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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | System of Rice Intensification provides full rice plate at low price

System of Rice Intensification provides full rice plate at low price

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published Published on Apr 16, 2014   modified Modified on Apr 16, 2014
-The Times of India


NAGPUR: The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of rice cultivation, which has been in existence in the region for some years, is now all set to revolutionize rice production. And if the divisional commissionerate has its way, the yield of different varieties of rice grown using this technique will increase threefold in the next two years or so.

Introduced in the region, especially Bhandara district, by the agriculture department about 6-7 years back, the SRI method was being used by only a handful of farmers. It is only this season that as many as 61,310 farmers from all the five rice growing districts of Nagpur division adopted the cultivation technique scientifically as a part of a pilot project being promoted by the divisional commissionerate in collaboration with the state agriculture department. The yield increased about 51% compared to convention cropping.

"At some places, farmers have already doubled their yield in the project villages," says former divisional commissioner B Venugopal Reddy. A tour to some of the SRI fields substantiated Reddy's claims. TOI encountered two types of farmers. Farmers who were using SRI method for the first time were really amazed by the results. The second lot had been using SRI method for the past few years and the higher yield in their fields had attracted many more farmers in those villages. In fact, one village each in Bhandara and Gadchiroli districts had completely switched to SRI method.

Sitaram Vyanka Madavi, 52, from Jhizgaon village in Bhamragarh taluka of Gadchiroli district says he began cultivating rice using SRI in 2006. "Now, out of the 115 families in my village, 100 are already using this technique. I get an average yield of 22 quintals per acre. I take different varieties like Jaishriram, PKV HMT, 1001 and 1010. I had taken proper training for scientific cultivation. I sale the crop in the market as well as to Mahabeej," he said.

Similarly, Rambhau Isan Kadao from Indurka village in Bhandara district began SRI cultivation about five years back. He bagged the prestigious 'Krishi Bhushan' award from the state government this year for his SRI rice and organic turmeric cultivation. He seems to be getting the highest rice yield of about 35-40 quintals per acre using SRI. He is already taking rice as second crop. His whole village too has switched to SRI. Dhomeshwar Vitthal Chakole from village Basore and Dadaram Jhinge from village Panjara in Mohadi taluka, also from Bhandara district, though did not get similar results due to heavy rainfall this year, they want to try the technique once again next year.

Dnyaneshwar Raghunath Chakole from village Khedi in Parseoni taluka in Nagpur district who used to get 15 quintal rice per acre through conventional techniques, got 35-40 quintal per acre of Kuber and Lal basmati scented varieties of rice this year. "Farmers from all the nearby areas visited my fields and queried about the method and the seeds. I shared the information with them and told them to approach the agriculture department," he said.

Chudaman Ishwar Dadmal from village Ghugshi in Parseoni taluka in Nagpur district is cultivating Sahyadri 4 variety using SRI method and got yield of 36 quintal in one acre this year in the pilot project. He has understood the technique so well that he explains the increase in production due to more tillers in each plant. "SRI requires less water, fertilizer and seeds. Reducing the cultivation cost is the biggest exercise for any farmer. And SRI has done this successfully. Next year, I will increase the area to three acres," he says.

Anil Thakre from Mahalgaon village and Vinod Dhanraj Wanjari from Kapil village, both in Kamptee taluka in Nagpur district, have taken Jaishriram and Basmati 555. However, Thakre got yield of 35-26 quintals while Wanjari got 25 quintals. Yet both are happy with the results.

Khushal Arjuan Sawakakade from Khambal village in Chimur takuka in Chandrapur district has been growing rice using SRI method. He gets good price but expects state to ensure a minimum support price and procurement of the rice.

Farm activist Sanjay Satykar has been helping farmers in Parseoni, Kamptee and Mouda talukas by giving them a special variety of Basmati rice brought from Varanasi. "This year was a trial run. Next year, I will prove how the Varanasi variety can increase yield manifold," he said.

Circle agriculture officer Mohan Sawai and sub divisional agriculture officer Prakash Sonune, who went door-to-door to convince farmers to try SRI this year are now more than happy. They are sure that next year at least four times more farmers will adopt it.


The Times of India, 15 April, 2014, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/System-of-Rice-Intensification-provides-full-rice-plate-at-low-price/articleshow/33754551.cms


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