Overview of SDTT SRI Program and future Perspective

Ranchi, 2013

ByBiswanath Sinha

Rice in India

• Rice is staple food for more than 70 per cent of India’s population

• Rice is grown in 42.1 million hectares of land with a production of 88 million tonnes.

• Rice occupies 26 per cent of total cropped area and contributes 24 per cent of total AGDP

• India earns Rs 7,000 crores annually from rice in foreign exchange

• Rice is source of livelihoods for millions of people in India

» (Directorate of Rice Research, 2010)

Background of SRI Program• Decline in labour• Increasing input cost• The per capita land availability declined sharply

– 0.37 ha/0.925 acre (1951)– 0.19 ha/0.47 acres (2001) – Projected to be 0.13 ha/0.325 acres in 2051

• Increasing Environmental Concerns• Decline of water source available for agriculture• Per Capita rice availability is declining

• 221.7 gm/day in 1991• 206.4 gm/day in 2000• 175.3 gm/day in 2008

• The potential for growth is more in rainfed areas

4

SDTT-SRI Program Piloting Phase (2007-09)

• 65,543 small and marginal farmers covering 18,685 acres in 2009 (kharif and rabi combined)

• 105 districts or close to a sixth of the total districts in the country

• Eight states• Investment in first phase: 10.94 crore• Reviewed during 2008-09

5

Expansion Phase II (2009-12)

• Aim: 169,000 small and marginal farmers in 12 states (achieved 155,000 by Rabi 2011)

• Strategies: (i) intensively engage NGOs and state governments for SRI extension; (ii) Training of trainers and farmers; (iii) Provide support for obtaining equipment such as cono weeder; (iv) Research and advocacy; (v) Innovation; and (vi) Exchange programme.

• Reviewed by a five-member team

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Achievements are Three Major Types

A. Total Outreach and Household Level Impact1. National2. States / Agro-ecological Zones

B. Innovations1. Spread of SRI Principles to Other Crops2. Innovation in Tools/Equipment

C. Leveraging Funds and Mainstreaming with Government

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Program Achievements

• Total Farmer Outreach and Area (2011-12): – Farmers: 155,000 (Kharif 110,000, Rabi 40,000);– Area under SRI: 38,206 Acre, other crops 17,446 acre

• Grain Yield and Income– 46% increase in yield– 191% increase in income (Rs.13, 416/acre as compared to Rs.

4610/acre)• Food Security

– 84 days a year for a family of six (Average SRI area per farmer: 0.35 acre)

• Increase in Economic Output– 2011: Rs. 34 Crore– 2010: Rs. 24 Crore

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-120

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

YEAR WISE FARMERS COVERAGEN

o of

Far

mer

s( '0

00)

9

1,975

7,465

16,082

20,249

3,876

2,407

10,070

21,345

23,470

2,120

937

STATE WISE DISTRIBUTION OF FARMERS AS

WB

JH

UK

MN

MH

CH

OR

BR

MP

UP

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Program Achievements (B.1) Extrapolation of SRI Principles to Other Crops:

• Wheat– Uttarakhand: 2300 farmers; 40 to 80 per cent

increase in grain yield– Bihar: 7500 farmers; 25 to 50 per cent yield increase

• Sugarcane– Additional income under SRI method is Rs 82,112 /

per acre (Bihar)• Vegetables, Pulses, and Oilseeds (Rapeseed,

Soybean)

Presentation to the CoB

Other Encouraging Developments

• Livolink Foundation with active support from our SRI partners has been able to mobilise Rs 3 crores from TRUPTI in Odisha.

• PRADAN Bihar has played major role in mainstreaming SRI and generating interest at international level

• The Guradian, Forbes India, etc• Rongmei Naga Baptist Association is mobilising

weeders from Manipur Government for our SRI partners

Our Failures

• Our attempts to intervene at state and policy level has given uneven results

• Research with mainstream institutions has not taken off at the desired level

• Failure to bring uniformity in extension mechanism

• Is Livolink Foundation over-burdened: Is there possibility of 360 review/feedback

Future DirectionNeed feedback from all of you

• Intensify the SRI extension in the focussed regions/states

• Standardizing the extension mechanism • Initiating research on SRI with established

research institutes (a separate event is being proposed in June 13 only on research)

• Moving from ‘food security’ to ‘family well-being’: if needed supplementing with other activities

• THANKS