BRRI Releases 6 New Rice Varieties to Boost Food Security

The National Seed Board (NSB) has officially approved the release of six new high-yielding rice varieties, including two hybrids, developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).

This decision was made during the board’s 115th meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture on February 5, 2026.

Chaired by Agriculture Secretary Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, the meeting marked a significant milestone, bringing BRRI’s total developed varieties to 127. These new additions are specifically engineered to tackle climate challenges like salinity, cold, and crop lodging, while also introducing the country’s first vitamin-enriched black rice.

BRRI dhan 115 (Nutritional Powerhouse): This is Bangladesh’s first high-yielding black rice. Developed using the anther culture method, it is rich in Vitamin E ($14.98$ mg/kg) and antioxidants ($536.61$ mg per 100g). The grain is long, slender, and dark brown.

BRRI dhan 116 (The Heavy Producer): A sturdy variety designed not to bend (lodge). In regional trials, it out-yielded the popular BRRI dhan 92 by over 13%.

BRRI dhan 117 (Disease Resistant): Aimed at salinity-prone areas, this variety offers a "neat" grain and high resistance to blast disease. Its short lifespan makes it a suitable alternative to BRRI dhan 28.

BRRI dhan 118 (Haor Specialty): Specifically bred for the Haor wetlands, this variety survives early-season cold. Farmers can sow it as early as late October to harvest before the flash flood season begins.

With these additions, BRRI now offers 39 stress-tolerant varieties capable of surviving floods, droughts, and salinity.

Despite the country's population growing 2.5 times since 1971—and per capita land shrinking by half—food production has increased nearly fourfold. This innovation keeps Bangladesh as the world’s third-largest rice producer.