Presenter: Jean Njiru Title: Some observations on introduction and rapid growth of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) among smallholder farmers in Kenya Date: October 7, 2016 Venue: 160 Mann Library, Cornell University Sponsor: SRI-Rice, International Programs, CALS, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

1. Cornell University, October 7 2016
Jean Njiru
Supply Chain Network Manager
Purdue Improved Crop Storage Project
East and Southern Africa

2.  Population in Kenya- estimated at
45 million
 Rice consumption- 300,000 tons
 Rice production in Kenya <
100,000 tons
 Deficit- 200,000 tons is imported
 Rice is grown in Irrigation
schemes

3.  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

4.  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

5.  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

6. Moses Kareithi in his SRI rice field in Mwea
SRI Early Adopter

7.  Mathew’s rice field at
Mwea Irrigation
Scheme. Mathew was
one of the first two
farmers who adopted
SRI in 2009

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

9.  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

10.  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

11.  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

12.  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

13.  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

14.  SRI contribution to food
security
 Rice consumption increasing
rapidly due to changing life
styles
 SRI can reduce the rice
importation bill