CSIAP Sri Lanka

The World Bank undertakes a comprehensive review of the activities of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in North Central Province to assess the CSIAP’s progress, impact, and effectiveness in addressing the provincial development challenges, on the other hand, it plays a crucial role in ensuring that projects stay on track, issues are addressed promptly, and stakeholders remain informed and engaged.

The World Bank Team headed by Mr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist Dr. Athula Senarathne, Water Management Specialist Ms. Thiruni Liyanage and Voice Secondee Ms. Sima Ramrattan from the Republic of Suriname attended the Progress Review Meeting held in the conference hall of Sungreen Resort at Habarana today(29th).

Mr. H. M. P. Bandara, Deputy Project Director (North Central) welcomed the World Bank Officials, and Subject Specialists and Officers of the Deputy Director's Office in North Central Province presented the progress achieved so far by the Management Information System (MIS).

Photograph by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-04-29

The Progress Review of the Climate Smart Agriculture Project (CSIAP) conducted by the World Bank commenced in Southern & Uva provinces and will continue in North Central and Eastern provinces. This progress review is a structured evaluation or assessment of the advancement and performance of the CSIAP. It serves as a checkpoint to gauge how well the CSIAP is proceeding in terms of achieving its objectives, adhering to timelines, managing resources, addressing challenges or obstacles and contributing to their intended outcomes. These progress reviews are conducted periodically throughout the project to ensure that it stays on track and identify any areas requiring adjustments or interventions.

The World Bank Team led by Mr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist Dr. Athula Senarathne and Voice Secondee Ms. Sima Ramrattan from the Republic of Suriname conduct progress reviews typically through meetings and field visits involving Project Staff, Government Officials, Farmers and other relevant parties. The aim is to foster transparency, accountability, and collaboration, ultimately ensuring the successful execution and completion of the project.

Inaugurating the Progress Review of Southern Province Mr. R.P. M. Dissanayake, Deputy Project Director (Southern Province) welcomed the World Bank Officials at the Administrative Complex in Hambantota. He presented the progress achieved so far by the Management Information System (MIS). Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in this meeting.

During the Southern tour, the World Bank officials observed the rehabilitation process of Baminiyawa Tank and had a meeting with farmers, attended the meeting of Cascade Management Committee in Divisional Secretariate at Thissamaharama, visited Chili Cultivation at Kawanthissapura, had Water Management Meeting with farmers at Punchiappu Jadura and awarded certificates to framers who followed programs at the Farmer Business School at Julpallama.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-04-27

A pre-mission meeting to discuss the CSIAP’s restructuring process and programmes to be implemented after the period of the CSIAP’s extension was held with officials of Agriculture and Plantation Industries (MoAPI), the World Bank and the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) this morning (02^nd) at the MoAPI.

This meeting was chaired by Mr. Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Secretary with Ms. Latheesha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development), Ms. Anuradha Dharmasena, Director, (Development) of the MoAPI. On behalf of the World Bank Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist were also present. Representing the CSIAP led by the Deputy Project Director Mr. H.M.P. Bandara, Provincial Deputy Project Directors, Subject Specialists and Engineers attended this meeting too.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-04-02

The Deputy Project Director (DPD)’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in North Central Province led by Deputy Project Director Mr. H.M.P. Bandra organized a special workshop on the Annual Work Plan and Budget 2024 in North Central Province with the participation of Specialists and Engineers of the Project Management Unit (PMU) today (15th) in the DPD’s office in Anuradhapura. Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna explained the necessity and importance of expediting activities within the given time. Group discussions under each subject area were also conducted. This programme aims to speed up project activities within the province up to June 2024 and make officers aware of the new 18th-month plan starting from July 2024.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-03-15

The Deputy Project Director (DPD)’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in Northern Province led by Deputy Project Director Mr. George Babu organized a special workshop on the Annual Work Plan and Budget 2024 in Northern Province with the participation of Specialists and Engineers of the Project Management Unit (PMU) today (13th) in the DPD’s office in Kilinochchi. Group discussions under each subject area were also conducted. This programme aims to speed up project activities within the province up to June 2024 and make officers aware of the new 18th-month plan starting from July 2024.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-03-13

Women play a central role not only in the agricultural sector but also in improving the nutritional status of family members - A Feature Article on International Women's Day 2024

Sri Lanka ranks 76th out of 189 countries on the HDI and it scores 0.35 (80th place) on the UN Gender Inequalities Index (2018). The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) interventions directly support 04 key SDGs out of 17; SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 5: Gender Equality, and SDG 13: Climate Action. Project interventions address the underlying causes of malnutrition by making the food system responsive to these causes to provide adequate, safe, diversified and nutrient-rich food. The CSIAP contributed to improving the nutritional status of individual farmers, their families, and communities. The project is empowering the smallholder farming community in terms of nutritional security enhancement, active citizen engagement, and ensuring gender-inclusive development.

WHAT?
Investment in nutrition is a dual imperative: moral and economic. It builds human capital and boosts shared prosperity. Addressing malnutrition yields multiple benefits, boosting gross national products, preventing child deaths, improving school attainment, reducing poverty, empowering women, and breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty.

WHY?

HOW?

The project focused on addressing malnutrition among socio-economically disadvantaged families in 11 climatically vulnerable districts. Key vulnerabilities affected people in terms of nutrition improvement, e.g., food and nutrition insecurity due to Covid 19 pandemic, food price inflation, loss of agriculture production due to the impact of climate change, reduced variety and animal source food consumption, and reduced purchasing power.

Women’s agricultural production was not recorded correctly and women farmers were invisible in decision-making bodies. Women suffered limited access to information, agrarian sector capacity-building technology, and farmer extension services.

CSIAP integrated gender into the project’s technical and operational activities. e.g., internalized gender-inclusive policies, gender analysis through KPI, implemented GAP reduces the gender gap and enhances nutrition security, allocation for gender budgeting and data management on MIS, and continuous monitoring.

Introduced Nutrition-Sensitive CSA. e.g., implemented 56,222 CSNSHGs and other agriculture programs in 258 GNDs. Introduced CSA practice and shared nutrition knowledge with the community. e.g., approximately 92,202 individuals participated in the IEC, of which 45% were women. 70,441 participated in the training.

Women farmers had greater access to basic agricultural assets. e.g., 42% of women received agricultural assets and extension services through the project.

Prevailing bottlenecks prevent women’s participation and their capacity to benefit from capacity building. Empowering women (skills and capacity building, economic, social and nutrition). eg. 40% of leading women farmers are assured equal access to special skills and knowledge-building inputs and have undergone training to become CSA farmers at the dedicated Climate-Smart Farmer Training School, Thirappane. 30% of women are actively participating in SAC activities.

Empowered women to play leadership roles and contribute to women’s participation in agriculture, enabling greater participation by women in all project activities. Facilitated women farmers' entry into irrigated agriculture. e.g., 30% of women represent SAC, 42% are proud members of the PS, and 35% in PA.

Identify women farmers with leadership potential and build their capacities to take the lead in entering marketing interventions and providing high skill levels on par with male farmers through FBS.

Encouraged women, men, girls, and boys to share knowledge and practice in cultivating, processing, making, and consuming foods of better nutritional values.

Integrating nutrition for strengthened market systems e.g., established 365 sales stalls in 11 districts). Developed clear links between producers and

Consumption of vegetables, fruits, pulses and other nutritious value crops from their HG to access the nutritional level.

Recognized women from farming households as ‘farmers’ & ‘leaders’ for adopting climate resilience. Empower them to utilize low-cost locally available foods. Be smart - choose healthy food. Avoid processed foods high in fat, sugar, & salt.

Outcomes of the project

Increased in yield for selected crops (27%)
Cropping intensity (143%)
Shared of non-paddy crops in the command area (48%)
Areas under improved CSA practices (42,000ha)
Increased direct project beneficiaries (365,471)
Increased income (20%)

Written By:
Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Gender Development Officer (PMU), CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-03-08

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-03-06

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU- CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-03-06

The photo shows Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director of the CSIAP is explaining about posters displayed in the booth to
the minister. The Deputy Project Director of the Southern Province’s Office of the CSIAP Mr. R.P. M. Dissanayake is also there.

