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Study on Adoption of the System of Rice Intensification in

Northern Provinces of Vietnam

Ha Noi, 1-2010

OXFAM AMERICA

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Objective: Study the approach, process and policy for System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in northern provinces of Viet Nam

Study Time: Oct. 2009 – Jan. 2010

Study Scope: 7 central entities, 3 provinces, 5 districts, and 9 communes

Partners: 18 focus group discussions, 178 farmers, and 59 representatives of partners

Limited: not in crop season, quantitative analysis

Report Content: 5 parts

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I. SRI Adoption Approach Rice production and SRI adoption

in north Viet Nam• 29 provinces, 1.5 million hectares

rice land, with 6.1 million rice farmer households (HHs)

• Rice land of HHs: 0.24 ha/HH ave

• 59% HHs have less than 0.2 ha/HH

• 76% HHs have 3 - 6 plots of land

• SRI was introduced in Viet Nam since 2003.

• SRI adoption in spring crop 2009: 21 provinces, with 4% of farm households (HHs) and on 8% of the rice land

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Slowly Expanding SRI Adoption

• SRI adoption connects with testing varieties, fertilizing, density of plants

• Lack of SRI specialists at commune level

• Little attention from authorities

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Efficiency• Rice seed is reduced from 40 kg/ha to 10 kg/ha, nitrogen

urea fertilizer is reduced t0 20 kg/ha, and paddy yield increases by 600 kg/ ha/crop. Profit is increased on average by 2 million VND/ha/crop

• In spring crop 2009, SRI adoption on 85,422 ha saved 2,500 tons of rice seed, 1,700 tons of nitrogen urea fertilizer. Each HH had an additional 600,000 VND

• Estimation: If SRI adoption area covers 50% rice land, or 500,000 ha, this will save 15,000 tons of rice seed equal to VND 45 billion per crop, and 10,000 tons of urea fertilizer per crop. Value of this for environment quality and biodiversity protection could be even higher

• SRI adoption area increased from 0.01 to 0.33 ha/HH

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Farmers’ Benefits – Their Reports• 70% of Farmer Field School (FFS) participants

are women• Each woman Key Farmer (KF) can help 5-6

other women in SRI adoption • Creativity in SRI adoption is important• Women report that they have more voice in

their families since adopting SRI• More money is available for education and

daily expenses, and there is reduced need for credit

• Lack of SRI guideline documents, however• Women are not heard in irrigation and land

preparation matters

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Three limitations of SRI adoption• 90% HH have no hand weeders; so they use herbicides

• Poor land preparation: 70% HHs haves no buffalo or tractors. Land for seedling transplanting is prepared in a short time, so the land not very flat, soil not so smooth

• Poor irrigation service: water service is issued to all

fields, not just for SRI land; water is often not available when needed; easy to drain but difficult to get water in

• 20% of land is under full SRI adoption; 80% of land is under partial SR adoption

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Recommendations on SRI Aproach• Have stronger program to increase SRI adoption

in north Viet Nam• Focus SRI adoption on existing rice varieties, and

avoid testing too many technical factors• Provide hand weeder at least to FFS participants • SRI Training of Trainers (TOT) and Key Farmers• Have SRI guideline documents for farmers, and

gender training to both men and women • Improve irrigation service • Integrate SRI adoption with commercial rice

production; build trade mark for SRI rice

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II. SRI Adoption ProcessSRI Extension Channels:- Mass methods: 30% of farmers know from TV

program, 50% listen to local radio broadcast; SRI CD and brochures are appreciated, but 10% watch CD and 5% have brochure

- Group methods: FFS influences farmers; field workshop influences authorities; 1% of farmers have SRI TOT, 12% were in FFS; lack of SRI documents in FFS.

