Some Observations on the Introduction and Rapid Growth of the System for Rice Intensification (SRI) among Smallholder Farmers in Kenya

Cornell University, October 7 2016

Jean NjiruSupply Chain Network Manager

Purdue Improved Crop Storage ProjectEast and Southern Africa

Population in Kenya- estimated at 45 million

Rice consumption- 300,000 tonsRice production in Kenya < 100,000 tons

Deficit- 200,000 tons is importedRice is grown in Irrigation schemes

Background: Rice Production in Kenya

Rice is grown in irrigation schemes that are managed by National Irrigation Board (NIB)

NIB is a Government organization- parastatal Schemes include Mwea, Ahero, Bunyala and

West Kano Mwea is the largest and produces covering

30,000 ha of which only 6000 ha are utilized Average production is estimated at 3t/ha

Rice Production contd

My initial involvement Left Cornell in May 2009 after Hubert Humphrey program and MPS IARD

First SRI meeting in August 2009 at Mwea

Launched evaluation and demonstration of SRI

Prof Bancy Mati- JKUAT

How SRI was introduced in Kenya

Two farmers who attended the first SRI meeting decided to try it to find out whether it works

Moses Kareithi and Mathew Kamanu 2009 – 2 farmers 2010 – 30 farmers 2011- By end of 20112000 farmers had adopted SRI

Early SRI Adopters

Moses Kareithi in his SRI rice field in MweaSRI Early Adopter

SRI Rice Grown by Early Adopter Mathew’s rice field at

Mwea Irrigation Scheme. Mathew was one of the first two farmers who adopted SRI in 2009

Institutions that support SRI JKUAT NIB MIAD World Bank World Bank Institute AICAD Focus of support; Research and extension services

Why the Rapid Growth

AICAD supported the initial on-station research for evaluation and demonstration of SRI in Mwea

JKUAT Innovation fund in 2010 provided seed funding for three years to support research and outreach activities in Mwea

Research included yield, water savings, cost/benefits analysis etc.

PhD and MSc students have undertaken research on SRI

SRI Support

Manages irrigation schemes in Kenya In 2011 NIB provided funding for SRI awareness in other schemes (previously focus was mainly in Mwea)

Ahero, Bunyala, West Kano and Mwea

Training and awareness creation campaigns

National Irrigation Board

Training at farmers’ fields Training of trainers and field visits including

staff of NIB and farmers By 2012 115 farmers were attended TOt Exchange visits by farmers from different

schemes Training manuals Radio broadcasts, films etc World Bank Institute supported SRI trainers

from Japan and India

Training and awareness creation

Yield increases have been reported of 9 tons per ha under SRI compared to 5 tons per ha of the low yielding basmati variety under conventional practices

17 tons per ha under SRI have been reported compared to 9 tons per ha under conventional practices of the high yielding IR variety

Research results- Yield Increase

Water savings of 25% in dry weather and 33% in wet weather have been reported

A bag of SRI paddy weighs10-20kg more Grain breakage- when milled SRI grain has

less breakage Malaria control- research showed SRI has

prospects for malaria control. SRI water management breaks the

mosquito breeding cycle. The larvae die within 2 days after paddy fields dry

Results contd

SRI contribution to food security

Rice consumption increasing rapidly due to changing life styles

SRI can reduce the rice importation bill

Opportunity for Food Security

Thank you