Three-day SRI symposium starts in Tripura

Agartala, Oct 3 (UNI) Tripura has set a unique instance in India and abroad by adopting the System Rice Intensification(SRI) method of paddy cultivation,State Agriculture director Shibnarayan Sen said today.

This method increases the yield comparatively within a minimum period, he added while speaking at a three-day national symposium on 'Growing Rice with Less Resources' here where 18 scientists from five countries, including US and 186 agronomists, including agriculture chiefs of 11 major rice producing states of India are participating.

Tripura's performance in SRI method practice, which need's minimum seed, fertilisers and labour with maximum yielding capacity has encouraged other states as well as other countries to follow the suite.

Paddy cultivation in Tripura was possible on 50-60 hectares of contiguous land through the SRI method whereas the figure was only 2-3 hectares in the other states.

Tripura's Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated the symposium at the State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development this morning which is being organised by state agriculture department along with a number of national agencies.

The symposium has been organised with a view to enhancing crop production methods and monitor achievements of paddy in Tripura through System Rice Intensification(SRI) and different issues regarding the cultivation will be discussed in five different sessions.

The list of participants include 11 scientists from Bangladesh, three from Vietnam, two from the US, Bhutan and Morocco and one from Netherland have participated in the sessions on paddy cultivation through the SRI method. Besides scientists from other SARRC nations and the European Union are expected to take part in the remaining part of the seminar.

UNI