Coimbatore Dec 7 The recently concluded symposium on System of Rice Intensification (SRI), here has urged creation of a special vehicle of 'SRI Promotional Fund,' with specific budget outlays to realize its potential for national food security in the context of an emerging water crisis.

In its recommendations to the Centre, the 3-day symposium also urged to create appropriate space for partnership with civil society to promote farmer-to-farmer knowledge, skill transfer, working with community level institutions and effective grass-roots facilitation.

Focused work in potential 'blocks' for intensive promotion of SRI for a period of 4 to 5 years may help it to take roots and to overcome initial constraints such as building human base, water management, labour-market adjustment and promote local innovations, sources in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, where the symposium was held, said.

More than 350 participants, including 20 foreign dellgates, scientists, civil society members, policy makers and farmers across the country deliberated on various aspects of SRI. The main focus was on policies, institutions and strategies for scaling up SRi as part of achieving food security and reducing water conflicts.

The symposium also re-affirmed that SRI certainly improved the productivity of land, water and labaour and has shown great potential to increase the paddy production whhile significantly reducing the input costs of seed, fertilizers and labour besides saving substantial quantity of irrigation water. Agencies

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