Field visit of the SRI Pink rice operation in Amparafaravola on Feb 18 and 19, 2009
The Secretariat made a joint visit of the Koloharena Cooperative of Amparafaravola/Ambatondrazaka with the Lions’ Club (the local organization supporting the Koloharena on SRI promotion) on February 18th and 19th 2009. The Koloharena of Amparafaravola already exported 15 tons of SRI pink rice during 2008. Being able to sell their pink rice on the world market has attracted more farmers to try SRI techniques. Only 13 farmers tried SRI in the previous rice season, but 36 farmers are now using SRI techniques on their pink rice production on an area of 33 hectares.
To help in the promotion of SRI, thereby supporting the increase of rice production, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP) made a special effort to promote the use of organic fertilizers by providing subsidies for the purchase of "Guanomad". The fertilizer is sold at half price ($0.3/kg) to farmers who are ready and willing to practice SRI. The Koloharena Cooperative of Amparafaravola is one of the groups benefiting from this operation. 14 tons of Guanomad were purchased by the Cooperative and used to fertilize 33 ha.
SRI pink rice field in Morarano
With support and technical assistance from the Lions’ Club of Ambatondrazaka, the Koloharena purchased 8 conical weeders and 12 rotative-pushed weeders.
Photos of the conical weeder and the rotary pushed weeder provided to the Koloharena of Amparafaravola
Field visits were made by the Secretariat and below are some of our observations.
| Owners | Surface (ha) | Village | Age at transplantation (days) | Spacing (cmxcm) | Date of transplantation | Fertlization (kg) | Number of tillers |
| Benja | 2 | Ambondrona | 12 | 20x20 | End of nov. | 1,200 | 30 |
| Sosoa | 1 | Morarano | 10 | 20x20 | Dec 15 | 600 | 20 |
| Madeleine | 0.3 | Ivakaka | 8 | 20x20 | Dec 18 | 300 | 25 |
| Mamy | 0.5 | Amboaramena | 10 | 20x20 | Dec 10 | na | 20 |
| Pascal | 1.3 | Ampasimbola | 15 | 20x15 | Beginning of Jan | 600 | 20 |
| Pascal | 1 | Ampasikely | 10- 12 | 20x20 | End of Dec | 600 | 35 |
Data on visited SRI pink rice farmers in Amparafaravola
Most of the constraints mentioned by farmers are the difficulties on finding laborers for the transplantation. Some laborers prefer transplanting rice grown with traditional nursery. Rice seedlings are much taller, and there is no special care during the transplantation (plunge directly seedlings in standing water). Solutions proposed by SRI practitioners are the training of laborers on young seedling transplantation.
Variations on water management were also noticed in Amparafaravola. Leaving the soil dry until it cracks is only recommended on alluvium soil. Alternating irrigated and dry conditions is often done under this condition in a frequency of 5 days of irrigated condition and 4 days of dry condition. Keeping the soil wet is more recommended on organic and clayey soils.
Soil kept wet during the vegetative phase of the rice plant