Meshing mechanization with System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods for rice cultivation in Nepal

Rajendra Uprety, Senior Agriculture Development Officer, Department of Agriculture

Mechanization of rice farming can be a very effective solution for Nepalese rice farmers who face labor shortages and high production costs, especially in the Terai region. Mechanization can reduce the costs of land preparation, transplanting, and harvesting. Besides this, farmers can cut down on their labor costs for weeding if and when they have access to appropriate weeders at an affordable cost. Given the small size of rice farms, the forms of farmer organization/cooperatives should be part of a mechanization effort to reduce the costs and risks involved.

Those farmers who are familiar with SRI methods were able to scale-up their SRI areas with some modification. The result shows that a combination of mechanization and SRI methods can bring positive changes in rice cultivation in Nepal. It will increase production and further enhance income by reducing production costs. Mechanization will be a good option to the problem of labor scarcity. Besides this, Nepalese farmers who can save valuable time by mechanization can take on other additional work for bettering their livelihoods. Combining mechanization and improved crop management can increase yields to over 6 t/ha, essentially doubling current national yields and successfully closing the yield gap.