Group I Field Trip Report 2 nd National

Group I: Field Trip Report 2 nd National SRI Symposium, Agartala, October 4, 2007

Local Information • Villages visited: South Bagma, Bagabasa, Barabhiya Bazar Para Math, and South Mirza in Matabari, Udaipur, South Tripura district

Farming communities • Mostly Bengali population • 746 households out of a total of 2, 339 are practicing SRI • About 50% of the households are either sharecroppers (baargadar) or marginal farmers

Adoption of SRI principles • Principles of early transplantation, wider spacing (except for an innovative method in South Mirza), fertilizer use, etc. are by and large adhered to

Support systems: Institutions, actors and linkages • Panchayati Raj institutions (PRI) take the lead in SRI promotion along with the Agriculture Department • Subsidy of Rs. 900 is provided for 1. 25 kaani area (1 kani= 0. 16 ha); plus 7 kg urea, 2 kg Mo. P, 11 kg phosphate and 4 kg bio-fertilizer are provided to farmers • The Department provides buy-back support for paddy seeds

Sustainability • SRI is spreading now even without extension support. • All the farmers interacted reported that they would continue practicing SRI even if the subsidy is withdrawn.

Salient features • Very active participation of Panchayati Raj institutions • Agriculture Department planning and close collaboration with PRIs evident • Planning and accountability mechanisms operate at village level • More working days are created because of SRI, particularly for wage labourers at village level • Sharecroppers taking the most care of their SRI fields • Incremental yield in all the four villages as described by the Pradhans (local government chairman) indicates increase of 2. 5 to 3 times

Salient features • Spread is seen across caste and political affiliations • At least in one case there was an interesting innovation experimented with • The best SRI practice, among the four villages visited, was observed at the village that had 95% scheduled caste (SC) population • The local establishment has taken some risks to promote SRI • SRI is also practiced in tilla (upland) areas • A real bottom-up approach was evident throughout the area

Scope for improvement • Drainage systems still need to be improved • Pest control mechanisms can be improved