KIB Organizations

Organization Details:

BANGLADESH SUGARCANE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (BSRI)

Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI) is one of the oldest research institutes of Bangladesh conducting research on sugarcane – the raw material sugar, gur and cane juice. Sugarcane is the only dependable cash crop in the low rainfall belt of the north-west and south-west parts of Bangladesh. Based on sugarcane, the sugar and gur industries of Bangladesh have developed in the country. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), every individual needs to consume 13Kg of sugar or 17Kg of gur per annum. In Bangladesh the quantity is still less than 3Kg per person. With the projected population of 153.33 million in the year 2020, the requirement of sugar will be 9.2 hundred thousand metric ton even if we consider the intake of 6Kg per person per year. At present, 7.3 million ton sugarcane is produced from 0.18 million hectares (roughly 0.1 million hectares in sugar mill zones and 0.08 million hectares in non-mill zones for gur production) of land per year. The yield of sugarcane is 40.52 ton/hectare (46 ton/ha in sugar mill areas and 36 ton/ha in gur areas). To meet the demand of sugar and gur, 11.1 million tons of sugarcane needs to be produced per year. As such the yield of sugarcane must be increased from its present level to at least 65 tons per hectare. BSRI is proud to serve the nation attaining self reliance in the sugar and gur sector with its limited resource and manpower. Two basic functions are performed by this institute: a) Development of sugarcane variety as well as improved production technology and b) Dissemination of varieties and technologies to the farming community. Research wings consist of eight research divisions, one quarantine station and two regional stations, whereas Technology Transfer (TT) wing consists of two major divisions, six substations and three sections. The Technology Transfer wing generally conducts training for farmers, extension workers, etc. and conducts demonstrations in the farmers’ fields disseminate the messages through different form of publications, and collects feedback information.

EMERGENCE

The first research activity on sugarcane started in this subcontinent with the establishment of the Sugarcane Breeding Station (SBS) at Coimbatore (India) in 1912 and in Bangladesh in 1933. The history of sugarcane research in Bangladesh is briefly mentioned here:

Sugarcane Seedling Testing Laboratory (SSTL): 1933-1947

This laboratory was established at Monipuri farm, Dhaka in 1933 to conduct trials with sugarcane fuzz from Coimbatore for the purpose of selecting improved varieties suitable for this region. It was financed by the then Royal Imperial Council of Agriculture and it functioned upto 1947. A few good varieties like Co 419, Co 527 etc. selected by the laboratory are still in cultivation in different parts of Bangladesh.

Sugarcane Research Station (SRS): 1951-1971

The Ministry of Agriculture of the erstwhile Government of East Pakistan established the Sugarcane Research Station (SRS) at the present site of Ishurdi, Pabna in 1951. The station started functioning with only 17 manpower and very poor logistic support. Research was then limited to breeding and selection. The station successfully developed and released nine varieties of which Isd-1/53 and Isd-2/54 are still in cultivation in different parts of the country. Food and Agricultural Council of the then Pakistan placed it under control of the Central Government. But they returned it back to the Ministry of Agriculture of the provincial government in 1965 without any significant development. Thus research activities continued with limited manpower and logistic support. The station was almost destroyed during the War of Liberation in 1971.

Sugarcane Research Institute (SRI): 1971-1979

After independence, SRS was handed over to Bangladesh Sugar Mills Corporation (BSMC) (presently BSFIC) under the Ministry of Industry in 1973. Realizing the importance of the sugar industry in the country, the ECNEC approved the Sugarcane Research Institute scheme during the First Five Year Plan. Under this scheme, SRS was upgraded and renamed as Sugarcane Research Institute (SRI) with the provision of regional station in Thakugaon.

Sugarcane Research and Training Institute (SRTI): 1980-1988

During Second Five Year Plan (1980-1985), Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation submitted a scheme for Staff Training Center (STC) and Ishurdi and Thakurgaon. ECNEC approved a revised scheme merging STC and SRI, renaming it as Sugarcane Research and Training Institute (SRTI) during 1980-1981.

Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI):

As a follow-up of a cabinet decision taken in April 1987, Government transferred SRTI from BSFIC (Ministry of Industry) to the Ministry of Agriculture to upgrade it as a national institute. In 1996, the Honorable President of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh promulgated the BSRI ordinance (Ordinance No. 23, of 18^th June 1996). Through this ordinance, the government terminated Sugarcane Research and Training Institute and established an autonomous national institute named Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute, with a broader mandate to conduct research on sugarcane and other ancillary sugar crops all over the country. Following the Ordinance, the BSRI Act (the Act No. 11 of 1996, 17^th August 1996) was passed by the Parliament on 17^th August, 1996. This act was partly amended [BSRI (amendment) Act, 21 September 2002] to give the other Institutes under the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS).

MANDATES

1. Development of crops/plants for the production of Sugar, Gur and Syrup.
2. To prepare production programs of sugar, gur and syrup producing carbohydrate enriched crops/plants.
3. To conduct research on sugarcane based farming systems and to identify its economic advantages.
4. To take necessary measures regarding appropriate uses of technologies of sugar, gur and syrup producing crops/plants.
5. To develop and maintain germoplasm bank by collecting diverse sugarcane varieties/clones.
6. To undertake (with the approval of the Government) sugarcane-related collaborative programme with national and international research, education and training institutes.
7. To extend cooperation to any individual or organization that are working in the field of sugarcane research and development.
8. To publish a journal and reports to disseminate research results and recommendations of the institute.
9. To help the Government on sugarcane policy formulation and to advise the Government, local authority or any institution regarding any matter related to sugarcane.
10. To educate and train up sugarcane farming community.
11. To take any necessary steps for implementation of aforesaid functions.

MANAGEMENT

1. Director General

- Chairman (ex-officio)

2. Two agricultural scientists nominated by the Ministry of Agriculture, those who are not working in this institute. One of them is a social scientist and the other is an expert of the institute’s subject matter.

-Member

3. One representative nominated by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council

- Member

4. An Officer not lower than Director the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) nominated by the Ministry of Agriculture

-Member

5. Directors of the Institute

-Member (Ex-officio)

6. Two senior scientists working at the institute, nominated by the Ministry of Agriculture

-Member

7. A progressive farmer of non-mill zone nominated by the Department of Agriculture and a progressive farmer of sugar mills zone nominated by the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation

-Member

8. One member from each Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Finance those status are not lower than Deputy Secretary

-Member

9. One representative from Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation nominated by the Ministry of Industry

-Member

10. An Officer of the institute

-Secretary

Sugar Statistics