Category: Agriculture
Planters’ Association condemns politically-connected land encroachments at Madampe Estate
The Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) strongly condemned a recent incident of forceful and illegal encroachments of estates managed by the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs), and called on the Government and law enforcement officials to uphold the rule of law in RPC estates. The statement was a response to an incident on 6 December 2021, […]
JICA supports Jaffna University towards improvement of dry zone agriculture
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Ministry of Education, and the University of Jaffna agreed to implement JICA’s new technical cooperation named ‘The Project for Research and Education Capacity improvement in Dry Zone Agriculture at University of Jaffna’. Prof. Kapila C. Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Education, Prof. S. Srisatkunarajah, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jaffna, and Yamada […]
Coconut seedlings, Tea & cinnamon plants free of charge for cultivation: Plantation Minister
Plantation Minister Ramesh Pathirana says that the government has decided to provide 2.3 million coconut seedlings to the public at the Divisional Secretariat level next year. The government will also provide tea plants free of charge by obtaining tea plants owned by the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority. Financial assistance will also be provided for […]
French Development Agency provides Euro 1mn to develop Geographical Indication for Ceylon Tea
The French Development Agency (AFD) signed a grant agreement worth 1 million euros with the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) and French Agricultural Research Centre for Development (CIRAD) towards the development of a Geographical Indication (GI) for Ceylon Tea. The agreement was signed by AFD Country Director and SLTB Chairman in the presence of Hon. […]
Wartime organic farming lessons for peacetime
By Jekhan Aruliah There is recent precedent in Sri Lanka for suddenly “going organic”. The Sri Lankan Civil War saw years of economic blockades and embargoes in the North. Some items were totally banned, others were provided in restricted quantities. From ladies’ sanitary pads to batteries to petrol and cement, chemical fertilisers and pesticides many […]
Experts discuss framing a green development pathway for Sri Lanka
Experts from the government, private sector, UN agencies, think tanks, and other development partners, came together at this week’s kickstarter sessions of the Colombo Development Dialogues on Green Development, held on 12 and 14 October 2021. With over 450 participants joining in virtually, they sought to come to a common understanding of a localised, Sri […]
Baurs share short term solutions for Sri Lanka’s organic agriculture conversion
A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd., widely known as Baurs, a diversified business group and one of the pioneering innovators in agriculture in Sri Lanka, recently shared preliminary key insights and solutions for the country’s farming industry to successfully master the conversion from conventional to organic, backed by scientific evidence and sound knowledge drawing from […]
WB supports safe, climate-resilient transport connectivity to strengthen agricultural supply chains
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved $500 million in financing for Sri Lanka to provide safe, climate-resilient roads to connect agricultural supply chains through the Inclusive Connectivity and Development Project. This project is expected to benefit around 16 million people living in rural communities in selected districts of Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, […]
Quality characteristics of Ceylon Tea record noticeable decline due to fertilizer ban
Any decline in the quality of Ceylon Tea will have serious consequences, where the Sri Lanka market share in a global arena would fall and as a result, a drop in exports and foreign exchange earnings is inevitable, Chairman of Colombo Tea Traders’ Association (CTTA) said. Delivering the Chairman’s Speech at the virtual Annual General […]
Fertilizer shortage will deprive Sri Lanka of critical forex earnings – Planters’ Association
Due to the shortage of suitable fertilizer, Sri Lanka is unlikely to be able to achieve its export earnings target for 2021, according to the Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA), which also reiterated calls for a sustainable solution to the worsening crisis. Earlier this year, the Export Development Board (EDB) set a target of USD […]
Disease-battered rubber plantations call for govt support to ensure industry’s survival
Sri Lanka’s rubber plantations are potentially on the brink of being wiped out, battered by a fast-spreading leaf disease and the sector could be nearing the ‘point of no-return’, commercial rubber growers claim, requesting for urgent government intervention to address the pressing issue. The crisis, which evokes comparisons with the ‘coffee rust’ blight which wiped […]
Policy on use of organic fertilizer has not changed, government emphasizes
The government states that it has not granted permission to import chemical fertilizers for local agricultural purposes and has not made any changes to the decision taken by the President to use only organic fertilizers for local agriculture and will not make any changes to this decision in the future as well. The Cabinet has […]