The Malian government has unveiled a US$24.4 million initiative to nearly double the nation’s rice production by 2030. Dubbed the National Program for Scaling Up the Intensive Rice Farming System (PN-SRI), the initiative was formally launched at a national forum in Bamako on April 17. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with GIZ-Mali, the 10-year strategy targets a production increase from 3 million tonnes to 5.5 million tonnes of paddy rice.
The initiative is grounded in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a cultivation method designed to optimize yields through improved water and soil management, better spacing, and input efficiency. The initiative is expected to benefit approximately 245,000 producers across one million hectares, boosting local paddy rice production.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) pilot programme implemented by Propcom+ across different locations in Nigeria has shown potential to enhance rice productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Nigeria.
During the pilot, Propcom+ said 22,269 smallholder farmers, 41% of whom were women, received SRI training through onsite demonstrations and SMS-based education.The pilot also attracted commercial investments, with three suppliers committing to providing motorized transplanters, mobile solar-powered pumps, and organic fertilizers. Additionally, the initiative created 199 jobs, with rural entrepreneurs adopting the service delivery models for mechanized transplanting and irrigation services. The pilot also achieved improvements in farm productivity, with 66% of adopting farmers reporting higher yields compared to conventional farming method
Elles sont plus de 500 femmes de la région des Savanes (nord-Togo) à bénéficier depuis lundi d'une formation sur le système de riziculture intensive (SRI).
Le système SRI permet d'augmenter la production tout en réduisant les coûts et les ressources au bénéfice des agriculteurs. Pour la FAO, promouvoir le SRI sur ces sites de production, c'est participer aussi à la production durable du riz au Togo.
SRI-Rice's insight:
English translation: ...more than 500 women from the Savanes region (northern Togo) have benefited from training the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). The SRI system increases production while reducing costs and resources for the benefit of farmers.For FAO, promoting SRI on these production sites also means participating in sustainable rice production in Togo.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) held a two-day “train the trainers’ programme” on rice production in Kano for 20 extension workers that is intended to enhance yield and mitigate the effects of climate. Organised in collaboration with SRI-2030, the training included frontline extension workers from five states – Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Bauchi, and Adamawa. Speaking at the event, the minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, noted that the initiative aimed to increase farmers’ capacity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. James Dahlgreen, SRI-Rice Programme Manager explained, “SRI will help feed the world with less water, less climate impact, and without taking any more land from nature,. Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf of Kano reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to agricultural development.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) has outdoored its System of Rice Intensification (SRI) technology and potentials of recently released rice varieties. At a day’s visit for farmers at Botanga in the Kumbungu, the efficiency, and the benefits of the SRI technology was introduced to the farmers in the area […]
The Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP), under the National Executing Entity (NEE-CHAP), is spearheading the Scaling up of Climate Resilient Rice Production Project organized by the Rice Production Improvement Consortium of West Africa (RICOWAS) in Liberia. In Liberia, RICOWAS targets 13,620 farmers across 2,641 hectares in six project zones. Training sessions, including a TOT in Montserrado County and five other project zones, focus on SRI and CRRP, aiming to strengthen the skills of extension service providers and farmers
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an environmentally sustainable farming method which has enabled growers from the Kapunga Village in Tanzania’s Mbarali district to boost their income and nutrition. Under the Capacity Building Related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements project in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries-Phase III (ACP MEAs 3) funded by the EU, the FAO project aims to support local farmers by training them in adopting SRI.
The initiative encourages smallholders to participate in Farmer Field Schools (FFSs), offering them group plots of land and SARO 5 seeds to practice SRI. ACP MEAs 3 helps farmers transition to more resilient and productive agrifood systems by offering training and capacity building in ecosystem-based practices that promote the sustainable resource management, protect the environment, and improve food security.
The regional training of trainers’ workshop on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Climate-Resilient Rice Production (CRRP) took place in Grand-Lahou on Friday, April 5th, 2024. Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, OSS Executive Secretary, expressed his gratitude towards the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire for hosting the event, highlighting National Rural Development Support Agency (ANADER) and its excellent agricultural mechanization training center in Grand-Lahou. He also thanked Dr. Erika Styger and Dr. Karim Traore for training of the future Master Trainers who will play a significant role in the RICOWAS project. [See also French version.]
SRI-Rice's insight:
The first regional RICOWAS training of trainers workshop was hosted by ANADER in Côte d’Ivoire. It included 45 experts from 13 West African countries belonging to the regional Scaling up Climate Resilient Rice Production in West Africa (RICOWAS) project, a four-year, $14 million effort funded by the Adaptation Fund to apply principles of SRI and Climate-Resilient Rice Production (CRRP). RICOWAS is overseen by the Sahara and Sahel Observator (OSS).
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) has trained Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) and farmers on System of Rice Intensification (SRI) activities under the RICOWAS scaling up climate resilient rice production in West Africa project. Dr Issah Sugri, Senior Research Scientist at CSIR-SARI and Project Monitor, said the four-year RICOWAS project, was funded by Adaptation Fund supported by Observatoire Du Sahara Et Du Sahel Sahara and Sahel Observatory. The project, implemented by CSIR-SARI, is to strengthen human and institutional capacity in climate-resilient rice production (CRRP) and also to assist farmers to scale-up CRRP...
