System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a
productivity enhancing and resource conserving practice
B.
C. Barah
National Centre for Agricultural Econom=
ics
and Policy Research (NCAP)
New Delhi<=
/st1:City>
110 012, India,
Rice is the most important =
crop
and a staple food to a very high proportion of the world population. Despite
the availability of rich stock of rice technologies developed over the year=
s,
the growth in production (including TFP) has been decelerating and producti=
vity
stagnating, particularly beginning the mid 1990s. As horizontal expansion of
area is subjected to geographical limit, productivity enhancement has becom=
e a
critical challenge to the agricultural researchers and policy makers.
Productivity can be increased both by technological means and/or manipulati=
on
of farmers’ practices. The paper reports the findings of a study on an
innovative practice of rice production enhancement called System of Rice
Intensification (SRI). We believe that while promoting and spreading innova=
tive
methods/practices, proper understanding of the socioeconomic dimensions of
adoption behaviour is crucial. A detailed farm survey is being conducted in
southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, where t=
he
government policy makers approved and accepted SRI to implement and popular=
ize
among the farmers in a large scale. The study focuses on quantitative gain =
in
yield, valuing conservation of water, enhanced biological dynamics in soil =
and
plants and savings in seed. About 300 farmers in various ecosystems are
involved in the on-going on-farm survey. On account of a number of merits, =
SRI
has been adopted in phenomenal pace covering from a single country of
Madagaskar in the early 1990s to nearly 29 countries around the world today.
Following the SRI practices carefully, farmers can achieve additional rice
yield of at least 1-2 ton/ha as compared to the existing best practices. The
gain in rice yield due to SRI with the hybrid varieties PHB 71 and DRRH 1 is
reported at 48 per cent in India.
In addition to productivity advantage, the savings in invaluable water,
expensive seed and other external inputs are important. More space and aera=
tion
allow the plants to grow more freely and vigorously, and efficient water
management and control reduce root degeneration providing needed support to=
the
plant growth. Increased yield
without increase in cost of cultivation, is an important consideration of
farmers choice to adopt SRI. On the whole, the farmers would adopt the meth=
od
if it improves production per unit of landholdings overseeing the household
food security, profitability and income security. The small farmer orientat=
ion
is another important merit of SRI which potentially ensures household food
security and resource conservation, being the need of the hour. The study
demonstrates that there is no penalty but advantage in yield under SRI.
Therefore, this small farmer friendly practice will be a boon to rice growi=
ng
farmers in future.
Policy
options:
=
The paper reports the findings of t=
he
study of inter-regional variation in rice production systems and assesses s=
ome
of the policy imperatives. The analysis of spatio temporal data shows an
inverted bowl shaped growth curve in rice production during past couple of
decades. The down-syndrome if not reversed will be a threat to food securit=
y in
the country. Disaggregate analysis indicates that the deceleration in
productivity growth has severe policy implication. It has been proven that =
the
gain due to modern rice technology has been discriminatory against the reso=
urce
poor areas dominated by small and marginal farmers, as observed in uneven p=
ace
in green revolution led increase in rice production and productivity. This
resulted in highly pervasive inter-regional disparity in space and time. Th=
is
is clearly reflected as rice productivity varies from less than 2 ton/ha in
rainfed areas to as high as 6 ton/ha in irrigated tract in Punjab.
This indicates a policy failure to fulfill the requirements of demand-driven
technology and “reaching out” to the target groups. The concern=
has
been raised that should the transition from stagnation to deceleration be t=
he
beginning of an alarming agrarian impasse in the core green revolution area=
s?
Should uniform productivity pattern remain a distant dream? This fear of de=
clining
rice production in recent years and perceived ecological vulnerability seem=
to
push the core green revolution areas in the well-endowed irrigated tracts a=
way
from mainstream rice production system. This might even further endanger the
food security of millions of poor. To exploit the enormous potential in the
vast rainfed areas of the eastern India, which accounts for mor=
e than
two-thirds of total rice area in the country, a shift in policy paradigm is
necessitated to build a stronger ground for increasing rice production. The
yield increasing technology, input use efficiency, agricultural
diversification, efficient implementation of development programmes and the
supportive policies in the rainfed areas are sine-qua-non as sources of gro=
wth
in rice production. We argue for synergistic approach among the biological
scientists, social scientists and the farmers as integral to rice developme=
nt
programme. The resource conservation should be ingrained into productivity
enhancing technology as the farmers prefer such property of technology.
=
=
Rice
is the stable food of nearly 65% of over a billion population in India. =
Rice
production increased four fold over the past 50 years (with a base of 21 Mt=
of
paddy in TE 1952), but its average productivity has been low and uneven acr=
oss
regions. Ironically, decelerating yield trend since the mid-1990s may have
induced un-sustainability to food production to some extent. The paper repo=
rts
the findings of the study of inter-regional variation in rice production
systems and assesses some of the policy imperatives. The analysis of spatio
temporal data shows an inverted bowl shaped growth curve in rice production
during past couple of decades. The down-syndrome if not reversed will be a
threat to food security in the country. Disaggregate analysis indicates that
the deceleration in productivity growth has severe policy implication. It h=
as
been proven that the gain due to modern rice technology has been discrimina=
tory
against the resource poor areas dominated by small and marginal farmers, as
observed in uneven pace in green revolution led increase in rice production=
and
productivity. This resulted in highly pervasive inter-regional disparity in
space and time. This is clearly reflected as rice productivity varies from =
less
than 2 ton/ha in rainfed areas to as high as 6 ton/ha in irrigated tract in=
Punjab. This indicates a policy failure to fulfill =
the
requirements of demand-driven technology and “reaching out” to =
the
target groups. The concern has been raised that should the transition from
stagnation to deceleration be the beginning of an alarming agrarian impasse=
in
the core green revolution areas? Should uniform productivity pattern remain=
a
distant dream? This fear of declining rice production in recent years and
perceived ecological vulnerability seem to push the core green revolution a=
reas
in the well-endowed irrigated tracts away from mainstream rice production
system. This might even further endanger the food security of millions of p=
oor.
To exploit the enormous potential in the vast rainfed areas of the eastern =
India, =
which
accounts for more than two-thirds of total rice area in the country, a shif=
t in
policy paradigm is necessitated to build a stronger ground for increasing r=
ice
production. The yield increasing technology, input use efficiency, agricult=
ural
diversification, efficient implementation of development programmes and the
supportive policies in the rainfed areas are sine-qua-non as sources of gro=
wth
in rice production. We argue for synergistic approach among the biological
scientists, social scientists and the farmers as integral to rice developme=
nt
programme. The resource conservation should be ingrained into productivity
enhancing technology as the farmers prefer such property of the technology.=
=
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