EXPERIENCE IN SIERRA LEONE INTRODUCING THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI)

TO RESOURCE-LIMITED FARMERS

Gerald Aruna, ENGIM, Lunsar, SL

Content of the presentation• Overview of SRI in Sierra Leone• Progress/Activities• Reports /Research• Extension Materials• Video• Problems/Challenges in Adaptation• Working with and through Community Savings and

Loan groups (SILC)• Photo Collection• Review of Current Project

Overview of SRI in Sierra Leone• The Practice of the System of Rice Intensification in Sierra Leone

-- written by Abu Yamah, WVI, forinternational SRI conference in China in 2002.

• Work of Gerald Aruna with St. Joseph Fathers’ Agricultural Program and CRS -- how it began

• Involvement of Regional West African Agricultural Productivity Proigram on project for scaling up SRI, conference in Porto Novo, Benin

• Training of Ministry of Agriculture (MAFFS) staff and researchers from Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) on SRI -- for Innovation platforms

• Training of the Block Extension Supervisors (BES) in all 65 blocks in Sierra Leone

Progress/Activities

• Activities in SRI have been carried out by champions associated with MAFFS, SLARI, CRS, WARC (West African Rice Company) Cotton Tree Foundation and ENGIM-S/Leone

• Progress made so far:– Training of 65 BES– Training of SILCs in 30 communities on SRI methodology

(900 FFHs) by Gerald/ENGIM– Training of Extension Staff of CRS

Farmers from SILC groups training hands-on with SRI at Gerald’s farm

BES training at Gerald's farm

BES transplanting rice seedlings 12 days old at Gerald’s farm

SRI current yields on-farm

Sierra Leone Agricultural Research InstituteTower Hill, PMB 1313, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Tel. (232) 22 222179/222794/224708; Fax: (232) 22 224439

Year season District# of SRI Farmer

s

SRI Area (ha.)

Average Conv. Yield

(t/ha.)

Average SRI yield (t/ha) % increase

over conventiona

l

Chiefdom CommentsWith PKC at 10t/ha

Without PKC and fertilizer

2013 Wet Bo 10 0.3 2.2 7.5 3.7 68-241 Kakua CBOs/NGO

2013 Wet Western Rural 10 0,3 1.7 6.8 3.5 106-300 W/Rural CBOs/

NGOs

2013 Wet Kenema 10 0.3 1.5 5.9 2.9 93-293 Small/Bo CBOs/NGO

2013 Wet Port Loko 10 0.3 1.6 4.2 3.0 88 - 163 Maforkie CBOs/NGO

2013 Wet Kambia 10 0.3 1.9 4.2 3.2 68 - 121 Magbema CBOs/NGOs

Average 1.8 5.7 3.3 89-272

SRI with palm kernel cake (PKC) incorporated at 10 t/ha

SRI plots with PKC (back row) and without PKC (front row) at Ogoo farm, Western Rural

ENGIM INTERNATIONALE (TRAINING COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT)

Year season Community # of SRI Farmers

SRI Area (ha.)

Average Conv. Yield

(t/ha.)

Average SRI Yield

(tha.)

% increase over

conventionalLocation Chiefdom Comments

2004 Wet Bankasoka 20 0.4 1.9 4.3 126 Portloko BuyaRomende

2005 Wet Rogberay 27 0.5 1.5 6.7 347 Portloko Koya

2005 Wet Foindu 30 0.8 2.2 8.3 277 Portloko Koya

2005 Wet Mayamba 38 1.2 2.4 10.0 317 Portloko Koya

2005 Wet Makali 25 0.5 2.7 4.8 78 Portloko Koya

2006 Wet Mabora 49 1 2.0 10.6 430 Portloko Koya

2006 Wet Makambore 21 0.3 1.4 3.9 179 Portloko Koya

2006 Wet Komrabai 29 2 1.7 5.5 224 Portloko Maforkie

2013 Wet Mendesora 27 2 2.4 7.7 221 Portloko Koya Local Variety

2013 Wet SJVI 40 3 2.3 7.5 226 Portloko Marampa

2013 Wet Mebethor 10 1 2.5 6.7 168 Portloko BuyaRomende Gerald's Farm

Average 28.7 1.2 2.1 6.9

Gerald/Mendesora United/CRSGerald/CRS

WARC (The West African Rice Company)

Year season SRI Area(ha)

# of SRI Farmers

Average SRI Yield (t/ha.)

Average Conv. Yield

(t/ha.)

SRI starting

dateComments

2012 Wet 0.32 10 6.9 - 2012 WARC2013 Wet 0.4 30 3.8 1.9 2013 Welthunger Hilfe

Extension Material

Training Material

Problems with SRI implementationChallenges

• Excessive weed growth as farmers can not readily afford good weeding implements and they are not available at low cost

• Rural development programs implemented by successive governments (seeds and fertilizer distribution) discourage use of own resources

• Conservativeness of farmers (many not too willing to change), partly due to poor education

• Weak extension models and services• Plenty of water in rice fields during the rainy season

Working with and through community savings and Loan groups.(SILC)

SILC groups/members can make themselves available for training

Training in Basic Surveying

How does SILC build up assets that influence structures and systems and support strategies for Integral Human Development?

