RANGPUR: Experts at a workshop here laid emphasis on adoption of zero tillage method for sowing seed in the rice-wheat farming systems to increase food production to save costs of labour, irrigation water and fuel, reports BSS.

They expressed the views at a workshop on ‘Value chain policy interventions to accelerate adoption of zero tillage in the rice-wheat farming systems across the Indo-Gangetic Plains’ held at RDRS conference room on Thursday, a press release said on Friday.

With Chairman of Rangpur-based research organisation Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman in the chair, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension Dr Md Sarwarul Haque attended the workshop as the chief guest.

Consultant of International Rice Research Institute at Dhaka Ahmad Salahuddin, Principal Scientific Officer of the On-farm Research Division of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute at its Rangpur Regional Station Dr Mazharul Anwar and Professor of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University Dr Saiful Huda, Senior Scientific Officer at Wheat Research Centre in Dinajpur Dr Akbar Hossain attended the event as special guests.

Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid delivered the welcome speech narrating benefits and barriers of zero tillage machines and urged policy makers to come forward for popularising those at farmers’ levels.

Research Associate of the University of Adelaide Dr Rohan Yargop explained the goals and objectives of the project under which research would be conducted to examine adoption of the ZT seed drills and its value chains in northern Bangladesh.

Thirty participants, including agriculture machineries traders, Power Tiller Operated Seeder (PTOS) machine operators, representatives of farmers’ organisations, agriculture researchers and officers and representatives of development organisations, took part in the workshop.