"Agri Tech 24", an exhibition to showcase new Agricultural Techniques currently used in the Agriculture sector, as well as obtaining higher yields using new technology, less water and minimum fertilizer application, while introducing quality agricultural products, introduction of new types of seeds, production of seeds, preventing damage from pests, is declared open by Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera in the Bataatha Agri Technological Park, at Hungama yesterday (02nd). This four-day exhibition will be held till 05th March.

The Climates Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) also displays its booth with the aim of new agricultural technology including farm machinery introduced to the farmers and displaying various posters showing project activities such as Climate Smart Agriculture Practices, Tank Rehabilitation, Agroecological Landscape Resilience Plan, Water Management, Framer Training School, Marketing linkages introduced, Environmental & Social safeguard, Women’s contribution to the agriculture sector, improving the nutritional status of family members. Farmers’ products are being sold and Seasonal elephant fencing to mitigate Human and elephant conflict and micro irrigation systems are displayed here. A model cascade designed in the CSIAP booth attracted the attention of those including school children who came to the exhibition.

Day 01- Highlights of " Agri Tech 24"

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-03-03

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU- CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-03-03

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-02-19

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) held a special meeting today (16^th) at the Project Management Unit (PMU) to discuss the implementation of 11 Cascade Management Plans (CMPs) which are already prepared and the preparation of another 43 CMPs for the remaining cascades. Project Director Eng. R. M.B. Rajakaruna chaired this meeting and Provincial Deputy Project Directors and Subject Specialists also participated.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-02-16

The Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in Uva Province led by Deputy Project Director Mr. D. M. L. Bandaranayake organized a special workshop on the Annual Work Plan and Budget 2024 in Uva Province with the participation of Specialists and Engineers of the Project Management Unit (PMU) today (14th) at the Fortey Grand Hotel, Wellawaya. This programme aims to speed up project activities within the province in 2024.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-02-14

A discussion about the final draft of the Agroecological Landscape Resilience Plan (ALRP for the Agricultural Hot Spot Area in Monaragala District was held today (13^th) at the Uva Management Development Institute, Pelgahathenna. The objective of this programme is to discuss the ALRP as a Climate Smart Intervention which was already developed by Teams Consultancy firm. The Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in Uva Province led by Deputy Project Director Mr. D. M. L. Bandaranayake organized this event. Representatives of implementing agencies, Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were also present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-02-13

The World Bank officials led by Dr. Dina Umali-Deininger, Regional Director (Sustainable Development), South Asia Region visited Nambadawewa Cascade, which belongs to the Parangiyawadiya Agrarian Division. During this tour they met members of the Social Audit Committee, Cascade Management Committee, and Farmer Organization in Nambakada village and discussed how producer society works, its activities & progress, the importance of the cascade management committee, sustainability of the cascade management plan, how to solve grievances & its progress and contribution given by members of Social Audit Committee for construction work. Ms. M.K.G Morawaka Divisional Secretary and Mr.Fausan Billu, Agriculture Instructor in the area joined the discussion. Secondly, the World Bank team observed an area where brinjals, chillies, cucumber and maize are grown, an agro-well and a field where a micro irrigation system and elephant fencing are installed and discussed with Ran Aswenna producer society about the use of the insect-proof net and poly mulch for chilli cultivation, Finally, the World Bank officials inspected the rehabilitation progress of Horanakkarayagama Tank.

The World Bank Team consisted of Mr. Josses Mugabi, Practice Manager (Water Resources Management), Ms. Anna O’Donnell, Lead Social Development Specialist, Ms. Ipek Alkan, Operations Adviser, Mr. Asela Ekanayake, Senior Operations Officer, Mr. John Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, Consultant.The Deputy Director's Office of the CSIAP in North Central Province led by Deputy Project Director Mr. H.N.P. Bandara , Specialists and officers of the CSIAP also attended.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-02-09

Members of the high-level delegation from the World Bank headed by Dr. Dina Umali-Deininger, Regional Director, South Asia Sustainable Development and Farmer Leaders who were on the tree day residential programme at the Farmer Training School in Thirappane pose for a commemorative group photo. Members of the delegation included Mr. Josses Mugabi, Practice Manager (Water Resources Management), Ms. Anna O’Donnell, Lead Social Development Specialist, Ms. Ipek Alkan, Operations Adviser, Mr. Asela Ekanayake, Senior Operations Officer, Mr. John Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, Consultant.

The Regional Director and her team visited the Climate Smart Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane yesterday (08th) to observe the way that the Climate Smart Farmer Training School is running to promote Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Sri Lanka.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-02-09

A high-level delegation from the World Bank headed by Dr. Dina Umali-Deininger, Regional Director, South Asia Sustainable Development arrived in the Climate Smart Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane yesterday (08th) to observe the way that the Climate Smart Farmer Training School is running to promote Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Sri Lanka. Members of the delegation included Mr. Josses Mugabi, Practice Manager (Water Resources Management), Ms. Anna O’Donnell, Lead Social Development Specialist, Ms. Ipek Alkan, Operations Adviser, Mr. Asela Ekanayake, Senior Operations Officer, Mr. John Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, Consultant. The World Bank Officials were welcomed by Farmers and their children, and accompanied to the lecture hall in a traditional procession. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) presented how the CSIAP is working to improve productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture in the area where the CSIAP is being implemented. Farmer leaders who were on the three-day residential programme at the FTS had an opportunity to share their experience in CSA with the Regional Director. Certificates of Participation were given to Farmer leaders by dignitaries during this event. Dr. Dina Umali-Deininger planted a mango tree on the FTS premises to mark her visit. The Deputy Director's Office of the CSIAP in North Central Province led by Deputy Project Director Mr. H.N.P. Bandara organized this programme and Specialists and officers of the CSIAP were also present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-02-09

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The practical training workshop on Management Information Systems (MIS) commenced at the National Institute of Plantation Management this morning was a valuable initiative to enhance the skills and knowledge of respective Environmental Social Safegurad and Gender officers in Provincial Deputy Project Directors’ Offices of the CSIAP. The workshop aimed to provide the CSIAP Staff with hands-on experience and practical insights into the effective use of Management Information Systems for better decision-making of the CSIAP and its organizational efficiency.

Dr. Janaka Jayawardena, Environmental & Social Safeguard Specialist and his team at PMU organized this programme. Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist and Mr. Samantha Mallawaarachchi, IEC & ICT Specialist, CSIAP contributed to the workshop as resource persons. Monitoring and Evaluation Officers of Provincial Deputy Project Directors’ Offices assisted participants in working on MIS.

Photographs by Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Gender Office, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-01-23

The first-ever progress review of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project presented by the Management Information System (MIS) was held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries yesterday (17th). This meeting, which was scheduled to assess the project's current state and ensure that the project stays on course and meets its objectives, is crucial for ensuring that CSIAP’s under the ministry's purview align with its strategic objectives and are carried out effectively. This meeting was chaired by Ms. Lathisha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development) with Ms. Anuradha Dharmasena, Director, (Development), Ms. Dilupa Ambeypitiya, Deputy Director ( Development) and Officials of the MoA&PI. Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant, the World Bank, Eng, R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP attended this meeting with Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP.

The MIS of the CSIAP was designed by the Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd.

Photograph by Nekeshala kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-01-17

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The one-day Workshop on the Future of Agri-Business and Marketing Linkage Development (AB&MLD) and Institutional Development & Capacity Building (ID&CB) Activities of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) commenced this morning at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM) at Athurugiriya this morning.

Areas such as Roles of Provincial DPDs in Achieving the Project Objectives after Re-allocation of duties and Receiving US $ 25 Mn, Role of the ID & CB, CSA, and AB & MLD Specialists after Re-allocation of AB & MLD Activities of CSIAP, Plan for the implementation of the project activities after Re-allocation of AB & MLD Activities, Implementation Plan for the AB & MLD Activities and ICT&IEC and MIS Activities after Re-allocation of duties will be discussed throughout the workshop.

Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP explained the Future Focus of CSIAP after the Reallocation of Provincial AB & MLD activities, Receiving US $ 25 Mn. and the Preparation of an Action Plan for $ 25 Mn. Dr. Athula Senaratne, Senior Agriculture Economist and Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Senior Consultant, of the World Bank conduct this workshop.

Provincial Deputy Project Directors, Subject Specialists, Engineers and Technical Officers of the CSIAP attended this meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-01-11

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-01-03

Today (01st) is the very first working day for the staff on the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The staff of the CSIAP celebrated the commencement of work for the New Year 2024 with a small celebration in this morning. The event included a speech from the Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna and having Kiribath (Milk Rice) with other sweetmeats.

Addressing staff, the Project Director said, as we stand on the threshold of a new year, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable journey we've shared and to extend my warmest wishes for the year ahead. The past year has been a testament to our collective dedication, passion, and resilience. Our collaborative efforts have made significant strides in working within the project area. Together, we have achieved significant milestones, overcome obstacles, and laid the foundation for future success.

As the Project Director, I am immensely proud of what we have achieved and the positive impact we continue moving forward to achieve the CSIAP’s goal. I am profoundly grateful for leading such a talented and passionate team. Your collective efforts have not only contributed to the CSIAP goals but have also fostered a spirit of camaraderie and shared purpose.

As we usher in the New Year, let us continue to build upon our achievements, embrace new opportunities, and strive for excellence in all our endeavours. May the coming year be filled with prosperity, growth, and countless moments of joy and fulfilment. Wishing you a Happy New Year. May 2024 be a year of great accomplishments, personal growth, and shared successes, Eng. Rajakaruna further added.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kidithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2024-01-01

The year-end National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) Meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) was held at the Ministry of Agriculture recently. The NPSC meeting is chaired by of Mr. Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture. The NPSC is set up at the Ministry of Agriculture to take the overall responsibility in executing the CSIAP. The NPSC will consist of key officials of the major stakeholder agencies of the central government, provincial government, private sector and the apex level community organizations mainly to provide policy guidance to the project and to ensure achieving CSIAP’s objectives.

The World Bank Officials, Chief Secretaries of provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented, Heads of Government Departments, Senior Officials of implementing agencies, Project Director and Provincial Deputy Project Directors joined the meeting remotely, and senior officials of the ministry and CSIAP were also present in this meeting.

Photograph by Nikeshala Kodithuwaku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-12-27

The Year-End Progress Review Meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated agriculture Project (CSIAP) to assess performance, address challenges, ensure alignment with project objectives and stakeholder expectations and maintain momentum towards the successful completion of the project was held with the World Bank at the Project Management Unit (PMU), CSIAP recently. The CSIAP team led by Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director.

The World Bank team headed by Dr. Sheu Salau (Senior Agriculture Economist, Task Team Leader), Dr. Athula Senaratne (Senior Agriculture Specialist), Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan (Consultant – Agriculture & Rural Development), Ms. Nadeera Rajapakse (Environmental Specialist), Mr. Shanek Fernando (Social Development Specialist), Ms. Anula Harasgama (Sr. Financial Management Specialist), Ms. Heenaben Yatin Doshi (Sr. Procurement Specialist), Ms. Sithara Atapattu (Consultant – Environment), Mr. Jayantha Kankanamge (Consultant – Social), Mr. Udara Wijeratne (Consultant – ICT), Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne (FAO Consultant – Institutional Development) and Prof. Ravichandran Kannan (FAO Consultant - CSA Specialist ) attended this meeting.

Photograph by Nikeshala Kodithuwaku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-12-17

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) handed a range of farm ICT devices worth Rs. 30.31 Mn over to the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) to conduct training programmes for farmers in 47 Agrarian Service Center areas in 11 districts where the CSIAP is being implemented. The CSIAP’s Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna handed over devices to Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, secondly, the minister handed them over to Mr. A. H. M. L. Abeyrathna, Commissioner General of the DAD. The event took place at the Ministry this morning (21^st).

The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries welcomes the CSIAP's support in procuring these essential devices, which will go a long way in assisting farmers who may need further education and training at the field level to boost the agro-economy. Devices, totalling 141 individual items, include 47 Multimedia Projectors, 47 Screens and 47 Laptops.

Under ASC Digitalization programme, the CSIAP has provided two Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs) at Parangiyawadiya (North Central Province) and Weerawila (Southern Province) with 06 desktops, 02 Digital Smart Boards, 02 TVs and 02 Portable sound systems worth over Rs 5.7 Mn as a pilot project early this year.

Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, Consultant - Agriculture, Food & Rural Development, the World Bank, Mrs. Lathisha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development), Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries and Mr. Chaminda Ekanayake, Commissioner (Development) DAD were also present in this event.

Photograph by Nikeshala Kodithuwaku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-11-21

World Bank Managing Director for Operations Ms. Anna Bjerde and Regional Vice-President South Asia Dr. Martin Raiser with the delegation from the World Bank, Asia Development Bank, JICA and USAID visited the Climate Smart Farmer Training School (FTS) in Thirappane yesterday (29th). The FTS was established for framer leaders by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The purpose of their visit was to observe how the FTS is running to promote Climate Smart Agriculture and assess the progress of the CSIAP. This Farmer Training School will play a pivotal role in training and equipping farmers with hands-on experience in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and cutting-edge agricultural technologies. According to the World Bank, the FTS at Thirappane is the first school established in South Asia to promote climate-smart agriculture.

The CSIAP Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna welcomed distinguished guests and presented the progress achieved so far and how the CSIAP moves forward to meet project objectives. Addressing the audience Ms. Bjerde Said the significance of a school for farmers in the region, focusing on climate-smart agriculture. She highlighted the changing weather patterns caused by climate change and how this school is equipping farmers with techniques to enhance productivity and resilience in crop production. She also mentioned three major benefits of this project: the transition to renewable energy, particularly solar power; increased and stable livelihoods, enabling children to access education, including higher education; and diversified and sustainable crop yields, ensuring better nutrition. She expressed pride in the World Bank’s support for this project and emphasised the need for more initiatives like this to address the challenges posed by climate change, both through mitigation and adaptation efforts. She hoped that the project could be sustained by building on the lessons and experiences demonstrating the positive impact on changing the lives and livelihoods of farmer communities.

Farmers who had undergone the three-day residential training programme on Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture at the Farmer Training School received certificates during this event. Among those who attended the event were Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, State Minister of Finance Hon. Shehan Semasinghe, Former Minister Hon. Duminda Dissanayake, Asian Development Bank Country Director Mr. Takafumi Kadono, World Bank Country Director for Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka Mr. Faris Hadad – Zervos, Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Ms. Chiyo Kanda, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Ms. Anjali Kaur, JICA Senior Vice President Ms. Sachiko Imoto, Mr. Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Secretary and Ms. Latheesha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture, officials of implementing agencies and CSIAP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-10-30

Memories of the World Bank Managing Director for Operations Ms. Anna Bjerde and Regional Vice-President South Asia Dr. Martin Raiser with the delegation from the World Bank, Asia Development Bank, JICA and USAID’s visit to the Climate Smart Farmer Training School (FTS), in Thirappane yesterday (29th). The FTS was established by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-10-30

The progress review meeting for monitoring and discussing the progress of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) that the ministry is overseeing was held this morning at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). This meeting is crucial for ensuring that CSIAP’s under the ministry's purview align with its strategic objectives and are carried out effectively. During this meeting Ministry assessed the current status of the CSIAP, discussed achievements, and challenges, and made necessary adjustments. This meeting was chaired by Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture with the participation of Ms. Lathisha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development), Ms. Dilupa Ambeypitiya, Deputy Director (Development) and Senior Officials of the MoA. Eng, R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP attended this meeting with Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP. Please click Images to see more photos of this event.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-10-19

The 'Agro Bizz' application is introduced to the farmers by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) to sell their agricultural products at a fair price by avoiding middlemen. Selected representatives from Hambantota, Monaragala, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee Batticaloa and Ampara, where the CSIAP is being implemented, have been trained. In a discussion held between World Bank officials, CSIAP officials and 'Celata Tech' company officials, it has been agreed to provide this application for free to about 70,000 project beneficiary farmers. Accordingly, a series of training programmes for selected representatives from the 11 districts under the project area as trainers have been started. On behalf of 'Celata Tech' Mr. Dinesh Denipitiya and Mr. Ravindra Prasanna conducted training programmes.

