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"I did not sleep the night after planting the seeds,” Mr Ibotomba says, “and only fitfully in that first week. I was plagued by worry. What if it did not work, what if the rice died on me? This continued for a month, until the seeds began flowering. When harvesting time came I was over the moon: my output had increased by more than 50%.” He should never have agonised so much as he had joined the ‘System of Rice Intensification’ (SRI) programme being supported by the Tata Trusts in Manipur and there was plenty of evidence that those swearing by its tenets would reap serious benefits. But Mr Ibotomba had to see before he believed. The SRI initiative, which has in its fold 4,580 farmers from 41 villages in five districts of the state, is primarily aimed at offering food and nutritional security for households with meagre resources.
