SRI cultivation a boon for farmers

Expressbuzz, June 2, 2009

BHAWANIPATNA: To the surprise of many, a farmer of Kanakpur village, six km from here, has harvested more than 44 quintals of rabi paddy per acre cultivated by the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method. The yield is more than double that of the traditional method.

Recently in the presence of staff of Agriculture Department and volunteers of NGO ‘SVA’, crop was cut on a 25 sq mt plot in the field of Thabira Budhia. Farmers from Madanpur-Rampur, Lanjigarh and Bhawanipatna blocks, who were on an exposure visit to Kanakpur, designated as ‘SRI village’, were also present during the crop-cutting. After thrashing and winnowing when the grain was weighed it was found to be 27.6 kg. When it was converted, the net harvest came to 11,040 kg per hectare or 4,468 kg (44.68 quintal) per acre. This figure was unbelievable. To put doubts to rest, weighing was done again, but the result was same. Normally, a farmer gets 15 to 20 quintal paddy per acre through traditional method of cultivation.

Budhia cultivated the paddy through SRI method on two acres on an experimental basis during current rabi season. He irrigated the crop from dug wells and applied only farmyard compost and some vermi compost. Initially, Budhia faced opposition from his kin for adopting a new thing overlooking the traditional method.

Not only Budhia, more than 50 farmers of Kanakpur, who cultivated paddy through SRI method, have got similar bumper crop. Kanakpur was taken up as ‘SRI village’ with the support of Agriculture Department this year. The NGO had mobilised the farmers and imparted training to them on SRI method.

O ne Agriculture Department official exuded confidence that more farmers will adopt the SRI method during the ensuing kharif and rabi seasons.