Story and Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-10-19

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) funded by the World Bank has teamed up with the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR) to install 261 mobile elephant electric fencing or seasonal electric fencing, which could be deployed by farmers at the start of cultivation and removed and stored after harvest, at a cost of Rs 475 million to mitigate the human-elephant conflict in the project area where the CSIAP is being implemented.

In order to reduce the human-elephant-conflict in the project areas, theses electric fences are installed in the area before starting the cultivation and it will be uninstalled again after harvesting. The Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project emphasizes that the use of community-based seasonal electric fencing has been shown to be very effective in safeguarding paddy cultivations from elephant depredation. The human-elephant conflict is significant in all the CSIAP’s hotspot areas because the cultivation in the hotspot area is often threatened by wild animals, especially elephants.

This programme is being implemented in 08 districts of Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Monaragala and Hambantota where the CSIAP is being implemented. Under this project, 261 fences for 1109.3 km covering 77854.8 ha paddy fields in 128 Grama Niladhari Division areas of 34 Agrarian Service Divisions. The estimated budget for this is Rs. 475 million and 18905 farming families will benefit.

On behalf of the CSIAP, the Department of Agrarian Department (DAD) will implement an erecting electric fencing programme and for this purpose, DAD has issued a circular to establish an institutional mechanism. The fences will be entirely powered by solar energy. This project strives to assist farmers in the project area to protect their crops from wild elephants that frequent the area – often causing heavy damage to paddy and other crops. The Versatile Field Fences are easy to erect and the farmers are taught how to make these by the CCR.

The fences stay up until the harvest is taken. Hen farmers remove them afterwards and free up land for wild animals to eat. Again, erect fences for the next crop season. The massive human-elephant conflict has now climbed to a high level, taking many human lives and elephant deaths annually making Sri Lanka the highest annual elephant deaths and second-highest human deaths due to HEC. In 2019, the human-elephant conflict reached record heights in Sri Lanka with the death of 121 people and 405 elephants.

With this project, the CSIAP hopes to minimize the destruction of crops by a significant percentage and also diversify crops by the use of abandoned farmland due to elephant crop raiding. The project will be implemented under the guidance of Dr. Prithviraj Fernando and his team at the Centre for Conservation and Research.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-10-11

A high-level delegation of the World Bank led by Mr. Faris. H. Hadad-Zervos, Country Director, and including Ms. Chiyo Kanda, Country Manager, Sara Gustafson, Senior Country Officer, Mr. Asela Dissanayake, Senior Operations Officer and Dr. Athula Senaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist, visited the Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane last Friday (22nd) to discuss the forthcoming official visit of Ms. Anna Bjerde, Managing Director for Operations of the World Bank to the FTS. On behalf of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP), Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Deputy Project Director (PMU and NCP) Mr. H.M.P. Bandara and other senior officials of the CSIAP attended this discussion.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-09-24

Mr. Faris. H. Hadad-Zervos, Country Director of the World Bank inspected the agricultural machinery used for training purposes of farmers who are on three-day residential programmes at the Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane last Friday (22nd). Mr. Hadad-Zervos laid the foundation stone for the FTS on 22^nd December 2021.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-09-24

The Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project (CSIAP) introduces a software application called 'Agro Bizz' to around 70,000 farming families belonging to 47 agricultural service division areas affected by climate change in 11 districts located in 06 provinces, where the CSIAP is being implemented, to sell their agricultural products at a fair price by avoiding middlemen.

The absence of a market to sell agricultural products at a fair price by avoiding middlemen is a major problem faced by the farmers in the CSIAP area, and as a solution to this, the project expects to sell agricultural products through an online application called 'Agro Bizz'. When selling farm produce online, payments will also be credited to farmers' accounts via 'Agro Bizz'. A leading software company 'Celata Tech' has invented this 'Agro Bizz' application which can be downloaded onto Android smartphones.

In a discussion held between World Bank officials, CSIAP officials and 'Celata Tech' company officials, it has been agreed to provide this application for free to about 70,000 project beneficiary farmers. Accordingly, a series of training programmes for selected representatives from the 11 districts under the project area as trainers have been started. The CSIAP aims to popularize this application among the farmers by training and appointing the Agricultural Business and Marketing Relations Officers and agricultural Facilitators working in the Provincial Deputy Project Director Offices of the CSAIP and office bearers of Producer Associations and Producer Societies as representatives.

Selected representatives from Hambantota, Monaragala, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee Batticaloa and Ampara have been trained and the 'Agro Bizz' application will be introduced to the farmers by those representatives. Farmers are able to enter the image of their products on this application and information such as the quantity of the products, the time when they can be offered for sale, and the prices expected by the farmers can also be mentioned on this application. Farmers' information, farm information, cultivation information and product information are entered into the 'Agro Bizz' application. The 'Celata Tech' company has already registered product buyers, processing agencies, freight forwarders, consultants, Banks and service providers on 'Agro Bizz' to support CSIAP farmers.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-09-20

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-09-15

The Agricultural Field Day organized by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is more than a one-day event; it's a testament to the resilience and dedication of the agricultural community of the area where the CSIAP is being implemented. It is a highly useful event that serves as a nexus for education, innovation, community building, and economic development within the agricultural field of CSIAP farmers who play a crucial role in promoting sustainable agriculture. It connects farmers with their cultivation skills and fosters a profound appreciation for the agricultural sector. Organizing such an event will be an excellent way to bring together farmers, agricultural professionals, and the broader community to share knowledge, showcase innovations, and promote sustainable farming practices.

Mr. S.M. Saman Bandulasena, Chief Secretary, Northern Province along with Ms. S.Suganthini, Provincial Director (Agricultura), Agriculture Instructors of the respective areas, Mr. Geroge Babu, Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) , Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this Agricultural Field Day, which is a journey of enlightenment and enrichment in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. All officials visited.

Thelikarai Village of Poonakary ASC division for Watermelon Field, Thelikarai Tank Rehabilitation, Groundnut Seed Poduction and Harvesting
Udaiyarkattu village division for MICHY 1 Chilie Cultivation
Jeyapuram of Mulankavil ASC for Groundnut Cultivation with Sprinkler Irrigation
Iyankan Kulam of Thunukai ASC division for Crop Diversification in Paddy field
Karuvelankandal of Oddusuddan ASC division for Parachute and mechanical transplanted paddy field

This Field Day not only educates and inspires but also underscores the pivotal role that agriculture plays in sustaining our CSIAP farming community and preserving the cultivated land for generations to come.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-09-03

Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Consultant of the Worl Bank, conducted the Second Day of the two-day workshop on preparing Cascade Management Plans (CMPs)held at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM), Athurugiriya. Mr. Samanatha Mallawaarachchi, IEC & ICT Specialist and Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project made participants aware of their subjects’ contribution to CMPs.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-08-29

The World Bank Officials, Deputy Project Directors and Subject Specialists made their contribution to preparing effective and meaningful Cascade Management Plans on the first day of the two-day workshop held at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM), Athurugiriya.

Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Consultant, Dr. Athula Senaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist and Eng. S. Manoharan, Consultant of the Worl Bank lectured on selected topics such as preparing Cascade Management Plans (CMPs), Why should the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) implement 11 pilot CMPs in 11 hotspot areas commencing from October 2023, and Importance of amalgamating the possible activities of the plan of Water Resources Management for sustainable cascade management. The objectives of the two-day workshop were pointed out by Mr. D. V. Bandulasena, Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist (ID&CBS) of the Project Management Unit (PMU).

