This document evaluates the impact of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method on rice production in Tamil Nadu, India due to the Integrated Agri-Marketing and Water Resources Management (IAMWARM) project. It finds that the area under SRI cultivation doubled from 4.2 to 8 million hectares between 2007-2014. In 2014-15, rice production increased 54.8% and productivity rose 58.3% compared to baseline levels prior to the project. The evaluation concludes that SRI led to significantly higher yields across the state while reducing costs, water use, and providing benefits even if not all farmers adopted the method.

1. AN EVALUATION OF SRI IMPACT
ON RICE PRODUCTION:
SCENARIO OF TAMIL NADU DUE TO
IAMWARM PROJECT - A CASE STUDY
Prof. V.K. Ravichandran,
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Mr. Vibhu Nayar,
Principal Secretary & Project Director,
GoTN, IAMWARM, Chennai
15.10.2018

2. SRI IMPACT ON RICE PRODUCTION IN TAMIL NADU
DUE TO IAMWARM PROJECT
Year
Rice
Area
(in Lakh ha.)
Area
under SRI
(in Lakh ha.)
Productivity
(kg/ha)
Total
production
(in lakh MT)
Base year
(2002-03 to 2006-07)
17.54 - 2,667 47.36
2007-08 17.89 4.20 2,817 50.40
2008-09 19.32 5.38 2,682 51.83
2009-10 18.46 6.49 3,070 56.65
2010-11 19.06 8.50 3,039 57.92
2011-12 19.04 10.50 3,917 74.59
2012-13 * 14.93 6.85 2,712 40.50
2013-14 17.86 7.99 3,898 69.62
2014-15 18.3 9.48 4,325 79.49
2015-16 20.37 9.69 4,269 86.98
* Drought Year Source : Dept. of Statistics, Govt. Tamil Nadu

3. Year
Yield (kg ha-1) % Increase
in Yield
Project
Demo
Areas (ha)SRI Conventional
2007-08 5,709 4,465 28.3 1,311
2008-09 6,710 5,035 33.3 2,581
2009-10 7,058 5,139 37.3 4,000
2010-11 6,856 5,177 32.4 10,089
2011-12 6,816 5,287 28.9 3,683
2012-13 6,834 5,388 26.8 3,142
2013-14 5,436 4,792 13.4 1,030
Average/
Total
6,488 5,040 28.6 25,836
SRI Yield & Demo Areas (ha) – TN-IAMWARM Phase - I

4. Purpose of Study:
• Estimate the achievement of IAMWARM project attributable to SRI which
contributed to increased production of rice at the state level over seven years
of project duration.
• Compare the rice production performance of Tamil Nadu state prior to
introduction of SRI (base year 2001-2006) with performance after SRI was
spread between years 2007-08 and 2014-15.
Method:
• Analysing the paddy area, production and productivity under conventional
paddy (between the period 2001-2006 considered as baseline) compared with
period of SRI spread (2007-2015) when Tamil Nadu rice production was
impacted through IAMWARM Project.
Result:
• The area under SRI in Tamil Nadu shows increasing trend during 2007-2014,
almost doubled from 4.21 lakhs tons to 7.99 lakhs. The share of SRI in total
rice area during this period increased from 23.5% to 44.7%.
• In 2014-15, the percentage increase in rice production the base period was
54.8%. Similarly the increase in rice productivity was 58.3% in that year as
compared to the baseline.
Conclusion:
• The evaluation of SRI impact rice production in Tamil Nadu shows that SRI
method can produce significantly higher paddy yield on a state-wide scale
even if not farmers adopt it. Almost 30% increase in yield was achieved with
less cost for farmers and less consumption of irrigation water.