SRI Global News: Aug - Oct. 2024 *SRI-Rice -- System of Rice Intensification

Climate change and climate variability create hurdles for food security and agriculture- based livelihoods, and acts as an obstacle to the economic growth of the people of Manipur, India.

The Directorate of Environment has introduced the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) to reduce GHG emissions and improve agricultural productivity in Phayeng village where a project to transform the village to a carbon-positive eco model village is in progress. Twenty-one farmers covering about 12 hectares of land were selected based on their interest and field conditions for a pilot study of SRI. Recent changes in the climate are affecting the Phayeng ecosystem services in terms of agricultural sectors and food insecurities.

A high potential is seen in SRI to help secure livelihoods and to enhance resilience to expected adverse impacts of climate change. SRI can be applied with both irrigated and rain-fed rice systems. The most vulnerable people and vulnerable economic sectors like agriculture will be given attention on priority basis.

"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.