Category: Agriculture
Cabinet nod to increase estate worker daily wage to 1,000 rupees
Jan 15, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers have decided that the minimum daily wage of estate workers to be 1,000 rupees with effect from March this year. It was also decided to take swift measures to develop all areas of the plantation sector including infrastructure facilities. The cabinet proposal tabled by the […]
Sri Lanka tea exports up in Nov 2019
Jan 02, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka tea exports for November 2019 totalled 21.9 M/kgs, showing a marginal gain of 0.6 M/kgs vis-à-vis 21.3 M/kgs of November 2018, a new report showed. Packeted tea has shown a growth YOY, whilst bulk tea has remained static, Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers said in their monthly report. […]
Global initiative by FAO to control Fall Armyworm; mobile app to launch in local languages
Dec 16, 2019 (LBO) – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a pioneering initiative – “Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control”, that aims to mobilize USD 500 million over 2020–22 to take radical, direct and coordinated measures to fight Fall Armyworm at a global level. In Sri Lanka, FAO […]
Sri Lanka to benefit from US “Clean Cities, Blue Oceans” global initiative
Dec 12, 2019 (LBO) – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), On December 5, launched its “Clean Cities, Blue Ocean” (CCBO) program in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the most recent countries to join this flagship initiative to mitigate ocean plastic. CCBO is a 48 million dollar, a five-year global initiative that helps […]
Sri Lanka bans import of spices, minor export crops for re-export
Dec 06, 2019 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Finance Ministry has prohibited the importation of spices and minor export crops for the purpose of re-export or re-export after minor processing. The Finance Ministry said in a statement that this restriction has been imposed as a measure to protect small export crop growers and SMEs. Accordingly, the […]
United States supports Sri Lankan efforts to reduce landslide risk
The United States donated landslide monitoring instruments to Sri Lanka’s National Building Research Organization (NBRO) to more effectively manage the risk of landslides in Nikgaha, Kalutara. As part of the initiative, engineers and geologists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) visited Sri Lanka from November 5 to 15 to partner with Sri Lanka’s scientists on […]
Sri Lankan spices & other products to benefit from Geographical Indications
Nov 06, 2019 (LBO) – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Primary Industries and Social Empowerment of Sri Lanka have launched a project aiming to establish a national system for Geographical Indications (GIs). GIs help consumers identify food and other products originating in a particular geographical location, […]
Sri Lanka unveils first bamboo energy forum with UNIDO backing
Oct 23, 2019 (LBO) – United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is collaboratively unveiling Sri Lanka’s first forum on bamboo for energy and industrial sustainability. The forum, organized by UNIDO in collaboration with the Institution of Engineers of Sri Lanka (IESL), takes place on Friday, October 25 at the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL), […]
PA sounds alarm on growing discrepancy between tea auction & export prices
Oct 21, 2019 (LBO) – The Planters’ Association of Ceylon sounded a cautionary note with regard to the health and sustainability of the entire tea industry – including Regional Plantation Companies (RPC), and Government and smallholder sectors at large – as tea and rubber prices at the Colombo auction continuously plummeted in 2019. Releasing a […]
Farm Smart: Developing Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector in the 4IR
Manoj Thibbotuwawa and Nimesha Dissanayaka Rapid population growth has put tremendous pressure on the world’s agricultural systems to provide safe and nutritious food to all. Unfortunately, productivity growth has been hampered by land and water resources degradation and climate change. The economic and social costs of such disruptive drivers imply that the food systems need […]
Sri Lanka tea prices down in first nine months of 2019
Oct 03, 2019 (LBO) – All elevations show a negative variance January-September 2019 compared with January-September 2018 and high growns show the largest deficit of Rs. 63.37 YOY, a report shows. National average for the month of September 2019 totalled Rs. 511.31 compared with Rs. 506.86 of August 2019 showing a marginal increase of Rs. 04.42 month […]
South Korea increases funding for new Sri Lanka Ocean University
Sep 29, 2019 (LBO) – The initial outlay on Sri Lanka’s largest vocational skilling project announced on 28 August has now increased by 60 percent from its first value, the Ministry of Skills Development & Vocational Training said. “Due to some important revisions and re-assessments on the ground, the project value has been boosted by […]