Rice farmers have expressed their satisfaction with the project of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Tanzania that withstands the effects of climate change, which reduces production costs while productivity doubles that of conventional agriculture.

This was stated during the SRI Stakeholders Annual workshop held in Mbeya Region on January 24 through 27 at the centre of Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute – TARI Uyole.

While sharing his testimony, Mr. Filbert Kadebe a farmer from Mkula scheme found in Kilombero District, Morogoro Region said that with SRI he managed to reduce cost by using 2 to 3 kilograms of seeds per hectare from the 30 kilograms he used to plant in ordinary agriculture.

Kadebe continued to say that in SRI, with Mat nursery technology it’s much easier for farmers to simplify the transplanting exercise as well as managing to transplant a single seedling the situation that leads to the increase in yields.

SRI is a combination of rice irrigation farming technologies by changing the coordination system of plants, soil, water use and nutrients with the aim of increasing productivity.

In Tanzania, the implementation of SRI comes as results of the inked Project-Institutional Capacity building on climate-smart and resource efficient rice production systems with focus on “system of rice Intensification in Tanzania”

The project is implemented by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Bio economy research (NIBIO) and the Swamination Research Institute (MSSRF) based in India.

Speaking during the Workshop, Principal Researcher from TARI Uyole Dr. Atugutonza Bilaro said that SRI is currently implemented in five districts; Kilombero in Morogoro region, Chalinze-coast region, Iringa DC -Iringa region, Mbarali-Mbeya region and Bunda in Mara region.

Dr. Bilaro who doubles as SRI project coordinator, also said that in one year they have been able to reach nine hundred farmers while the main target is to reach 4500 farmers in the three years of the implementation of the Project.

Prof. Udaya Sekhar the co-leader of the project from (NIBIO) addressed with the members of the workshop that the purpose of the workshop was to discuss the project progress based on what they have planned in the last year and to set the plans to implement in the second year of the project.

Researcher, from MSSRF institution, Dr. Ramasamy Rajkumar who also is SRI mentor, has expressed his satisfaction with the manner in which farmers and extension officers implement the knowledge delivered to them by experts.

This blog was originally published on Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute website.