This document summarizes SeSTA's experience promoting the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method in Assam, India. It outlines the need for SRI due to low yields from traditional rice cultivation. SeSTA's objectives were to teach SRI principles to 12,500 small farmers to improve yields. Key strategies included demonstrations, community mobilization, capacity building, and encouraging standard SRI practices. The program expanded from 2 districts in 2010-11 to 8 districts by 2012-13. SRI rice yields averaged 4.9 tons/hectare compared to 1.9 tons/hectare previously. SRI principles were also successfully applied to maize cultivation, increasing average yields to 13.2 tons

1. Experience of Promoting SRI
Method of Crop cultivation in
Assam
Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SeSTA)
February 27, 2013
SRI Partners’ Meet, Ranchi

2. Need of SRI initiative in Assam
• In North Eastern States (7 States), Paddy is the main cereal crop
& staple food.
• Despite the huge demand of Paddy the yields of paddy in the
region is 1.9 MT/Ha.
• Low productivity coupled with eroded sandy soil in river banks
of Brahmaputra as well as flood creates huge disturbances in
poor communities, people are stressed to do unskilled labour
works to earn square meal.
• The land acquisition per farmer is as low as 0.2 Ha to 0.5 Ha for
small farmers.
• Paddy intervention in Assam is critical considering flood(Variety
consideration), prolonged monsoon, pest &
diseases, inadequacy of updated in formations with farmer.
• Huge scope of demonstrating quality yields through exposing
farmers to SRI principles.

3. A brief on SRI initiative in Assam
Objective:
To expand the SRI program in Assam through partnership
approach with the objective of enhancing food grain security
of small and marginal farmers in Assam by improving yield of
paddy through-
• Reach to 12500 small & marginal farmers under this
programme.
• Demonstration of upgraded technologies, different
implements for better management of SRI.
• Capacity building of community as well as different
organizations.
• Sensitization of different stake holders for popularizing SRI in
North East.

4. SRI expansion strategy by SeSTA
I. Understanding of the context , area/ farmer/ technology.
II. Quality demonstration to build in confidence within the
Organization and across the relevant stakeholders.
III. Community mobilization through using different Information
Communication Tools.
IV. Capacity building of Target Community, Staff, related NGOs,
relevant stakeholders.
V. SRI with standard package of practices.
VI. Regular support to community & extension workers.
VII. 10 % data sampling and analysis as well sharing at community to
spread the outcomes for easy adoption in coming years by other
farmers.
VIII. Organizing workshops, field days tosensitize all
stakeholders(Farmer, staff, NGOs, District Administration, Banks
etc)

5. YEAR WISE AREA COVERAGE OF SRI EXTENSION
Year Number of
Districts
Number of
Block
Number of
Village
Number of NGO
2010-11 2 4 100 2
2011-12 7 11 143 5
2012-13 8 13 215 2

7. Year wise Target Vs Achievement of SRI Farmers

8. Results of SRI paddy Cultivation

9. SRI productivity analysis for Rabi season, 2012

10. SRI productivity analysis for Kharif season, 2012

11. Analysis of crop cutting data- Kharif’12
• Avg. yield in Kharif ,2012: 4.9 MT/Ha.
• Highest yield in Kharif, 2012: 9.2 MT/Ha
• Average no. of tiller per hill: 25
• Highest no. of tiller per hill : 71
• Avg. length of panicle: 22 .3 cm
• Highest length of panicle: 35 cm
• Avg. number of grains in a panicle: 224
• Highest number of grains in a panicle: 362
• Avg. additional food grain per family: 0.25 MT

12. Length of SRI paddy panicle

13. SRI-method of Maize cultivation
Major principle follow-
• Used improved variety of maize seed with seed treatment
• Single seed sowing with equal distance (i.e. plan to plant
distance is 1 ft and row to row distance is 2 ft)
• Application of balanced fertilizer doses
• Mechanical weeding by using dry-land weeder in 15 days
interval
• Proper water management by providing 2-3 times irrigation to
the maize plot through irrigation channels

14. Result of SRI method of maize
cultivation in Rabi season
• Piloted with 98 farmers in one district, now
expended to nearly 200 farmers
• Avg. productivity: 13.2 MT/Ha.
• Maximum productivity recorded: 16.8 MT/Ha
• Minimum productivity recorded : 12.0 MT/Ha
• Avg. net profit from 1 Ha: Rs.79,025/- and
• Maximum profit from 1 Ha: Rs. 1,54,312/-.

16. SRI method of Vegetable cultivation

17. Achievements
• Yield enhancements in paddy, maize with
8685 families.
• Standard extension system developed.
• With 3 years of experience SeSTA worked out
a model of SRI promotion. (Audio visual aids in
local language, grooming pool of CRP, training
modules emerged)
• Able to draw attention of different
stakeholders.(VCDC, Panchayats, DRDA, ATMA,
NGOs, ASRLM)

18. Major Learning From SRI Program
• Yields of SRI paddy & Maize is providing a base to
expand.
• Reduction in farmer investment & enhanced yield
(2times higher) through SRI paddy & maize.
• Community participation is vital for expansion.
• Enhanced food security is a safety net to most of
vulnerable community.
• Focused effort on SRI brining in momentum within
organization & in community also.
• Comprehensive efforts required for agriculture
sector development.
• The efforts of government is still inadequate to
meet the needs of small farmers.

19. Challenges faced
• Riots in BTAD area creates lot of disturbances
in work.
• Flood is a major challenge for farmers in Kharif
season.
• Providing quality time with partner NGOs.
• In partnership apart from technology a lot of
things need to address fund
flow, accounts, processes of implementation.

20. Future Plan for SRI expansion

21. Some Glimpse of SRI Promotion