Representing six provincial Deputy Directors’ Office of the CSIAP Mr. Upali Rathnayake, ID&CBS, Deputy Project Director’s Office of the North Central Province, Mr. D. M .K. H. Dissanayake, ID&CBS, Deputy Project Director’s Office of the North Western Province, Mr. D. M. L. Bandaranayake, Deputy Project Director of the Uva Province, Mr. Arulappu George Chandra Babu, Deputy Project Director of the Northern Province, Dr. R. M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director of the Eastern Province and Mr. R.P. M. Dissananayeke, ID&CBS and Acting Deputy Project Director of the Southern Province, commented on the progress of establishing the Cascade Management Committees (CMCs), developing CMPs and planning for facilitating the CMC to implement the CMP.

Mr. N. A. I. U. K. Nissanka, Water Management Specialist, Dr. Janaka Jayawardane -Environmental & Social Safeguard Specialist, Mr. Frank Jayasinghe, Climate Smart Agriculture Specialist and Mr. Christy Perera, Agri-Business & Market Development Linkage Specialist delivered lectures on how do their subjects incorporate into cascade management plans. Subject Specialists, Engineers and Officers of the CSIAP attended this workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-08-28

A two-day workshop on preparing 06 pilot Cascade Management Plans (CMPs) commenced today (28^th) at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM), Athurugiriya with the participation of Deputy Project Directors and relevant Subject Specialists and Officers of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project. Commencing the workshop Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP made a speech on the role of the PMU in supporting CMPs. Dr. Athula Senaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist, Eng. S. Manoharan, Consultant and Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Consultant, Worl Bank will deliver lectors on selected topics. In addition to that Subject Specialists of the CSIAP will contribute their part to preparing CMPs here.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-08-28

The Agricultural Field Days, which is a community-driven event, in Pothuwapitiya, Koskotagolla and Amunukola areas of Kurunegala District in the North Western Province conducted by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) provides a window into the world of farming, showcasing the dedication, innovation, and hard work that goes into feeding our nations. Attending an Agricultural Field Day is an enriching and enlightening experience. It not only educates and inspires but also highlights the vital role that agriculture plays in sustaining our communities and our country.

Ms. Lathisha P. Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development), Ms. Dilupa Ambeypitiya, Deputy Director (Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture alone with officers of Department of Agriculture (North Western), Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Mr. D.M.K. Chandana Dissanayake, Deputy Project Director (North Western Province), subject specialists and officers of the CSIAP have the opportunity to learn about the latest agricultural techniques, technologies, and sustainable practices introduced by the CSIAP. This event offered hands-on opportunities for attendees to immerse themselves in the world of farming and provided a deeper understanding of the hard work and dedication required in the farming profession. Officials visited the tank rehabilitation programme in the area too.

The Agricultural Field Day is a testament to the resilience and dedication of the agricultural community. It offers a glimpse into the hard work, innovation, and sustainability efforts that shape the future of farming. This event connects people with the source of their food and fosters a deeper appreciation for the agricultural sector.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-08-18

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) plans to develop 53 scientific Cascade Management Plans (CMP) based on the issues observed in relation to hydrology, geology, geography, livelihood and economic connections in the command areas of the project. This plan will also take into account the existing and future constructions, the status of the ecosystem, cropping patterns in the rice field and highlands, irrigation management issues, and the command area connections. A new set of maps developed based on this information is used in the cascade profile.

In order to execute CMPs, the CSIAP establishes 53 Cascade Management Committees (CMC) in the Districts of Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Monaragala, and Hambantota in the six provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented. The CMC consists of beneficiaries of the cascade and officers representing different agencies to jointly manage the natural resources of forest, soil, water and land.

A special meeting chaired by Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, to discuss the establishment of CMCs and Development and Implementation of CMPs was held yesterday (10the) with the participation of Dr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP(joined remotely), Athula Senaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist, Mr. S. Manoharan, Senior Consultant, Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Consultant, World Bank, Ms. Lathisha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development), Ms. Renuka Rathnayake, Director (Development), Eng, R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP. The first CMP written based on Babawa Cascade in Hambantota was handed over to the Secretary of Agriculture. Please click Images to see more photos of the event.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-08-11

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) organized a two-day refresher residential workshop on using the existing account package effectively and efficiently from 20^th to 21^st of this month at the Project Management Unit (PMU). This training was designed to reinforce the skills and knowledge of the CSIAP Staff working in the Account Division in PMU and the CSIAP’s six provincial Offices. The goal of refresher training is to help the CSIAP Staff to maintain their skills and stay current with industry standards and best practices.

Starting the Training Programme, the CSIAP’s Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna explained the workshop's objectives and Mr. T. T. Dhayalan, System Administrator, Soft Vision Technologies (PVT) Ltd conducted the training.

Photographs by Nikeshala kodithuwakku

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-07-22

The 10th National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) led by Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture was held yesterday (18th) at the Ministry of Agriculture. The NPSC meeting provides policy guidance to the project and ensures achieving CSIAP’s objectives. The overall project oversight is the responsibility of the NPSC meeting established in the Ministry of Agriculture. Chief Secretaries of six provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented, Heads of Departments of Implementing Agencies working with the CSIAP, other senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director and Deputy Project Directors, Subject specialists of the CSIAP, the World Bank Task Team, and other government officials joined this meeting.

Photograph by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-07-19

A Progress Review Meeting to discuss the current progress and future activities of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project was held at the Minister of Agriculture yesterday (12th). Senior Officials of the ministry and the CSIAP attended this meeting which was chaired by Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture. The CSIAP team was led by Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director. Please click Images to more photos of the meeting

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-07-13

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-07-11

Authors:
Eng. R.M.B Rajakaruna – Project Director, CSIAP
Mr. Frank Jeyasinghe – Climate Smart Agriculture Specialist (PMU), CSIAP
Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan – Gender Development Officer (PMU), CSIAP

1. Introduction

In most parts of Asia, paddy is transplanted by hand into puddled soil, which is labour-intensive and requires large volumes of water. Puddling helps to control weeds and retain water in the rice fields. However, it results in aggregate breakdown and destruction of macropores (Voase-Ringrose et al., 2000), besides being costly and time-consuming (Chauhan et al., 2012).

Labor shortages across Asia are making manual transplanting untenable in paddy farming. Manual transplanting rarely provides uniform row spacing or optimal rice plant populations (Behera et al., 2009). Shortages of labor increase the risk of delayed transplanting which causes paddy yield loss.

Mechanical transplanting of paddy is the process of transplanting seedlings raised in a dappok nursery using a self-propelled transplanter. Using mechanized rice transplanting reduces the cost of crop establishment, saves labor, ensures timely transplanting, and attains optimum plant density that contributes to high productivity (Manjunatha et al., 2009).

However, farmers are familiar with direct seedling and parachute seeding methods in paddy land. The above-mentioned factors have stimulated interest in mechanical transplanting. Therefore, CSIAP is trying to assess the effectiveness of the three types of plenty seedlings in the climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka. Those methods are (a) direct seedling, (b) parachute seedling, and (c) using the transplanter for paddy seedlings.

2. The process to use the paddy transplanter

Paddy seedlings are first grown in a dedicated nursery area, usually in a tray or raised beds, where they are nurtured until they reach the desired stage for transplantation. Then, the paddy field is prepared by ploughing and, levelling with water. This creates a suitable environment for the transplanting process. After that, the mechanized transplanter is brought to the field, and its settings are adjusted according to the desired planting density, spacing, and depth. The machine is typically operated by a motor. Then, the paddy seedlings are loaded into the transplanter's seedling tray from where they are automatically fed into the planting mechanism. As the transplanter moves forward, it plants seedlings on the rows in the field using specialized planting devices. The seedlings are then placed in rows at the desired spacing and depth. After the seedlings are transplanted, the field may be filled to the desired water level, depending on the cultivation method and growth stage of the crop.

3. Research Problem
The research problem is smallholder farmers have a negative perception of the power-operated transplanters which are reducing the yield if they used the transplanter, the reason they say that space between two rows is higher (12”) and is not recommended according to the Department of Agriculture. So, CSIAP wanted to practically prove by doing the demonstration plots whether paddy yield is increased or not by using the transplanter. So, CSIAP scientifically tested three different paddy seedling methods which are direct seedling methods, parachute methods, and transplanter methods as the demonstration in the farmers' demonstration plot to prove and change their attitude towards the transplanter.

