Presenter: PRADAN Audience: 3rd National SRI Symposium, TNAU, Coimbatore, India Subject Country: India

1. FOOD SECURITY AND SRI: PRADAN’s Experience in Eastern India 3rd National Symposium on SRI, Coimbatore, Dec. 01-03, 2008

3. Per Capita Land Availability State Population (in million) Agricultural land (in million ha) Average land availability per capita (in ha) Bihar 85 7.05 0.08 W.Bengal 80 5.4 0.07 Year Cropped area Total population Overall average land per capita 1951 131.89 361.1 0.37 1971 165.79 548.2 0.30 1991 185.74 846.3 0.22 2001 190.76 1,027 0.19 2051 200 1,600 0.13

4. Smallholders distribution in Bihar

5. Per capita food grain availability (per day, in grams): Food grain availability is decreasing, affecting food security of the poorer (Source: http://agricoop.nic.in/statatglance2003.htm) Year Rice Wheat Other Cereals Cereal Pulses Pulse available as % food grain Total Food Grains 1951 158.9 65.7 109.6 334.2 60.7 15% 394.9 1991 221.7 166.8 80 468.5 41.6 8% 510.1 2000 206.4 160.1 60.1 426.8 31.9 7% 458.6

6. Area, Production and Productivity of Rice, by Productivity Categories Source:http://www.drdpat.bih.nic.in/Status Productivity Groups Area (million ha) Percentage of all-India rice area Production in million tons Percent of all-India production Productivity (kg/ha) High (>2.5 tons/ha) 12.06 26.90% 37.42 42.80% 3,103 Medium (2.0-2.5 tons /ha) 7.77 17.30% 17.45 20.00% 2,246 Medium-Low (1.5-2.0 tons/ha) 7.54 16.80% 13.38 15.30% 1,775 Low (1.0-1.5 tons/ha) 11.58 25.80% 14.22 16.30% 1,228 Very low (< 1.0 ton/ha) 5.93 13.20% 4.9 5.60% 826 TOTAL 44.78 100% 86.88 100% 1,940

7. Estimation of raw rice productivity per capita available land considering different yield potential Note: Table derived by dividing available agricultural land by population This shows how relevant SRI could be to address the issue of food security for the next generation in areas with both high & low population density Areas Yield of raw grain / ha Yield of processed grain / ha Per capita land available Food grain / per capita land available Per capita annual food grain requirement @ 500 gm / day Lower population density 2,000 1,200 0.2 240 182.5 3,000 1,800 0.2 360 4,000 2,400 0.2 480 Higher population density 4,000 2,400 0.08 192 5,000 3,000 0.08 240 8,000 4,800 0.08 384 10,000 6,000 0.08 480

15. Variations in practices (sample at Purulia) Operation % of farmers Both-direction lines 25 One-direction line 70 Proper drainage system 32

16. Counting 72 tillers/hill, but the field is dry at time of flowering and had no irrigation support photo removed

17. Dried SRI field in 2005 in Purulia Photo removed

18. Dry weather for long time (Khizasarai, Gaya) Photo removed

19. Green manure improves soil status – but difficult to introduce due to dry spells Photo removed

20. A small water body to save the crop from dry spells Photo removed

21. Excavated soil is used to prepare a well drained raised bed to grow vegetables Photo removed

22. Excavated soil is used to prepare a well-drained raised bed to grow vegetables Photo removed

23. Rearing fish also add to protein supply to the family Photo removed

24. Thank You Dinabandhu Karmakar, PRADAN