• SILC (Savings and Inter-Lending Community) helps group members to learn new skills in bookkeeping, accountability, transparency of transactions, savings and lending policies and procedures, and setting up of by-laws.

• SILC helps group members benefit from an insurance fund/social fund that can be used for health care.

• SILC helps group members have extra income for better nutrition and education.

SRI Project

Mendesora is a small village community comprising of 13 houses with a total population of 147 inhabitants, in the

Rokel section of Koya Chiefdom in the Portloko District

SRI Project• Name of Project Proposal - Swamp Development, SRI, and Vegetable

Cultivation• Name of Implementing Organization - ENGIM (Ente Nazionale

Giuseppini del Murialdo) • Contact Address - P.O. Box 27 , Lunsar Sierra Leone, West Africa. Tel 232-76-781747• Contact Person - Mr. Gerald D. Aruna 232-76-614-041 aruna.gerald@gmail.com

•

SRI Project• Contact Person (Italy) - Mr. Francesco Farnesi

francesco.farnesi1@gmail.com• Location of Project - Koya Chiefdoms, Port Loko District,

Northern Province. • Project Beneficiaries - 50 members.• Duration of Project - One (1) year.• Date of Commencement – Feb. 2013• Date of Completion - March 2014• Got a no-cost extension so it is ongoing

SRI Project

• Community Contribution – Euros1,819 (Le 10,000,000) + Euro 118 (Le 664,000), SJFAP contribution (Euros 1,937 /Le 10,644,000)

• Fund Requested - Euros 2,551 (Le 14,031,000)• Total Project Cost - Euros 4,488 (Le 24,675,000)• Funding Agency – Italian Benefactor

AIM Improving farmers’ yield and productivity,

thereby increasing the income and material well-being of community members. This project intends to develop 1 hectare area of inland valley swamp (IVS) in the Mendesora Village for its eventual cultivation of rice using the SRI methods and intensive vegetable cultivation. This general aim can be broken down into five specific objectives:

OBJECTIVES

• To develop 1 hectare inland valley swamp area for the cultivation of rice using the SRI method followed by vegetable cultivation in Mendesora Village in Koya Chiefdom in the Portloko district.

• To establish a Community Tool Bank to support agricultural activities in the village.

• To produce 5 tons of good-quality seed rice annually.

OBJECTIVES

• To produce x tons of vegetable seeds annually• To provide training for 50 farmers in basic

surveying, swamp development, SRI, and vegetable production.

• To construct one irrigation well with culverts for vegetable cultivation

Methodology and Beneficiary Community

• Mendesora community will benefit from the project and is selected according to the presence of its successful functioning SILC group and its involvement in agriculture as an IGA . This criterion was decided for ensuring a better and more participatory response from the beneficiaries’ side that have been already involved in other developing interventions and are aware of ENGIM’s work.

Methodology and Beneficiary Community

• Mendesora village belongs to an area constantly monitored and visited by its respective Field Extension Agents (FEAs), whose tasks are to conduct regular communities’ needs assessment, follow-up visits of ongoing projects, check maintenance and functioning of previous construction interventions.

Methodology and Beneficiary Community

• In this particular intervention, the FEA and the community will be trained in basic surveying and swamp development for a period of three days and will start the swamp development activities thereafter. This will be followed by training in SRI methods of rice cultivation in June, and in September also one training will be conducted on vegetable cultivation. This series of training will ensure best practices during the implementation of key activities.

Achievements

• 1 Ha of inland valley swamp (IVS) developed• Mendesora United (SILC) group now practising

SRI and attracts near by villages and farmers.• 15% of members now working their fields

using the SRI method.• Mendesora United group now has a

community tool bank.• Members’ share-out has increased by 30%

SRI Linkages

Collaborators in this initiative:• SRI–Rice, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York,

USA - Dr. Erika Styger, Devon Jenkins, Prof. Norman Uphoff, Lucy Hill Fisher.

• WAAPP as a regional body involving 13 countries (ECOWAS members) www.sriwestafrica.org Mr. Suliaman S. Sesay is the responsible for Sierra Leone

SRI Linkages• CNS Rice Mali - Regional coordination• Dr. Gaoussou Traoré, Directeur de

Recherche, Coordinateur Scientifique; and Coordinateur du Centre National de Specialisation sur le Riz (CNS-RIZ), PPAAO/WAAPP, Institut d'Economie Rurale, B.P. 258, Bamako, Mali

SRI Linkages

• Focal Institution in Sierra Leone: SLARI with focal person: Samuel Soki Harding

• SRI champions in Sierra Leone: Mr Gerald D. Aruna and Mr Daniel H Saidu

• Other NGOs practicing SRI in Sierra Leone: Cotton Tree Foundation, CRS and.....

Preparation of the main field

Preparation and Use: Mapity Jalam

THANK YOU from Mapity Farming Enterprise