Our efforts and involvement, in the last three to four years, while working on SRI- System of Rice Intensification has become even more relevant in the national and global context. As practitioners, promoters and researchers of SRI, we have significantly contributed in demonstrating that SRI is the part of the solution to food security and water crisis. SRI has clearly demonstrated its potential in increasing the yields, while decreasing the water and other input thus bringing profit to the farmers. But, this is not enough, SRI has to be scaled up in order to spread the benefit of this method to farmers at national level and help decrease water conflicts, improve productivity and avoid large water infrastructure projects without having to compromise on the food security of our country. The challenge is even greater. We all need to work together to translate the individual benefits at farm level to national level by adopting SRI in large scale. So far, our efforts primarily, if not exclusively were working with the farmers, state governments to adopt SRI. Scaling up and mainstreaming this method will be our next challenge.

As you all may agree with me, previous annual SRI symposiums organised in Hyderabad and Agartala in 2006 and 2007 respectively, provided excellent opportunity to exchange views, experiences and extended support to each other and also increase the credibility and acceptability of SRI method among policy makers. The two symposiums further facilitated in establishing effective national, state wide platforms for sharing of success stories, constraints, farmer innovations, identification of research priorities, and policy directions to enhance adoption and scaling-up of SRI methods to enhance rice production and improve the livelihoods of rural poor. It brought awa