This report available on the  Watershed Support Services And Activities Network (WASSAN) site provides the details of three workshops organised by People's Science Institute (PSI) in October 2006 in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as a first step towards sharing the experiences of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method with the stakeholders group as well as assist the voluntary organisations in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to develop professional capabilities in the field of SRI method of paddy cultivation.

In May 2006, as part of its research activities, the Centre for Participatory Watershed Development (CPWD) at Peoples’ Science Institute (PSI) initiated the SRI method of paddy cultivation in selected areas of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh through its partner organisations with technical support from Watershed Support Services And Activities Network (WASSAN), a Secunderabad based organisation. It supported eight NGOs in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for SRI promotion. These NGOs executed field trials of SRI covering 25 villages and 40 farmers with an area of 6 hectares. Efforts were made to initiate SRI as an activity in the watershed development programmes.

WASSAN and PSI provided the resource persons in the training cum demonstration programme organised by the NGOs. In this, the farmers and resource persons of the partners were trained on bed preparation and transplantation. The resource persons from CPWD gave regular field support to the farmers during the crop period. In September 2006, WASSAN requested PSI along with financial support, to conduct a series of experience sharing workshops for popularisation and extension of SRI method of paddy cultivation in the two Himalayan states.

These experience sharing workshops, organised with active support from WASSAN, coincided with the maturing of the paddy crop when it was ready for harvesting. The objectives of the workshops were to:

• Share the experiences of SRI method of paddy cultivation with the stakeholder group comprising of paddy farmers, voluntary organizations and the government agencies
• Sensitize farmers in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to the need for developing professional capabilities in the field of SRI method of paddy cultivation
• Formulate a realistic and practical strategy to make SRI technique popular and for extension of the SRI method of paddy cultivation in the two states.

The workshops were organised at (i) CORD, Sidhbari, Dharamsala Block, Kangra district (H.P.) on October 25, 2006, (ii) ERA, Khundian, Dehra Gopipur Block, Kangra district (H.P.) on October 26, 2006, and (iii) PSI, Dehra Doon (Uttarakhand) on October 31, 2006.

At the three workshops, farmers who had cultivated paddy by SRI method were encouraged to share their experiences with farmers from surrounding areas who were interested in SRI method, invited research scientists and government officials and discussed ways and means of evolving future strategies for an effective extension of this method in other areas of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from below: