“To prepare quality seedlings for transplanting according to SRI, we make sure we use rich soil. We use the silt from the river and mix it with burnt grains, which are burnt in a special machine.

We use a 1:2 soil to ash mix and spread it over the burlap sacks. If we use too much soil, the mats will be too heavy to transport when we transplant.

Once we’ve covered the mat with seeds, we cover that with sand so it will sprout beautifully. If we do not apply it neatly, the shoots won’t grow evenly.

I have been doing this for the last 3 or 4 years. Eight seasons. People ridiculed me at first but then they saw the quality of the rice plants I would get from this method, they wanted my seedlings too! I’m now the biggest seedling producer in the area. They are not laughing now!!”