Category: Agriculture
SL & Australia Partner with FAO on AUD 2 Mn Initiative to Restore Climate-Resilient Vegetable Livelihoods in Cyclone-Affected Highlands
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, the Government of Australia, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) marked the launch of a AUD 2 million (USD 1.4 million) recovery initiative to restore and transform vegetable production systems in the cyclone-affected districts of Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. The agreement was […]
FAO Delivers Fertilizer Support to Cyclone-Affected Paddy Farmers in Anuradhapura
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a fertilizer support programme to assist smallholder paddy farmers in the Anuradhapura District whose fields were damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, helping them recover production in time for the upcoming Yala cultivation season in Sri Lanka. Through a voucher scheme valued at USD 300,000, […]
Tribute: Nissanka Welikala – Planter (1945-2026)
April 28, 2026 (LBO) – In Sri Lanka you come across all types of ‘characters’, and then there was my Uncle Nissanka, AKA Aswin, Alex and of course ‘Boora.’ Nissanka Welikala was the only son of Radiologist Dr. A. H. N. Welikala and Viola Welikala. Dr. Welikala dropped dead of a heart attack in his […]
Kenilworth Estate: Crafting premium Ceylon tea through innovation and heritage
Since 1947, when its current factory rose from the site of an earlier 1942 structure, Kenilworth Tea Estate has crafted teas renowned for their long, wiry, well-twisted leaves; blacker, cleaner, and meticulously rolled through an extended 2.5-hour Orthodox process that yields a coppery-bright infusion with creamy, full-bodied strength, woody frankness, and subtle citrus notes. Perched […]
Sri Lanka Launches Landmark Digital Foundations for a Data-Driven Agriculture Sector
Sri Lanka today took a major step towards transforming its agriculture sector with the official launch of the Agriculture Enterprise Architecture Framework, Agriculture Interoperability Framework, Data Sharing Policies, and CROPIX, a national digital platform for crop data and decision-making. The high-level launch event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation and the […]
FAO Appeals for USD 16.5 Mn to Restore Livelihoods after Cyclone Ditwah Devastates SL’s Agrifood Sector
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Headquarters in Rome issued an appeal calling for international assistance of USD 16.5 million to support the early recovery of livelihoods and food security for farming, livestock-keeping and fishing communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. Cyclone Ditwah represents one of the most severe climate shocks the country has […]
Ditwah causes widespread devastation to agriculture, fisheries & rural livelihoods in SL: FAO
Cyclone Storm Ditwah made landfall on 27 November 2025 and lingered over the country for nearly three days, bringing exceptionally heavy rainfall that triggered severe flooding and numerous landslides, resulting in widespread devastation nationwide. As of 16 December 2025, official reports confirm that more than 2.2 million people have been affected, representing about 10 percent […]
MAP: Flood Impacts on Agriculture Across Sri Lanka
New data from the Department of Agriculture, compiled with FAO support, highlights the scale of flood impacts on agriculture across Sri Lanka. The maps show flood-affected areas of paddy, vegetables, and other field crops, with the most significant damage concentrated in several major agricultural districts. These impacts threaten livelihoods, food production, and household food security, […]
Small Investors For Polytunnel Agriculture in the Northern Province
By Jekhan Aruliah Nirojan comes from a family of farmers. Born in 1990, his parents farmed two acres of banana and chillies in Killinochchi. Like hundreds of thousands of others during the Sri Lankan Civil War they became IDPs (IDP, Internally Displaced Persons, refugees in their own country). Streams of people fleeing first from their […]
FAO & Ministry of Fisheries Launch SL’s First Digital Platform for Smart & Sustainable Shrimp Aquaculture
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA), launched the Shrimp Industry Information System (SIIS) – Sri Lanka’s first-ever integrated digital platform for the aquaculture sector. Developed under the FAO-led project “Smart and Sustainable Aquaculture […]
Canadian Agricultural Mission to Strengthen Ties with Sri Lanka
The High Commission of Canada in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, in collaboration with The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the visit of a Canadian Agricultural Mission to Sri Lanka from October 27–31, 2025. The five-day mission aims to deepen bilateral cooperation in agriculture, agri-food, and agri-tech. Focusing on agricultural policy, productivity, […]
Sri Lanka Launches Banana Tissue Culture Laboratory to Boost Fruit Value Chain Development
The North Central Provincial Department of Agriculture inaugurated a state-of-the-art Banana Tissue Culture Planting Material Production Laboratory at the In-Service Training Institute in Maha Illuppallama, North Central Province, with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme with the People’s Republic of China. The […]