RGVN Assam 2011

Promotion of SRI

Supported by

SDTT (Sir Dorabji Tata Trust,Mumbai)

Project area: Assam(8 districts)

Project period : April,2010 to March,2011

Fund allocation: Rs. 38.58 lakh

RGVN’s partner NGOs : 8 nos

The intention of the project was to render technical support and demonstration to the small and marginal farmers about SRI and thereby to attain the sustainable livelihood.

The main objective of the project was To increase the food grain production of the state, Adoption of SRI by at least 8000 farmers in 8 districts of Assam, Demonstrative effect to other farmers of the locality, Influence state agricultural policy for promoting the extension of

the SRI technique, Attract probable stakeholders for promotion of SRI,

Objective of the project

District to be covered - 8 No. of Farmers - 8000 Area coverage - 10000 Bighas

or

3311 Acres

TARGET FOR THE FY 2010-11

Selected one partner NGO in each district

Selected two master trainers in each district

Organize TOT for master trainers

Selection of farmers with the help of master trainers and NGO partners

Training and capacity building of farmers

Targeted at least 1500 farmers in each district

Collaborated with line department through district level SRI meet

STRATEGY ADOPTED

In Assam farmers cultivate -

Kharif paddy -June/July to Dec/January

Summer Paddy I & II– Nov/Dec to

April/May

Paddy seasons in Assam

Season- wise target and Achieved (2010-11)

Season Target Achieved No. of farmers

land coverage(Acres)

No. of farmers

land coverage(Acres)

KharifPaddy

2000 700 2070 766

SummerPaddy I & II

6000 2611 - -

Yield in Kharif Paddy(2010-11)

Variety used

FertilizerUsed

Previous Traditional yield per Bigha in qtls

SRI yield in qtls

Local/HYV/Hybrid

Organic & inorganic

5.70 10.17

Satisfactory collaborations from Agriculture department, KVK etc.

NABARD initiative to promote SRI in seven districts of Assam

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd, Meghalaya come forward for SRI promotion

Collaborations

NABARD RO : Rs.17.12 lakh each for

Guwahati three districts for the FY

2010-13

POWER GRID: Committed 5.69 lakh for

Corporation of one district in FY 2010-11

India Ltd.

Fund support apart from SDTT

Farmers pre-conceived mindset hinders the progress

Dependency habit of farmers towards government programmes

Farmers preference to traditional system Hardly follow up of 6 principles of SRI

OBSERVATIONS

Inadequate irrigation system Unable to access credit by small and marginal

farmers Overdependence of farmers on informal credit

mechanism Intend to cultivate through Hybrid variety of paddy

with excessive inorganic fertilizer use Not matching of extension mechanism to tentative

target and fund flow

OBSERVATIONS cont…

Future Course of Action

Year Districtscoverage

TarNo. of Farmers

GetArea in Acres

2011-12 10 12000

4967

2012-13 13 15000 6623

Programme findings

The key findings of the projects are as follows –

SRI could be a right option for the farmers to increase their production in food grain.

Methods of irrigation are to be improved. There is plenty of water in Assam but management of the available water resource is to be done properly specially in Sali crop.

SRI is better in Boro and early Ahu provided by irrigation facilities, because though we have sufficient rain water we cannot manage it when and where needed in Sali season.

Farmers need some sort of support in terms of bio fertilizer, bio pesticides & their appliances etc.

Photographs

Informal awareness meeting

District level meet at Chhaygaon,Assam

Seedling raising on GI sheet

Seedling raising on bamboo mate

Seedbed carrying by push cart

Seedling raising on banana leaf

Seedling raising on bamboo sieve

Seedling raising on beetle nut leaf

Watering nursery bed

Seed raising on wooden frame

Simple weeder modified by farmers

Raised seed bed preparation

Marking by locally made marker

Single seedling transplanting

First weeding in the SRI field

Locally made weeder by farmer

Farmers weeding by walking in the field

Locally made weeder by farmer

Summer Paddy (2010-11)

Summer paddy 2010-11

Field monitoring

SRI field

Counting the no. of tillers

Kharif Paddy SRI at Darrang District of Assam

Biological control of SRI field

Thank you..