Orissa state dialogue on system of rice intensification - A report by Centre for World Solidarity

This is a report of the proceedings of the Orissa State Dialogue on System of Rice Intensification (SRI) held at Bhubaneshwar in 2007. The one day dialogue workshop was organised by the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS), Orissa Resource Centre, Bhubaneshwar with the support of the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB), the Department of Agriculture, Orissa, Oxfam India Eastern Region and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Hyderabad.

Participants in the workshop included representatives from the State Agricultural Department and other Government agencies, Research Organisations like Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Orissa University for Agricultural Technology (OUAT), SRI practitioners from around ten districts including civil society groups such as Sambhav and PRADAN.  

The workshop was divided into four sessions:

• One – Sharing Session – Chaired by Dr. Arvind Padhee
• Two – SRI in Orissa – Chaired by Prof. Radha Mohan
• Three – Technical Session – Chaired by Mr. Bibhu Kalyan Mohanty
• Four – Way Forward and Planning for Future – Chaired by Dr. C. Shambu Prasad. 

The objectives of the workshop were –

• Building SRI innovation capacity: To build SRI capacity in the state by pooling together experiences from both civil society and the state agriculture department.
• Learning platform for agriculture officials: To enable agricultural officers to learn on the best practices in SRI from within and outside Orissa. The State Government has as part of its work plan for Kharif has decided to take up SRI in different agro-ecological regions. 
• Capacity building for policy and institutional uptake: To provide a platform to build capacities of extension and research staff, farmers, NGOs and other government officials on SRI cultivation for its enhanced spread.
• Creating a new culture of innovation: To create a new culture of innovation by sharing of information on best practices and learning techniques from experts within and outside the State. 
• Establishing procedures for zonal workshops and Training of Trainers (ToT): To facilitate state level workshops and training of trainers for increased SRI uptake in Kharif 2007. 

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