The main reason is even though the row transplanting of paddy seedlings using power-operated transplanters is cost-effective and helps to increase the paddy yield, it is not familiar to the smallholder farming community in the climatically vulnerable hotspot area and has a negative perception of the reduction of yield in their paddy land. Therefore, the World Bank-financed Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is trying to familiarize the transplanting of paddy seedlings using power-operated transplanters to smallholder farmers by doing the demonstration plot in smallholder farmer’s paddy land in 44 Agrarian Service Centers divisions and prove the effectiveness scientifically.

4. Research Objective
The objectives of this research are to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the paddy transplanter used at the demonstration plots of the farmer’s paddy land in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in 44 ASC divisions in Sri Lanka. The evaluation considered a comparison of different types of paddy planting methods and the performance of the mechanical transplanter in the small-scale paddy lands in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka.

Further, CSIAP tried to familiarize the row transplanting of paddy seedlings using power-operated transplanters as one of the main CSA technologies in paddy cultivation to the smallholder farmers and help to direct beneficiaries to control weeds using power-operated weeders and minimize agrochemical usage and reduce the cost of production on paddy farming.

5. Research Methodology and Study Area
CSIAP has taken steps to provide power-operated mechanized transplanters (with 06 rows planting base) to the 44 ASC divisions, covering whole project implementation areas except Southern Province. Each ASC has dispatched 04 numbers of transplanters with power weeders and nursery trays. As a strategy to popularize these transplanters among the beneficiaries, the project carried out a paddy transplanting demonstration program during the Maha season 2022/23 with selected beneficiaries in the project area by using mechanized transplanters.

The main scope of this program is to introduce farm mechanization as a strategy of CSA practice and technology and convince its benefits for smallholder farmers Meantime, CSIAP implemented the demonstration program in 44 ASCs covering various Agro-climatic regions in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in 11 districts and 06 provinces.

In addition, demonstration programs were carried out on 66 acres of paddy lands in 141 nos demonstrations with the participation of 132 smallholder farmers who live in the project area. Also, at the end of the cultivation program project carry out crop cutting survey in every demonstration plot and assess the effectiveness and impacts of using paddy transplanters compared with the yield of control plots, which are planted by following direct seeding and parachute planting methods.

Activities involved during the demonstration intervention
1.     Establishment of 03 paddy planting plots (1/2 ac at each) in each ASC (01-transplanting plot, 01 parachute cultivation plot, and 01 direct seeding plot)
2.     Carry out capacity-building programs for the beneficiaries with the intervention of DoA
3.     Provision of seed paddy for all plots on free of charge basis
4.     Provision of chemical fertilizer for all plots on free of charge basis
5.     Provide 8225 numbers of parachute trays for relevant beneficiaries on free of charge basis (175 Nos trays per farmer)
6.     Carried out crops cutting survey to cover all plots (132 numbers demonstration plots)

5.1. Province-wise transplanting demonstration plots extent during the Maha Season Cultivation in 2022/23

5.2. Materials used for the transplanting demonstration plots during the Maha Season Cultivation in 2022/23

6. The finding of the Study
6.1. Key findings of the study
The paddy transplanter demonstration program was carried out during the Maha season cultivation program in 2022/23 in 44 ASC divisions in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas of 11 districts and 06 provinces in Sri Lanka.

· The yield increase of the mechanized transplanting method is ranging from 19 - 46% (Average increase – 29.08%) when compared to the direct seeding method.

· The seed paddy requirement for Mechanized transplanting is 63% less compared to the direct seeding method. It leads to saving Rs. 4680/- per acre.

· When the use of Mechanized weeders for weed control, helps to curtail weed control costs by 60% and it leads to enhancing the growth of paddy plants through vigorous tillering as a matter of improving soil physical properties.

6.1.1. The results are presented for the three and half month (3 ½) paddy varieties after the crop cutting survey below the attached table:

6.1.2. The results are presented for the four and half month (4 ½) paddy varieties after the crop cutting survey below the attached table:

6.2. Benefits of the power-operated mechanized transplanters

The positive aspects of transplanting paddy seedlings using mechanized transplanters are numerous.

· Mechanized transplanting allows for faster and more efficient planting of paddy seedlings, covering larger areas in less time compared to manual labor. This leads to decrease plant establishment costs.

· Manual transplanting of paddy seedlings is labor-intensive and can be physically demanding. By using mechanized transplanters, farmers can reduce their dependency on manual labor, save on labor costs, and alleviate labor shortages during peak transplanting seasons.

· Mechanized transplanters offer precise control over planting depth, spacing, and seedling placement. This results in better crop establishment, uniform growth, and optimal plant density, leading to higher yields as a result of increased tillering of plants.

· Mechanized transplanting allows farmers to transplant seedlings within a shorter timeframe, as they are not constrained by the availability of manual labor. This can help them align their planting schedules with optimal weather and field conditions with maximum utilization of rainwater.

· Mechanized transplanting ensures consistent spacing between seedlings, promoting uniform growth and minimizing competition for resources such as water, nutrients, and sunlight. This facilitates better nutrient uptake, reduces weed growth, and improves overall crop health.

· Embracing mechanized transplanting represents a shift towards adopting climate-smart agriculture practices and technologies in Sri Lanka. It encourages the use of advanced technology, improves efficiency, and supports sustainable agricultural development, despite the labor shortage as one major prevailing issue in agriculture.

7. Weaknesses of the Transplanters
While there are several positive aspects of transplanting paddy seedlings using mechanized transplanters, it's important to consider the potential challenges or negative aspects associated with this approach.

· Mechanized transplanters can be expensive to purchase or lease, especially for small-scale farmers who may have limited financial resources. The initial investment cost could pose a barrier to adoption for some farmers.

· Access to mechanized transplanters may be limited in certain areas or among smallholder farmers. Lack of availability or limited access to these machines could prevent widespread adoption, particularly in remote or economically disadvantaged areas.

· Operating a mechanized transplanter requires technical expertise and training. Farmers may need to invest time and resources in training operators or hiring skilled individuals, which could be challenging for those with limited access to training programs or qualified personnel.

· As mechanized transplanting reduces the need for manual labor, there is a possibility of job displacement for agricultural workers who were previously involved in manual transplanting. This could have social and economic implications, particularly in regions where agriculture is a significant source of employment.

8. Remedies to overcome the issues

· To overcome the above said weaknesses, CSIAP provided the transplanter to the 47 ASC divisions in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka

· Smallholder farmers can get the services of the paddy transplanter for a reasonable rate from their ASC divisions.

· CSIAP is conducting the CSA practices and technology training programs in the Eco-friendly Climate Smart Farmer Training School, Thirapane. Therefore, farmers can get technical knowledge.

· Row transplanting can be done by using this mechanized transplanter which helps to use the power weeded for weed control and curtail the weedicide cost by 60%.

· When compared to direct seeding, seed paddy requirements for the seed paddy transplanter is very low. It needs 15kg per acre which is 37% compared to the direct seedling seeds requirement (40kg per acre).

9. Conclusion

· Mechanizing the transplanting of paddy can decrease labor requirements and costs for crop establishment. Most importantly it helps to increase the yield and help to control the weeds in the paddy land.

· The findings of the study are mechanized transplanting offers several advantages over traditional manual methods which are increased yield productivity and efficiency, labor savings, and cost reduction, and improved planting accuracy, uniform crop growth, adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and technologies.

· Transplanting of paddy seedlings according to the rows is the most important activity to control weeds without spending on agrochemicals, which leads to reduced production cost, and decrease chemical contamination.

· Since the transplanter needs a low quantity of paddy seeds per acre. It leads to minimizing the dependency on seeds paddy for paddy cultivation.

· As per the crop cutting results, it is explicit that mechanized transplanting gives good results for the 31/2 – 4 month paddy varieties.

· Hence, this transplanter is very useful the higher age paddy cultivation farmer in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas. Also, this mechanized transplanter can be recommended to popularize among the smallholder farming community.

