Vedanta Lanjigarh Scales Up System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Kalahandi, Under Project Sangam
Project Sangam by Vedanta Aluminium in Odisha promotes SRI rice farming, raising yields, cutting costs, and benefiting 120+ farmers across 18 villages.
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], August 27: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, through its integrated watershed and livelihood development initiative – Project Sangam in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi. transforming traditional agriculture practices by promoting the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) technique. This method has demonstrated a 25% increase in crop yields, a 30% reduction in input costs, and substantial gains in farmer incomes. More than 60 farmers have adopted the SRI method across 64.2 acres of farmland in the region. Kalahandi district was once a region plagued by drought and famine. Today, due to Vedanta’s various initiatives in agriculture and sustainable livelihoods, farmers are seeing an increase in their yield and income.
The results have been promising – crop yields have increased from 18–20 quintals per acre to 22.5–25 quintals per acre, marking a 25% improvement. At the same time, input costs have reduced by 30%, falling from Rs. 10,000–12,000 per acre to Rs. 7,000–9,000 per acre. The method has also improved water efficiency by 35%, promoted organic practices that reduce pest incidence, and strengthened soil health. The company is now scaling up the initiative to cover 210 acres in the current Kharif season, engaging more than 120 farmers across 18 villages.
