We started the SRI (System of Rice Intensification) training on Tuesday with what was undoubtedly the first Powerpoint presentation ever attempted in Ferrier. Unfortunately, Jackson had planned the workshop under a white vinyl tent that caught and transmitted the sunlight pretty much everywhere, so the projector image was pretty tough to see. Lesson to self:
when planning to use LCD projectors in rural Haiti, make sure you fully inform the host as to what kind of room will be needed. Oh for the days when we used crappy, hand-drawn images that could go anywhere without generators.
Regardless of the technology challenges, Joeli Barison (a Malagasy SRI extension specialist) and Erika Styger (a Swiss consultant currently at Cornell) seemed to get their stories across as well as the six essential principles of SRI, namely:
1. Transplanting seedlings at a young age (8-10 days instead of the traditional 4 weeks)
2. Transplanting single seedlings instead of a clump of 3 or more
3. Transplanting in rows 25 cm apart instead of denser spacing
4. Flooding lightly & intermittently alternated with dry periods rather than maintaining
5. Using rotary weeders
6. Maximizing use of organic amendments
It was a lot for people to take in, but I was impressed that several of the participants fairly quickly related this new system to their own experiences & observations, especially with wider plant spacing and use of organic inputs. That afternoon, we started an experiment pre-germinating rice seed that was later planted in a seedling bed to produce plants for a trial we’ll transplant on the 21st.
The next three days were spent repeating the principles, discussing current practices in the area, carrying out practical demonstrations & showing more pictures & films. We found a
darkened classroom that served the latter purpose, and I have to say that showing pictures and films of people actually carrying out all the steps and then the results it produced at harvest was
quite effective. Technology is a powerful tool when it works…
The various sessions were pretty chaotic and to a large extent ad hoc. The field in which we planned to do the practical exercises was under 2 ft of flood water the day we intended to start. The next day it was above water, but the river we had to cross to get there was still neck deep and our principal trainer didn’t know how to swim, so we switched to an alternate location. Most
sessions started an hour or more late, but the 20+ participants kept coming back, and their enthusiasm built visibly through the four days.
By the end, virtually everyone said they were convinced enough to try the system out on a small portion of their land. They seem motivated by the fact that they’re pioneers of an approach that may not only help their own situation, but could become an example for other regions of Haiti. A camaraderie also developed among the group, and they asked about forming a committee to keep in touch with each other, and to enable communication between the members and those of us who intend to serve as resources.
My role in the coming weeks is to organize a system for support and follow-up. It’s a pretty daunting task given the lack of infrastructure or experience of WHR-Haiti in such endeavors.
Most of our history in the area has involved creation of demonstration sites in a central location, rather than outreach on individual farms. This, however, is probably a major reason
why, after 30 years, we haven’t had more impact on the agriculture of the area. On the 21st we will reassemble to transplant our demonstration seedlings. By then, I hope to have decided, together with Jackson, on several “technicians” we can hire to visit farmers as they try SRI on their own land. I’ll plan to be in regular phone contact with these technicians to help with advice and encouragement. Both Erika and Joeli have agreed to help with trouble-shooting and will likely make a follow-up visit during the upcoming season.
I particularly enjoyed watching Joeli interact with the Haitian farmers who came for the training. He not only has a wealth of practical experience from having worked with Malagasy farmers for the past 20 years, but he also has an outgoing, personable approach that clearly appeals to Haitians. Prior to coming to Ferrier, he spent five weeks training farmers in the central and SW rice-growing areas. Each day he fielded numerous phone calls from participants in these training sessions asking questions about production or just calling to say “hello.” His Creole comprehension was impressive, and his enjoyment of the people, culture, food, etc. makes it hard to imagine a better fit for this role.
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