Acknowledgement:
We would like to acknowledge and give our special thanks to staff in Provincial Deputy Project Director’s Offices, CSIAP for their continuous support when undertaking this research. This paper and the research behind it would not have been possible without the exceptional support of them.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-07-07

A two-day workshop on formulating a Cascade Management Plan began yesterday (20th) at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM). The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) organized this workshop to formulate 53 Cascade Management Plans which refers to a strategic planning and implementation approach in which goals and objectives are systematically communicated and translated from higher levels of the organization to lower levels. It involves breaking down high-level strategic goals into specific, actionable objectives that are assigned to different stakeholders working with the CSIAP.

The Cascade Management Plan typically follows a top-down approach, where the Cascade Management Committee (CMC) sets the overall strategic direction and goals. These goals are then cascaded down to lower levels, such as divisions, departments, societies, and individuals, ensuring alignment and coherence throughout the Cascade Management Committee. By implementing a Cascade Management Plan, the CSIAP can ensure that strategic goals are effectively communicated, understood, and translated into actionable objectives by the stakeholders. This approach promotes alignment, accountability, and a coordinated effort towards achieving the overall CMC's strategy.

Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna welcomed all participants and explained the objectives of the workshop. Dr. Athula Senaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist, the World Bank delivered a lecture on the Importance of Cascade management for CSIAP and Mr. S. Manoharan, Senior Consultant, the World Bank, delivered a lecture on Integrated watershed management and climate smart agriculture too. As a resource person, Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Consultant, World Bank conducted group activities among participants while delivering lectures on Levelling of participants’ expectations, the Methodology of the workshop and expected results, and the template of the Cascade Management Plan. Specialists and Officers of the Project Management Unit (PMU) and the Provincial Offices of the CSIAP attended this workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-20

The third workshop of the workshop series was conducted for engineering and technical staff of the Provincial Irrigation Department, Department of Agrarian Development, Department of Irrigation and Deputy Project Director’s Office of the CSIAP in Uva Province at the Uva Management Development Institute, Pelgahatenna recently by the Design Cell of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The purpose of the workshop was to equip Sri Lankan engineers with knowledge and skills to use software related to Hydrological Studies and to transfer the knowledge gained by the Design Cell of CSIAP to Implementing Agencies and other authorities related to the Irrigation sector.

This workshop, which was held in two sessions per week, was initiated under the instructions of Eng R.M.B. Rajakauruna, Project Director, CSIAP and guidance of the Senior Engineering Consultant Eng H.G.M.Kulasinghe. Project Engineering Consultants Eng R.M.H.N Bandara and Eng P.H.S. Rangika made their contribution to the workshop as resource persons along with Eng. B.D.M.S.B Dissanayake. Senior Technical Officer Mr. D.B.U.Withana organized and coordinated the workshop under the guidance and directions of the Water Resource Development Specialist Eng R.M. Jinadasa and Deputy Project Director of the CSIAP in Uva Province Mr. D.M.L. Bandaranayaka. Certificates of Participation were awarded to participants.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-16

World Bank Officials met Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture to assess the progress of the CSIAP made during the mission, evaluate the achieved outcomes, and discuss any ongoing and future tasks recently. Before this meeting, World Bank Officials were on an observation tour in North Central and Eastern Province to review the CSIAP's progress. Afterwards, they visited the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the CSIAP to review the progress. Dr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank attended this meeting. Ms. Lathisha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development), Ms. Renuka Rathnayaka, Director (Development) and Ms. Pramushka Withanage, Director (IT) of the Ministry of Agriculture. Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna and senior staff of the CSIAP were present. Please click Images to see more photos of the meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-16

World Bank Officials had an overall review of the project’s progress with the Project Management Unit (PMU). Subject Specialists presented reports on the current status of each subject after observing the CSIAP’s progress in North Central and Eastern provinces. . Dr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader lead the World Bank Team with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist. Project Director Eng. R.M.b. Rajakaruna, Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M. P. Bandaraand senior staff of the CSIAP were present. Please click Images to see more photos of the meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-16

Dr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank supervised the rehabilitation of tanks, Crop Cultivation, Home Gardens, constructions of Agrowells during the Progress Review Meeting in the Eastern Province. Members of a Cascade Management Committee and Farmer Organization in Trincomalee had an opportunity to meet world bank officials too. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M. P. Bandara, Dr. R.M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director (EP) and senior staff of the CSIAP were present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-15

The Progress Review Meeting, which was a scheduled gathering where project stakeholders, come together to assess the status and advancement of activities of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in Eastern Province (EP), was held in the office of the Chief Secretary with World Bank Officials in Eastern Province recently. The purpose of this meeting is to evaluate the progress made, discuss any challenges encountered, and determine the next steps to ensure the project stays on track towards its goals.

The speciality of this meeting is, for the first time ever, the CSIAP presented its provincial progress and operation by Management Information System (MIS ) which allows the CSIAP to have access to accurate data and powerful analytical tools to identify problems, and opportunities quickly and make decisions about its operations accordingly. On behalf of the CSIAP, MIS was designed by a leading software solution provider Celata Tech (Pvt )Ltd. Mr. R M P S Rathnayake, Chief Secretary, EP chaired this meeting.

Representing the World Bank, Dr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader attended this meeting with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant and Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne of the World Bank. Senior Officials of implementing agencies, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M. P. Bandara, Dr. R.M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director (EP) and senior staff of the CSIAP were present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-15

During the Progress Review Meeting in the North Central Province, the team of World Bank led by Dr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank visited Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane to see its current progress. They also engaged in a pleasant conversation with the farmers who were on a three-day residential programme to find out their views on the FTS.

World Bank Officials also participated in the meeting of the Cascade Management Committee (CMC) held at the National Institute of Post Harvest Management (NIPHM). Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M. P. Bandara, Mr. S.M. Seelarathna, Deputy Project Director (NCP) and senior staff of the CSIAP were present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-15

The Progress Review Meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in the North Central Province (NCP) was held with the participation of the World Bank officials in the office of the Chief Secretary in the NCP recently. This meeting, which has been chaired by Mr. L.J.M.G.Chandrasiri Bandara, Chief Secretary, NCP, was held to assess the status and advancement of the CSIAP’s activities in the province and to discuss achievements, challenges, and next steps. The World Bank Officials visit every province once in six months to collaborate with others, stay aligned with the project goals, receive feedback, contribute to decision-making, and address challenges effectively.

The World Bank Team headed by Dr. Sheu Salau, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader attended this meeting with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank. Senior Officials of implementing agencies, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M. P. Bandara, Mr. S.M. Seelarathna, Deputy Project Director (NCP) and senior staff of the CSIAP were present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-15

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Projector or the CSIAP is investing Rs. 559 million to develop Kavantissapura and Julpallam villages located in Yodhakandiya Agriculture Service Center area of Hambantota as agricultural model villages. The CSIAP aims to develop these villages in tandem with the Youth Agri Entrepreneurship Model Villages Programme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture. Agricultural inputs including seeds, micro-irrigation systems, insect-proof nets, polytunnels, and water pumps worth Rs. 40 million have been provided to these villages where there are about 4979 beneficiary farmers. The program to develop these two villages as model villages were declared opened by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, the Minister of Agriculture, on 10^th this month in Kavanthissapura and Julpallam.

Under this model village programme, it plans to modernize agriculture, attract youth to agriculture, improve the living conditions of beneficiary farmers, promote climate smart agriculture technology, exchange experiences among beneficiary farmers and promote climate smart home gardens. Apart from this, the CSIAP takes the initiative to support crops such as mangoes, oranges, papayas, pomegranates and wood apples, as well as flowers, mushrooms, chilies, capsicum and vegetables identified by the Participatory Rural Approach (PRA) which was carried out with the participation of the beneficiary farmers.

Also, the CSIAP plans to rehabilitate tanks, agricultural roads, common & individual agro wells, and provide micro-irrigation systems, water pumps operated using solar panels, water motors operated by electricity and fuel, rainwater tanks to collect water for home gardens, polythene bags and seeds for home gardening. Cultivation in polytunnel, floriculture targeting sacred places and crop cultivation with micro irrigation in insect-proof nets will also be promoted. Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Deputy Project Director (PMU) Mr. H.M. P. Bandara, Deputy Project Director (Southern) Mr. Mahinda Suwandaarachchi, Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in the programme which was organized by the Deputy Project Director’s Office of the CSIAP.

