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Promotional Policies for SRI

Promotional Policies for SRI. Ravindra, A, WASSAN, Hyderabad www.wassan.org. “SRI builds on the biological potential of rice plant by harnessing the complementarities of soil biological processes” SRI is a systems–approach, and it is also Knowledge-based. Unfortunately….

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Promotional Policies for SRI

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  1. Promotional Policies for SRI Ravindra, A, WASSAN, Hyderabad www.wassan.org

  2. “SRI builds on the biological potential of rice plant by harnessing the complementarities of soil biological processes” • SRI is a systems–approach, and it is also • Knowledge-based

  3. Unfortunately…. • The Green Revolution has only taught us input-centered extension methods • Component-based research and extension has little capacity to do ‘systems’ research • Weakening of the agriculture extension machinery systems (except for a few states) • Weakening of community/administration’s ability to streamline systems of (natural) resource management.

  4. WHY IS GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE NEEDED? SRI is Nobody's ‘Business’!! • SRI reduces external inputs • With no new ‘inputs’ to promote or sell, therefore there are no private interests • Transfer of knowledge/skills can be difficult and take time • There are no vested interests to benefit 2ways to view the up-scaling of SRI

  5. 1 SRI should spread from farmer-to-farmer • This gives a slow (?) organic growth, but it might be stable • May remain in a small niche of ‘alternative’ development, like ‘organic farming’, however, while mainstream agriculture remains in a different paradigm Government’s role • Spend for more training and farmer-to-farmer exchange • More communication material prepared • Soft-push strategies like facilitating easy access to credit/custom hiring of equipment, etc.  Greater role for civil society initiative

  6. 2 SRI should become a dominant paradigm • Positioning it to have wider influence in view of the present: • Stagnation in agriculture production • Crisis of farming: Debt cycle, pressures • Make public investments as drivers of change & expanded scale

  7. Make a Paradigm Shift & Become Mainstream? • Reformulate extension towards: • Spreading knowledge more than things • Farmer-centered approach, promote farmer innovations • Put together systems solutions • Reformulate research towards: • Systems improvements • Move from on-station research to on-farm activity with researcher alliances with farmers & civil society • Reformulate government support: • Shift from short-term production centered approach to farming systems improvement • Ease constraints, both material and mental

  8. Constraints • SRI requires increased management intensity (due to need for timely operations) • Perception of increased human labour • Need system for easy availability of implements • Water supply (irrigation/drainage) is not in the control of farmers • Added elements of risk / uncertainty affect farmers’ decision-making

  9. Areas of Action • Systems corrections – biomass/ manure, water, pest-management, operations, learning, etc. • Local, community-centered, • External supply of inputs vs. systems improvement (soil fertility, pest management, etc.) • Easing constraints • Give incentives for adoption • Underwrite mechanisms to protect against risks in adoption

  10. Areas of Action • Easing constraints: • Management support to farmers, e.g., SRI-knowledge workers / group-based solutions • Facilitate custom hiring of implements • Central nurseries, e.g., mat nurseries • Invest in infrastructure -- drainage, land leveling, establishing biomass, etc. • Promote SRI labour groups to work on contractual basis with a priori agreements • Stronger experiential evidence still needs to emerge

  11. Areas of Action.. • Incentivise adoption: • Price Incentives –segregation of produce may be an issue • Labour wage incentives • Topping-up wages • Subsidise critical operations (like transplanting / weeding) • Extend subsidies • Input subsidies & additional subsidies as in A.P. (traditional) • Subsidies for promotion vs subsidies for constraints / continuance • Direct cash subsidy (easy to conceive, but issues in administering) • Provision of water/ electricity

  12. Situation-Specific Strategies • Typologies of rice systems across the country to be worked out • Mapping of typology-specific constraints and opportunities • Evolving typology-specific policy options and ‘drivers’ for up-scaling SRI use • Identifying and supporting typology-specific investment options

  13. The Missing Actor • So far, SRI has been mostly in the realm of: • Farmers • NGOs, and • Researchers Time for Administrators to join the other actors, to complete the chain of action, e.g., in Tripura

  14. SRI needs a Critical Minimum Scale for concrete solutions to emerge and for take-offState support is needed up till that point at least

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