BALCO Employees Join Hands with Farmers for ‘Ropai’, learning the SRI technique

Balconagar (Public Forum). Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a part of Vedanta Aluminium, joyously celebrated the festival of Hareli by conducting a collaborative Ropai activity with its employees and communities under its project ‘Mor Jal Mor Maati’. Ropai is an agrarian method, which involves transplantation of rice saplings. Over 50 employee volunteers came together to contribute a total of 86 man-hours to plant rice seedlings across 4.5 acres of farmland, reducing labour costs by about 15 percent.

Celebrated during the onset of the rice planting season in Chhattisgarh, the ‘Rice Bowl of India,’ Hareli is an important festival for the farmers in the state. This year, BALCO encouraged its employees to actively engage in the plantation of tender rice seedlings alongside farmers, fostering a spirit of togetherness. 

Rajesh Kumar, CEO and Director, BALCO, said, “Our employees’ involvement in activities like Ropai goes beyond mere volunteering; it represents our heartfelt commitment towards the community. Through projects like Mor Jol Mor Mati, BALCO has been helping local farmers through the introduction of modern agricultural practices like the System of Rice Identification (SRI) technique. With essential knowledge and resources, we aim to bolster the resilience of the agricultural sector in the region.”

BALCO trains nearly 2,300 small and marginal farmers in SRI throughout the year, contributing to their economic growth.Traditional practices of random seed dispersion often led to competition with weeds and pests, resulting in lower yields and increased losses. The adoption of the Systematic Rice Intensification (SRI) method strengthens root development, leading to healthier harvests more resilient to pest diseases, and often results in a 20-30 percent increase in rice production. 

Dhansaya Patel, a resident farmer from Bundeli Village, shared his experience, stating, “The training in SRI techniques for rice production was very useful. Since adopting this farming method, we have witnessed an increase in production. Compared to traditional methods, this technique has helped me achieve better crop yield.”

Sarthak Patel, a BALCO employee who participated in the Ropai activity. “It was inspiring to work alongside farmers and be close to nature, learning about the crops while making a positive impact outside of our jobs.”

BALCO’s Mor Jal, Mor Maati project reaches out to over 4,749 farmers, covering more than 1,400 acres of land in 32 villages. More than 80% of farmers have adopted modern agricultural techniques under this project, such as System of Rice Intensification (SRI), trellis, organic farming, climate-resilient cropping, and vegetable & wheat cultivation. Around 15% of the farmers are engaged in livelihood diversification activities like animal husbandry, horticulture, and non-timber forest produce. The project intervention has led to an increase in their average annual income, a 50% rise in production, and a 40% reduction in input costs.