INTRODUCING KENYAN PARTICIPATION

KDLC, Nairobi, 24th August 2011

South-South Knowledge Sharing on Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices

Producing More with Less Input through SRI – the System of Rice Intensification

Prof. Bancy M. MatiSRI Projects Coordinator

Kenyan Participants

40 participants are here:• Farmers from Mwea, Ahero, Bunyala &

West Kano• Researchers from JKUAT• Government officials from the Ministry of

Water & Irrigation, and the Ministry of Agriculture

• Regional/international organizations from World Bank

Majority are adopters and practitioners of SRI

Rice Production in Kenya

• Huge demand for rice – partly due to urbanization

• National consumption - 300,000 tons /year - increasing at 12% (4% for wheat, 1% for maize)

• Rice production - 45,000-80,000 tons /year

• Deficit is imported - Ksh.7 billion /year

• Rice - the most expensive grain in Kenya (retailing at Ksh.150-200 per kg)

• Rice to become main cereal food in Kenya

Background to SRI efforts in Kenya

• SRI was introduced in Kenya at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in July 2009

• Initial partners - JKUAT, NIB, AICAD, WB, WBI, MoA, MWI, KARI, Cornell University (of USA), Mwea Irrigation Scheme/MIAD, private sector, and farmers

• The first six months (July-Dec 2009) were funded by AICAD to test if SRI works in Mwea.

• Good results were obtained from two pioneer farmer trials,

• In Sept. 2009 and Jan. 2010, WBI organized two South-South knowledge sharing on SRI between India, Rwanda, Madagascar, Japan, and Kenya.

• Since April 2010, JKUAT Innovation Fund has been supporting a 3-year SRI research & capacity-building project in Mwea.

• From June 2011, NIB is supporting a six-month project to upscale SRI in 4 schemes, i.e. Ahero, West Kano, Bunyala & Mwea.

Institutions and individuals supported SRI efforts

Participants at 2nd SRI planning meeting on 18 August 2009

Participants in 1st National SRI workshop 7 May 2010

Activities Implemented• Awareness-creation

• Scientific research on SRI (1 PhD, 3 MSc)

• Quantifying yields, economic returns, and water savings from SRI

• Assessing mosquito survival under SRI

• Capacity-building through workshops, field days, and invited trainers from India & Japan

• 1,800 individuals trained on SRI so far

• Dissemination of SRI brochures, training notes, video conferences

04/13/2023

SRI research & farmer trials

Measuring water input in a research plot

Mosquito trap in research plot

Farmer SRI trials

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Field days & open days for SRI training

SRI field day in Mwea - 5 August 2010

SRI Open Day - 4 November 2010

SRI field day (transplanting) -21 July 2011

SRI field day in Mwea - 7 December 2010

Up-scaling SRI in Ahero, West Kano & Bunyala

Launching SRI in Ahero Scheme Launching SRI in West Kano Scheme

Launching SRI in Bunyala Scheme

Key findings – based on SRI farmer crop of Dec 2010

Results show that SRI works in Mwea• SRI yields 6.0 - 8.5 t/ha, compared to 5.0-6.0 t/ha under

conventional local practice• Net increase averaged 4.36 bags/acre (0.98 t/ha) - some

farmers got 7 bags/acre more from SRI• SRI rice is heavier, weighing 100-110 kg compared to the

85-90 kg using conventional method• Net average incomes for SRI was KSh.98,605/acre

(KSh.246,513/ha) compared to KSh.75,526/acre (KSh.188,815/ha) - 28% increase.

• Farmers use 5 kg/acre of seed for SRI compared to 25 kg conventional paddy

• Water savings were 25% less under SRI compared to conventional flooded paddy

SRI Results have been good

SRI fields in Mwea Harvesting SRI rice

Training of Trainers for SRI Up-scaling in Kenya

SRI ToT in class - combined for Ahero, Bunyala, West Kano and Mwea

SRI ToT in the field combined with farmer exchange visit

Challenges

• Mindset, skepticism, resistance• Young, newly-transplanted SRI seedlings are

vulnerable to bird damage• A higher incidence of weeds with no flooding• Crops not weeded with rotary weeders due to lack

of proper weeders to date• Rice blast (a disease) affected crop in 2010• Some farmers are applying partial SRI principles• Planting calendar at Mwea affected rice yields• Shortage of extension workers to reach out to

farmers

Sharing Experiences on SRI

SRI Field day in Mwea

SRI ToT &

Video Conference

Lessons

• Scientific basis for adoption of SRI has been proven

• Aggressive awareness-creation and hands-on training has resulted in good adoption rates

• SRI message is now accepted in all 4 schemes

• There are many spin-off innovations, e.g., 3 local people have begun fabricating rotary weeders

• Farmer behaviour has changed – most use less water

• Private sector - interest by Numerical Machining Complex to support development of rotary weeders

• Government support – extending of SRI to Ahero, West Kano & Bunyala by NIB

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“Rice is nice….it is eaten with a spoon…” A nursery ryme

I say, SRI rice is better… it is eaten with a smile……B. Mati

THANK YOU