SRI-Rice's insight:
The USD 14 million RICOWAS project will be operating in 13 countries in West Africa during the next four years. We also found articles recently on the RICOWAS efforts getting going in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The UK LINKS programme (Powering Economic Growth in Northern Nigeria), which began in 2021, is a £12m UK government-funded programme designed to support development of a vibrant, inclusive, and diversified economy in three northern Nigeria States of Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa. The aim was for farmers to increase yields and become more resilient in the face of climate change while reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the country. As a result of the work with the System of Rice Intensification, 45,000 farmers were trained over four seasons, and over 26,000 farmers in Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa are now actively using SRI. On average yields were doubled, costs were lowered, farmer income were six times highter, and GHG emissions were reduced by 40%.
The official launch of the RICOWAS project « Scaling up climate-resilient rice production in West Africa », took place on January 18, 2023 in Bamako, Mali. The project is financed by the Adaptation Fund (AF) and implemented by the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) with the collaboration of the Regional Center of Specialization on Rice, hosted by the Institute of Rural Economy of Mali (CRS-Riz/IER), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD) and the Cornell University, for a 14M USD budget over a 4-year period. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a major component of the project.
The Community of Hope Agriculture (CHAP) in Liberia has extended operations in neighboring Mano River countries (Sierra Leone and Guinea). Together with Guinean partners, a new CHAP project, entitled "FEED La Guinea," has kicked off with SRI trial plots on two hectares in Kalako, Guinea, with over 100 smallholder farmers coming together to learn SRI methods. The first rice was transplanted July 15, 2022. The vision of feeding Guinea with home-grown rice is resonating with key stakeholders. Most of the farming groups are women-dominated and eager to learn more about SRI for the first time. To ensure that what farmers produce is bought in a timely manner, CHAP is working on launching the “I love Guinea Rice” and “Feed la Guinea” campaigns to get a buy-in from consumers for local home-grown rice.
More and more rice farmers in Africa are turning to the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). This technique is beneficial to them because it reduces production costs and provides higher yields. The benefits of this technique have allowed producers such as Marcel Yao Kouakou to become known as a model rice producer in Côte d'Ivoire. In 2013, he was awarded the Excellence Prize for best national producer in irrigated rice production in Cote d'Ivoire and in 2015, he was awarded the second Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit medal at the "Salon de l'Agriculture et des Ressources Animales."
Ciwara Capital, set up with support from IFAD and EU funding and entirely owned by members of the Malian diaspora. Ciwara invests in small and medium-size enterprises in Africa including agri-businesses, aiming to raise US$2 million by 2026 and US$10 million over the longer term. In Mali, Ciwara has invested in Zira Capital, an impact investment fund.
Among the new investments of Ciwara and Zira is SOPROTRILAD, a Malian company that provides over 3,000 small-scale farmers with inputs, such as seed and fertilizer, and in return buys the rice they harvest. IFAD’s INCLUSIF project has supported SOPROTRILAD in building relationships with rice cooperatives and introducing them to climate-smart production techniques, such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
Ibrahima's cooperative has signed an agreement with SOPROTRILAD, and despite a steep learning curve, he immediately spotted the potential of the new farming approaches. “It is more beneficial for us,” he says. “For example, for a 0.25-hectare field, we used to use 13 kg of seeds, while with SRI we only use 2–3 kg. SRI uses less water, which reduces the use of motor pumps and saves fuel.”
The theme of this January 21, 2025, webinar is “System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Research in Africa” (This is the third in the SRI Research Webinar Series, which is hosted by the SRI Global Research Network.) Speakers were: 1. Aisha Abdulkadir (Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria) presented “Enhancing Food Security in Africa through SRI: Challenges and Opportunities” 2. Primitiva Andrea Mboyerwa (Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania) presented “Eco Rice: The SRI’s Pathway to Multiple Sustainable Development Goals”
Meet Djaja Baldé, a determined farmer from Sintchä Benfica, whose adoption of improved rice production techniques is transforming her family’s future: “Look around, see for yourself. Never in all my years have I had so much rice.” (She is one of 150 farmers who participated in this project, with 48% of them being women who received training in SRI, the System of Rice Intensification). We are in the Gabú region of Guinea-Bissau, where five of the 15 pilot rice fields are that werre established in a 2022 project financed by the UN Joint Fund for Sustainable Development Goals and implemented by the UN in Guinea-Bissau.
Rockflower is excited to report significant progress in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) project, which is aimed at transforming rice farming in the Oti Region of Ghana. The project is being undertaken in collaboration with One Africa Research Development and Extension Programme (OARDEP).
Since the project's inception, OARDEP has successfully increased the number of participating farmers to 141, with an emphasis on including women and girls, who now make up 85% of the participants. This expansion is critical in a region where 87% of the population engages in agricultural, predominantly rice cultivation. The project now encompasses five communities—Bala, Mate, Avegeme, Todome, and Abrani.
Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) in the northern sector have attended a two-day training workshop during July to enhance their capacity on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) technology. The training, organised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), formed part of the Scaling up of Climate Resilient Rice Production in West Africa (RICOWAS Project). In Ghana, the project is being carried out in the Northern, North East, Upper East, Savannah, Volta, Oti, Western North and the Ashanti Regions.
SRI-Rice's insight:
[Togo also held an SRI trainer event during July]. The 13-country $14 million RICWAS Project in West Africa, which is funded by the Adaptation Fund and supported by Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel Sahara and Sahel Observatory, held the initial region-wide SRI training effort in Cote d'Ivoire, last April. Togo and several other countries have subsequently held national training-of-trainer and extension efforts in mid-2024..
French language System of Rice Intensification (SRI) video from World Bank-funded PRéCA (Projet de Résilience et Compétitivité Agricoles -- Agriculture Resilience and Competitiveness Project) in Burkina Faso
Video: La plaine rizicole de Karfiguéla s'est transformée grâce au projet « Eau, CLÉ du Développement Durable » (ECDD). Autrefois désespérée en raison du changement climatique et de pratiques agricoles inefficaces, cette région prospère à nouveau. Le projet ECDD a expérimenté avec succès des pratiques agroécologiques sur une superficie de 500 m². Des agriculteurs témoignent de l'impact positif sur leurs rendements et la qualité de leurs cultures. Le projet, mis en œuvre par l’Organisation néerlandaise de développement (SNV) et l’ONG World Waternet.
SRI-Rice's insight:
English: The rice-growing plain of Karfiguéla has been transformed thanks to the “Water, Key to Sustainable Development” (ECDD) project which successfully experimented with agroecological practices, including SRI. Farmers testify to the positive impact on their yields and the quality of their crops. The project, implemented by the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and the NGO World Waternet.
This study undertook to identify a ‘best-bet’ version of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for conditions in northwestern Nigeria, considering what is feasible for farmer use. Two years of experimental data from 260 farmer-managed rice plots evaluating four of the SRI practices in Zamfara State were analyzed. The variables evaluated were seedling age at transplanting, plant density, irrigation schedule, and fertilizer application. Farm budget analysis showed that the best-bet SRI practices most productive given the natural environment and farming system were transplanting 11-day-old seedlings at 25 cm × 25 cm spacing, with alternate wetting-and-drying of fields, as well as providing full compost plus some inorganic fertilization.
Net economic returns were found to be highest with best-bet SRI practices and ranged from USD 1450–2120 ha−1. While rice production was profitable under both SRI and more conventional management, the return on investment was at least 40% higher with SRI practices than with the other practices evaluated. Based on our data and analysis, we recommend that the Nigerian government and its development partners prioritize and expand the testing and promotion of SRI in the northwest and other regions of the country. This initiative can significantly enhance farmers’ incomes and, ultimately, bolster food security.
In Saint Louis, northern Senegal, farmers have had to buy extra rice to feed their families for as long as anyone can remember. “Normally, people can only live off the rice they grow for a few months,” according to Abdoulaye Sy, director at the government’s National Agricultural and Rural Advisory Agency (ANCAR). The rest of the time, people buy rice from wholesalers, hoisting 20-kilogram (44-pound) burlap sacks onto communal minibuses or horse-drawn carts for the long ride home.
But since officials at ANCAR introduced a new method for growing rice, called the “system of rice intensification” (SRI), yields have more than doubled. For the first time, according to ANCAR, families can live off their own crop and make money from the surplus.to
A la demande de la coopérative Gouantina en début de campagne, la DreamTeam Douna piloté par Albert COMPAORE met en place un champ école de riziculture intensive dans l'optique de mieux enseigner les bonnes pratiques culturales de production de riz. La coopérative Gouantina est une coopérative composée de 65 femmes productrice de riz. Pour le champ école l'agent à terrain Albert à mis deux parcelles de 200m2. Sur la première parcelle les bonnes techniques de production du riz en système de riziculture intensive (SRI) ont été mise en place...
SRI-Rice's insight:
At the request of the Gouantina cooperative (made up of 65 women who produce rice) the "DreamTeam Douna" of the NGO PlantVillage set up a SRI field school for SRI. On a plot of 200m2 the traditional practice yielded 20kg (exptrapolated to 2t/ha) while the SRI plot yielded 35kg (extrapolated to 3.5t/ha). As they saw the profitability associated with SRI methods, the women in the cooperative decided to adopt the methods.
...Between July and August, 2022, The World Food Program (WFP) and FAO Identified and trained 150 farmers in 15 villages in Gabú, Bafatá and Quinara regions on the principles of the System of Rice Intensification technique (SRI). This technique allows smallholder farmers to increase rice crop productivity while decreasing the quantity of water, seeds and chemicals used. Previously tested in Guinea-Bissau by local agronomists, SRI led to a four-fold increase in yields compared to traditional techniques. Through this pilot, funded by the SDG Joint Fund, WFP and FAO wish to further test SRI with local communities to appraise its potential for rice production in the country.
SRI-Rice's insight:
This is the first report we've had from Guinea-Bissau, so we were very glad to hear of the four-fold increase in yield!
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