- Individual methods: One KF helps 5-6 others in SRI adoption; Indication Boards in demonstration plots lack contact information

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SRI Transfer ProcessTraining of Trainers (TOT)

1-3 farmers per commune

Farm Field School (FFS)30 Key Farmers per commune

Farm GroupFirst crop

1 KF + 5 farmers

10-20 Farmers

Farm GroupSecond crop

1 KF + 5 farmersFarm Group

Third crop1 KF + 5 farmers

20-40 Farmers 40-80 Farmers

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Expanding SRI Adoption per FFS Farmers

receive SRI skill (persons)

Farmers adopt SRI (persons)

Land area under SRI

adoption (ha)Note

First Crop

30 2 0.1 FFS, 30 KFs

Second Crop

100 130 3 20 KFs train 100 farmers

Third Crop

100 230 10 20 KFs train 100 farmers

Fourth Crop

100 330 50 20 KFs train 100 farmers

5,644 communes in North Viet Nam; average commune has 1,100 HHs and 266 ha rice land; one FFS takes 10 crop seasons (5 years) to transfer SRI to all HHs in commune

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SRI Documentation in Use

• Using 7 SRI terminologies in Vietnamese

• SRI themes and technical phrases in use are different from SRI approval of MARD

MARD Document PPD Document

Name: 6 Technical Methods Name: 5 Main Principles

Technical seedling production and age

Technical land preparation

Technical transplanting/ distance

Technical fertilizing

Technical water management

Technical pest control, weeding

Principle: Healthy seedlings

Principle: Single seedling

Principle: Weeding

Principle: Water management

Principle: Adding organic fertilizer

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SRI and other Rice Cultivation Techniques

• Farmers get information on SRI, direct seeding, in-depth fertilization techniques; can have confusion between these

• SRI farmers can apply techniques from other programs with their practices

• Not clear how to distinguish SRI from not-SRI land in the field; SRI statistical issue

• SRI report reflects SRI testing results; lack of consolidated data; no policy implications

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Recommendations on SRI Process• Focus on more effective dissemination channels: Support sub-PPD level to make SRI CD with local experience SRI brochure as technical information to farmers Prepare SRI guidance Booklet on SRI Questions and Answers More FFS Demonstration plots to have clear indication and contact names

• Reduce FFS cost; increase participants to 40 per FFS; at least two FFS per commune -- one at center, and one at village

• Use the same SRI terminology and technical phrases as MARD has

approved

• Define SRI land as distinguished from other programs such as direct seeding, or in-depth fertilizing

• SRI reports improving: more consolidated data and policy implication

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III. SRI Promotion Policy

MARD has made decision approving SRI as new technology to apply in Viet Nam

But policy-makers still have different views on SRI effectiveness

Low support from provincial authorities and from other MARD departments

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SRI-Related PoliciesIrrigation Policy:- Farmers do not pay for irrigation service- Farmers still pay 30-60 kg paddy per hectare per

year for water management- Irrigation is not meeting SRI adoption needsHigh-Yielding Rice Varieties- MARD promotes use of more and newer high-

yielding rice varieties- New varieties have high price for farmers- New varieties have to be tested before adopting - Small farmers could not test new variety with

SRI adoption

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SRI Adoption Institution• SRI is disseminated through network of the

Plant Protection Department (PPD)• SRI extension is not main function of PPD• PPD has no representative network down to

commune level• PPD in district has 3-5 staff• PPD in district could assign one staff member

for SRI; organize 2 FFS per crop season • Each district has 7-15 communes. Some

communes are 60-70 km from district centre

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RECOMMENDATIONS on SRI POLICY• Deliver solid SRI report to authorities at central and

province levels. • Improve SRI awareness among policy makers• MARD to issue directive on SRI adoption to its

departments and provincial offices • Work with provincial authorities and DARDs on

integration of SRI with rice production plans in provinces • Improve irrigation investments and service to meet water

needs of rice under SRI management• Avoid testing SRI with new rice varieties; just apply SRI

to varieties that farmers are used to planting• Increase SRI TOT programs at sub-PPD level• Increase coordination of PPD with Key Farmers at

commune level• SRI TOT training for KFs also

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THANK YOU