EC-National Food Security Mission: Dec 15 2010 Krishi Vistar Sadan New Delhi Strategy for Upscaling SRI

1. EC-National Food Security Mission: Dec 15 2010Krishi Vistar SadanNew DelhiStrategy for Upscaling SRI

2. Outlook Despite, distress in agriculture, there are positive signals* More responsive Centre* Being a state subject, Stats are more responsive and equipped to meet the challenges* Large work force to put in*More and better technology

3. National Food Security Mission: An Inclusive strategy NFSM is in vogue past 3 of 5 years (11FYP) Target: Additional 20 mt (Rice: 10 mt, wheat 6mt &pulses 4mt) Investment: Rs.5000 Crores Spread & Implementation of NFSM Rice in 133 backward districts Wheat in 137 districts Pulses in 168

4. NFSM 2007 The National Food Security Mission launched during rabi 2008 with an objective to increase production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses on a sustainable basis so as to ensure food security of the country. The approach is to bridge the yield gap in respect of these crops through dissemination of improved technologies and farm management practices.

5. Poverty and livelihood challenges HOUSEHOLD LEVEL Nationallevel

6. Crisis in Agriculture and FOOD SECURITY • Deceleration and stagnant production & productivity • Declining impact of TFP affects livelihood of millions • High water demand : 3-5,000 lt/ kg of rice. 34-43% of irrigation water. • Fertilizer Subsidy Bill to GOI Rs 119 billion: Farmer suicides • Global Rice prices doubled 2001-2007, more rapidly last year

9. SRI as an important component of NFSM & its Achievement

10. NFSM Coverage Districts

12. IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY NEEDED As envisaged, there is need now a strong component of project management, monitoring and evaluation to steer achieving the Mission’s objectives. (NFSM 2007)

13. IMPACT Quantified: SRI • Yield increased by 70% (a case study in Uttarkhand): • Grain yield 67, 87 and 53%, respectively, in 2007-2009, • Straw yield increases were 25, 34 and 31%). • Bihar – best farmer awards > 10 tons/ha • High B-C statistics, • Substantial seed saving (90%) • Drought and resilience of SRI • 92% yield increase in drought 2009. In UK, yield reduction was 13% as against 39% in CMP • Substantial water saving, Time saving, root maximisation • Few or no cases of dis-adoption • Equity: Gender participation & Increased employment • Sustainability; Climate, Agro-ecology & organic farming focus • Communication: Broad based SRI community – SRI e-group • Policy advocacy – learning alliances, state level workshops

14. Scientific Benefits: SRI HEXAGON Young seedlings More organic manures Single seedling per hill Enhanced water, labour, land and nutrient productivity Wider spacing Unflooded irrigation Intercultivation with weeder TMT May 20 2010

15. Coverage through CSO & FI initiatives: • PRADAN and SDTT: • No. of State covered (2010-11): 8 • No. of families: 23198 • Area covered: 3133.5 8 • SDTT Initiatives: • No. of State covered (2010-11): 15 • No. of families: > 60,000 • Investment: Rs.10.94 crores • NABARD: Investing in several states through FTTF programme • Other: including govt and other independent agencies • Tripura: > 30000 ha by 80, 400 farmers in kharif + 69600 farmers in Boro season in 2008 • Tamilnadu: 50,000 farmers trained inn2007 in 11,320 ha, now over 5 lakh farmers in 10 lakh hectares • Andhra Pradesh: + • Karnataka: + • Kerala: + • Uttar Pradesh +

16. SDTT Initiative- Commendable Spread: Creating Hope for farming community

17. Farmer-friendly option: SRI can meet HH food security by building further momentum (A modest initiative made a change in 3 years) Visited by study team

18. Learning from the SDTT initiative • Pro-poor initiatives:SDTT began interventions on late 2007 to promote SRI among the small and marginal farmers, whose number today is nearly 90 million • Modest investment :Rs.10.94 crores for 3 years • Targeted HDI states:Implemented in 10 rainfed eastern India states in partnership with 150 partners and 75,000 farmers • Quick Impact:105 districts covered in a short period of less than two years. • Impact to individuals • Productivity increased more than 90% over the conventional method in a cost-effective manner • Substantial savings in inputs: seed, water, land, time and other inputs. Provide opportunity for family labour better utilized • Rural poor found that dream of a full meal a day is a reality after adoption of SRI • High investment efficiency: All these achievement with investment of a modest amount of Rs.1823 per farmer, implying high efficiency of investment • Priority:Designed for capacity training in continuum among concerned stakeholders and Small farmer

19. Upscaling: SRI • Upscaling SRI needed as it spread more rapidly compared to other revolution • Enhancing knowledge delivery for continuous capacity strengthening • Strong Institution: Public private partnership with the CSOs likely to deliver desired goals efficiently • Capacity buildingfor various stakeholders needed in continuum • Feedback from Farmer-field researchto policy and agri-research • National consortium of SRIcan lead in field-research, policy communication and training; prepare knowledge book, develop dissemination model and MIS system • Incentivize and use the existing million adopterswill help spreading the practice and double or triple adoption of SRI • Resilience to climate change • Gender mainstreamingprovide positive effect on employment and migration.

