Date:11/03/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/11/stories/2009031159130500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

SRI method: T.N. steals a march over Andhra Pradesh

K. Venkateshwarlu

HYDERABAD: Four years after the two States took to System of Rice Intensification (SRI) -- the high yielding, productivity-triggering, water and input cost-saving method of raising paddy, Andhra Pradesh seemed to have been beaten hollow by neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

While Andhra Pradesh still struggles to come out of the demonstration phase of 10,000 hectares, Tamil Nadu is way ahead bringing about 7.5 lakh hectares under the SRI system. This comes at a time when production and productivity of paddy were showing a downward trend in Andhra Pradesh.

The Survey of Socio-Economic Trends presented to the State Assembly recently shows that the area under total foodgrain could drop to 71.70 lakh hectares in 2008-09 from 73.87 lakh hectares in 2007-08. Similarly, the production could come down to 179.01 lakh tonnes from 198.17 lakh tonnes or a fall of 19 lakh tonnes during the same period. Within foodgrains, it estimates that the production of rice could fall from 133.24 lakh tonnes to 131.13 lakh tonnes.

“SRI vari (paddy)” as it has come to be known in the State had a grand launch in 2005 when Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced Rs. 4 crore for its promotion.

But somewhere down the line, the government, unlike its counterpart in Tamil Nadu, failed to enthuse the paddy growers sufficiently enough to adopt SRI partly hamstrung by lack of pro-active policy of incentives as well as institutional and infrastructure support, uncertainty in irrigation schedules and power supply and poor drainage system.

The result is “SRI vari” came out well except in patches like in Katkur, Bonakollur and other villages in Warangal where a majority of the farmers have taken to it, thanks to the support extended by ICRISAT-WWF and the local NGO, CROPS.

“The intention is good but that mission mode approach to scale up such successful pilots is lacking,” said Vinod Goud, visiting scientist, ICRISAT-WWF project. On the other hand, the Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Department feels that the response from paddy growers has been lukewarm.

“Motivating the farmer is a slow and difficult process. Unlike conventional paddy, SRI requires lot of care in the initial period,” said P. Sarangam, Assistant Director, (SRI) State Agriculture Department.