Bangladeshi scientists have developed the most promising zinc rice line with high yield potential, Dhaka Tribune reported. BRRI dhan 100, as it was named, also got regulatory approval and will be accessible to farmers next season. 

Scientists from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Dhaka have developed the new variant which is expected to address the issue of zinc deficiency, most commonly found among the South Asian population. 

BRRI scientists told Dhaka Tribune, per kg of BRRI dhan100 contains nearly 26mg of zinc and it has a high yield potential of nearly 7.7 tons per hectare.

“Around 29% of South Asia’s population, including that of Bangladesh, are at risk of inadequate zinc intake, according to Harvest Plus, a program based at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) that helped BRRI scientists develop six hi-zinc rice varieties since 2013,” reads the report. 

In comparison to other previous zinc-rich variants, BRRI dhan 100 is fine rice. Bangladeshi mostly prefer to consume fine rice so it would have an additional consumption advantage. 

Rice is a staple food in Bangladesh and is consumed widely in the South Asian region. The new variant will also help to reduce the nutrition deficiency problem.