Reduced Methane Emissions Rice Production Project in Northern Nigeria using Systems of Rice Intensification (SRI).

SRI AFRICA October 28, 2021 0 Comments

Nigeria is the largest producer and consumer of rice in Africa. The country produces about 5 million metric
tonnes of rice against a demand of 6.8 million metric tonnes per annum. About 90% of the rice is grown on
paddies by resource-constrained smallholder farmers. Rice paddies contribute about 15-20% of total global

anthropological methane emissions, and overall rice farming accounts for around 2.5% of all global human-
induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making its climate footprint comparable to that of international

aviation.
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a climate smart practice that increases productivity of rice and reduces
methane emissions (by between 22% to 64%). Through support from the UK’s Department for Business
Environment and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) PACT Programme, in collaboration with the UK’s Foreign
Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has enabled Tetra Tech to implement an SRI pilot project in
Northern Nigeria through its LINKS programme.
The project in its first phase, has established 27 SRI Climate-smart villages in Kano and Jigawa States. LINKS
is working with rice aggregators to establish an out-grower model with field coordinators linked to each
aggregator offering extension, agricultural input and aggregation services to farmers. Field Coordinators and
Lead Farmers who manage 27 demonstration plots have been trained in SRI practices and over a wet and dry
farming season will step down the SRI practices to farmers in the SRI climate-smart villages.
The pilot is carrying out a series of demonstrations on SRI in 27 demo plots over two agricultural seasons for
1,350 small-holder farmers. It is also working with a research partner to monitor the application and impact of
SRI in relation to soil quality, green-house-gas (GHG) emissions, farmer uptake, yields and incomes
Expected impact of phase 1 of the pilot is: 1000 farmers with increased incomes, 36 jobs, and reduced GHG
emissions.

download pdf: SRI n Nigeria