Agriculture Ministry Secretary Wahida Akter and other senior officials visited the Confined Field Trial sites of late blight resistant potato varieties in Gazipur, showing the government’s support for agricultural research and innovation in Bangladesh.

They were impressed by the results of the 3R-gene potato events, which showed high resistance to late blight disease, a major threat to potato farmers worldwide.

The project is a collaboration between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Michigan State University, funded by USAID under the ‘Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership’. The project reflects the value of international partnerships in solving complex agricultural problems.

The project aims to develop potato varieties that are resistant to late blight and suitable for smallholder farmers in Bangladesh. This will help improve food security, agricultural productivity, and farmers’ livelihoods. Such initiatives are essential for achieving sustainable agricultural development and meeting the increasing food demand in Bangladesh and beyond.