News

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) brings farmers closer to food self-sufficiency in many West African countries, including Mali. SRI potentially reduces water use, increases land productivity and protects against the impacts of climate change, while reducing dependence on artificial inputs such as pesticides and artificial fertilizer.

Mali, where rice is a food crop, imports over 45% of its rice. The Programme de productivité agricole en Afrique de l'Ouest (PPAAO), a program run by CORAF, has introduced SRI methods to increase rice production and sustainably reduce food insecurity. SRI creates two possible harvest periods in Mali, reducing the length of the hunger gap. With increased income, farmers buy supplementary food and invest in education.

"With this practice, I can feed my family, and the income generated has enabled me to cover my children's health expenses and school fees," says Adama Dougnon, a rice producer in Mali's Segou region. "Previously, I used the broadcast sowing method. With 120 kilograms of paddy seed, I was able to harvest 3 to 4 tonnes per hectare. I then switched to a normal rice transplanting system, which gave me around 5 tonnes with 80 kilograms of seed per hectare. But the introduction of SRI by PPAAO has considerably increased my yields. Currently, my yields are estimated at between 8 and 8.5 tonnes per hectare with a maximum of 15 kilograms of paddy rice seed used."

SRI is a crop management approach developed by Fr. Henri de Laulanié in Madagascar in 1983. The aim is to create nutrient-rich soil and provide each plant with space to grow, enabling it to develop a stronger root system. This results in stronger plants and higher yields.