20. Unlocking Creativity of Farming Communities: Upscaling Strategy of PSI Se lection of Partner Organizations (POs) Selection of villages and farmers Capacity building of master trainers and village level resource persons Learn to DO Information dissemination through print and electronic media Learn by DOING Research on other crops and equipment Networking Programme Monitoring Alternate business models – BASIX, IDE(I) in place. Most built on farmer farmer training Policy Advocacy

21. Policy Advocacy and Mainstreaming SRI • Existing of huge gaps demands more support for SRI • @ National level, NFSM needs to be better strategised for wider adoption & impact • State and district level - opportunities exist, • Support facilitation costs for investments from agriculture dept like ATMA / RKVY are converged. DDM of NABARD can facilitate convergence. • Support custom hiring centers for implements & promotion of enterprises among the poor • Support establishment of seed systems • SRI is bankablewith good returns on investment – many projects prove this. NABARD needs to step in as investing in SRI no more risky.

22. Strategies and Ways Forward • Continue existing strategies with greater focus • To meet the higher demand generated by SRI in regions and country • Establish SRI Regional Resource Centres:Regular training and capacity building by engaging state departments…NABARD can play a big role • Strengthen research on SRI • Long term agronomic study on farmers field • Detailed socio-economic studies by professional research institutions. • Be the leader in Root Intensification research – India & world • Create a National Innovation Fund and SRI Fellowships • Scout nationally • National Consortium of SRI: • Launched after series of consultation with NFSM, NABARD Research institutions and CSOs with mandate of ensuring food, nutrition and livelihood security in partnership mode.

23. Investment for SRI upscaling An estimate shows that, an additional 16,782 tonnes paddy produced in 10 states with a small investment of Rs 10.9 crores during past 2 years , which generated Rs 15.10 crores incremental income to farming families • Strategies up to 2012 • More S&M farmers to be reached in poor HDI states • Area coverage to increase substantially • Enhanced productivity and conserve natural resource is indispensible for sustainability • Increased investment in SRI promotion

24. Look Ahead • More scientific ramification needed. • Awareness of efficient soil, water and crop management • More effort in Reaching out the Technology: • Proactive R&D&E interventions to provide wide range of rice germplasm and knowledge delivery. • R&D&E on SRI is cost-effective and easy transfer for technology • Capacity strengthening: • Sensitised Civil Society Organisations: the nationally ones first to start with) • Participatory approach to policy backstop for technology generation and dissemination for enhancing adoption • Innovative but simple mechanism needed • For maximising biological power of plants, to reduce the yield gap • NATIONAL SRI FUND in PPPpartnership of GOI, NABARD and SDTT of other Donors. An initial Rs.100 crores fund with national goal of sustainable food security.

25. Innovation spillover to Other Crops & spread over to several states Rajma – 553 farmers Sugar cane under SSI SRI in Wheat – 25,000 farmers Finger Millet 473 farmers Soyabean 34 farmers Maize 64 farmers

26. National Consortium on SR(oot)I (Joint Action Initiative- JAI SRI) Responsive Critical Reflection JAI SRI Knowledgeable Co-operation Respectable ProfessionalSupport • Consortium partners: • SDTT and nodal agencies • WWF ICRISAT • WASSAN • SRI India –e-group • XIMB • DRR, NCAP • DRD, NFSM • NABARD • Planning Commission

27. Small farm family needs one more meal a day Let us create synergy of equity, sustainability, food security and rural livelihood through efficient technology, innovative agricultural practices supported by research and development backstopping THANK YOU

28. Indicators of Investment Efficacy

29. Encouraging features of SRI • The field survey reveals and revalidates the following encouraging features in the peninsular India. • Average yield of rice under SRI is clearly higher than conventional practices. • SRI conserves resources both material inputs as well as natural resources. • SRI is a pro-poor cultivation practice as the pro small farmer orientation is the main placard of SRI. • SRI ensures household food security as the increased production meet the food needs of the growing needs of the small farm family members from their own farm. • SRI is basically a post monsoon rabi season activity, hence generates opportunities for off season employment and ensures gender equity • SRI potentially maximizes the utilization of biological potential of the plant (soil microbiology, soil micronutrients and aeration apart from solar energy). The healthy plants resulted to good grain yield. • Most importantly water saving in rice cultivation under SRI is substantial

30. Quantified advantages of SRI in Tamilnadu (i) Less seed in SRI (5 to 8 kg/ha as compared to 40 to 50 kg under conventional practices), which save cost substantially. (ii) Uniformly higher yield across the farm size category. The yield varies from about 5 ton per hectare to 7.5 ton/ha as compared to 1.88 ton to 3.85 ton per hectare under conventional practice across the districts. (iii) Substantial Water saving due to alternate drying and wetting system even at constant yield, proves socially beneficial in areas where water is premium. The average water saving varies from 16 to 49 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, and 22 to 38 per cent in Tamilnadu. The figure is identical across the farm size, representing equity aspect of water use. These savings resulted to substantial water economy at the state level, which is of societal relevance. (iv) Use of organic manure, green manure and biological to nutriment supplementation, the use of fertilizer and other agro-chemicals are unnecessary, which certify SRI as potential organic product. (v) Incidence of pest and diseases is less in SRI due to sturdy and hardy stem and leaves repel specific insects.