From Low Yields to Abundance: How System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Is Boosting Food Security in WAMKO

“Shadidi Oyee, Shadidi Oyee”. The joyful sounds of farmers singing and ululating echoed across the paddy fields of the WAMKO irrigation scheme in Ifakara, Morogoro. 

For years, the 305 farmers of WAMKO relied on traditional rice‑farming practices. They scattered large amounts of paddy seeds, used large amounts of water, and spent long hours in the field. Despite their hard work, their harvests remained small. “We used to farm big areas but harvest very little,” many recalled.

That began to change in 2020, when the Farm to Market Alliance programme, implemented under the World Food Programme in Tanzania, introduced the farmers group to the SRI technique. Through hands‑on training and demonstration plots, farmers learned how to plant single seedlings, space them carefully, and manage water more efficiently. Farmers keep the soil moist rather than flooded and use simple weeders to aerate the field, helping the plants grow stronger roots. With old techniques, farmers used to spend 23 USD for 20 Kg of paddy seeds to plant on one acre but with SRI, they now spend just 3 USD for 3 Kg of seeds. With fewer seeds, less water, and lighter labour, each plant produces higher yields, allowing farmers to harvest and earn more while spending less.

 

“Previously, I used traditional farming. I would just throw seeds on the land. After learning SRI, I changed everything. Now I harvest up to 20 sacks per acre. My income has increased, and I can pay school fees comfortably”, Anna Mganga reflected with enthusiasm.

Zaina Lutana, a member of WAMKO scheme once harvested just 6 bags per acre, but after adopting SRI, she now harvests up to 22 bags in the same acre of land. With her profits, she has diversified her income by opening a clothes shop and staple foods shop.

The success of WAMKO farmers reflects what is possible when farmers have the right knowledge and skills. As they adopt better techniques, they harvest more, earn more, and their households become more food secure.