grams of seed and 15 kilograms of DAP and MoP fertilisers, at a total cost to the government of Tk1,630,800.
The decision came from the ministry’s September 10 meeting, presided over by Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury.
The meeting report said a maximum of 90 farmers from Chittagong would come under the incentive programme, in addition to 75 farmers from Comilla, Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali and Bogra.
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According to BARI [Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute], it developed the Bt brinjal varieties – Bt Uttara, Bt Kajla, Bt Noyontara and Bt ISD 006 – from local varieties by inserting the Bt gene into them.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Bangladesh plans to popularise controversial Bt brinjal