Photographs by Nikeshala Kodithuwakku, CSIAP & Pathum Rasanjan, Ministry of Agriculture

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-06-14

A transect walk is a serious of observations performed while walking across a geographical area (village, tank catchment, cascade, etc.) by observing, asking, listening, looking and producing a transect diagram. In the case of cascade, it is to develop a cascade profile. Accordingly, a cascade profile is a cross section of the cascade, showing the connections between the cascade and the farmer community. It is a quick, initial assessment tool that may reveal a need for more detailed or quantitative assessment. This exercise helps to triangulate data collected through other methods. At the same time, the walk must be complemented by other methods like problem-prioritising and translation into action plans. Therefore, the cooperation of the major stakeholders must be secured in order to implement results from the transect walk and subsequent mapping.

Purpose: Learn the cascade and identify issues that affect negatively to it, in a participative manner with all relevant stakeholders in order to develop a profile for the cascade, which enables to develop a pragmatic cascade management plan to ensure the sustainability of the cascade and the water productivity of the tank system in the area.

Deputy Project Director’s Office (Southern Province) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project organized three transect walks recently with the participation of over 70 members of the Cascade Management Committees people, who were divided into 3 groups, went on a transect walk covering the entire the (Ellanga) Cascade along 3 transect walk to the last lake called Babawa Lake of the Cascade.

The first group walked from the border of Ellanga above Tabarawa Lake through Tambarawa Lake, Muliththan Lake, Karabidangu Lake, Maila Gus Lake, Karuvala Bend, Rotawala Lake and Deiyange Lake, Bandu Lake, Halemba Lake to Babawa Lake around 10 km, the second group walked from Panagammana Tank, via Bandu Lake, Helamba Lake to Babawa Lake around 11 km, and the third group walked from Millatta Lake via Julpatana Lake, Aliwala, Muwan Lake, Mailattha to Babawa Lake around 8km.

The cascade profile: It is developed after the transect. It reveals the interrelationship between various ecosystems in the cascade especially from the cascade watershed to the village tank system. Further, it helps stakeholders to gain an understanding of the cascade area, extent of cascade, severity of problems, resources use, type of damages done to the cascade, types of animals live, number of small tanks located within the cascade, endangered species, areas that have been deforested and so forth.

The profile also provides a venue for stakeholder agencies and the farmer community to share information and understand their responsible areas and duties in a different perspective. Moreover, it helps to open eyes of the local politicians, policy makers, stakeholder agencies and farmers to see the true picture of the cascade and thereby to take appropriate decisions to safeguard the cascade. Most importantly, the profile contributes largely to preparing a pragmatic Cascade Management Plan in a collective manner.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-05-24

The two-day Workshop on Cascade Management Committee and strengthening of Framer Organization held at the Agrarian Training Institute at Phothuhera recently was charred by Eng. R. M. B. Rajakaruna, Project Director of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project. Lectures on different topics were delivered as follows

Operations and maintenance of rehabilitated tanks by Mr. ‘Sumith Chandana, Commissioner, DAD with R. P.M. Dissanayake, ID&CB Specialist (Southern), CSIAP
Forming of Cascade Farmer Organization by Mr. R. Vijayakumar, Commissioner, DAD with Eng. N.A.I.U.K. Nissanka, WM Specialist (PMU), CSIAP
Why CSIAP applies cascade management approach in the tank by Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant, the World Bank
Is the Cascade Management Committee another jargon by Mr. Sarath Wickramarathna, Consultant, the World Bank
Progress of Cascade Management Committee by Mr. D.V. Bandulasena, ID&CB Specialist (PMU), CSIAP
Legalization of Cascade Management Committee under the Agrarian Development Act by Mr. Eranga Athapaththu, Assistant Commissioner, DAD.
Presentation on Legalization of Cascade Management Committee

Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this workshop

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-05-24

The Provincial Progress Review Meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) chaired by Ms. Lathisha Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development) is being held presently (04^th) at the Ministry of Agriculture. Provincial Deputy Project Directors of the CSIAP attended the meeting via video conferencing. Ms. Renuka Rathnayaka, Director (Development) Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna and senior staff of the CSIAP were physically present.

Please click Images to see more photos of the meeting

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-05-04

Preserving Tank Cascade Systems to build Agroecological Landscape Resilience in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka (Special article on
International Mother Earth Day)

Sri Lanka’s tank cascade systems promote an important traditional water management strategy that has been used for centuries to build agricultural resilience in the dry zone. These are a series of small reservoirs or tanks that are interconnected through canals, designed to capture and store rainwater during the wet season and provide irrigation water during the dry season and a part of Sri Lanka’s hydraulic civilization. These systems interconnect small human-made reservoirs which capture seasonal rainwater for agriculture, household, and environmental purposes and are considered the lifeblood of communities in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. Tank cascade systems have helped to address drought and flood mitigation historically. They help to build agricultural resilience in the dry zone, those are:

Sustainable water supply: tank cascade systems provide a sustainable water supply for irrigation, particularly during the dry season when rainfall is limited. This can help to reduce crop losses due to water stress and increase agricultural productivity.

Drought mitigation: tank cascade systems can also help to mitigate the impact of droughts by storing water during the wet season and releasing it during the dry season. This can help to ensure that crops have access to water during periods of prolonged drought.

Increased crop diversity: tank cascade systems can support increased crop diversity by providing water for a range of crops, including paddy, vegetables, fruits, and spices. This can help to reduce the risk of crop failure due to pests or diseases and provide a more varied and nutritious diet for local communities.

Improved soil fertility: tank cascade systems can also improve soil fertility through the deposition of sediment and nutrients in the tanks and canals. The use of organic fertilizers and other CSA practices can further enhance soil fertility, leading to increased crop yields.

Cultural heritage preservation: tank cascade systems are an important part of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage and have been maintained and improved over centuries by local communities. The preservation and promotion of these systems can help to maintain cultural traditions and support sustainable livelihoods for rural communities.

Tank cascade systems are remarkable and one of the most efficient water management systems in the world. In ancient times, these systems functioned sustainably, in harmony with the environment, and were maintained by the communities that benefitted from them.

The World Bank-funded Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) brings together various disciplines, sectors, and stakeholders to address the complex challenges facing the agricultural and irrigation sector in Sri Lanka and promote more sustainable, resilient agricultural and water management practices. The CSIAP improves access to irrigation for smallholder farmers in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas of Sri Lanka through the rehabilitation of tanks and cascade systems. This helps to improve water management and reduce the negative impacts of irrigation on the environment. By promoting more efficient and sustainable use of water resources, the CSIAP contributes to the resilience of mother earth by reducing the negative impacts of water use on ecosystems and promoting more sustainable use of water resources.

The CSIAP initially planned to develop 122 cascades in 11 districts in Sri Lanka. For that, the CSIAP has already completed the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) at the tank level, hydrological assessments including the water balance study, engineering survey, and prepared Hotspot Area Agriculture Development Plans (HSAADPs) based on the 47 agrarian service centre divisions covering 256 GN divisions in 11 districts and 06 provinces. With the reduction of project funds during the country’s economic crisis, CSIAP is able to develop nearly 60 cascades only with available funds. The following table explains the ongoing tank rehabilitation and cascade development in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka.

The Cascade development is not a simple intervention. As I already mentioned, the intervention is interrelated with multiple sectors, multi-disciplinary subjects, and multi-stakeholders. Therefore, CSIAP is be careful when taking the steps to develop the cascades in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas. According to the community’s point of view, the rehabilitation of tanks and the cascade developments are related to the livelihood of the people, the balance of ecosystems including biodiversity, and the prevention of disasters etc. People from the community say that “when you touch the tank or cascade for the rehabilitation intervention, you must think that you are touching the heart of the community in the village. Tanks and cascade are not a physical infrastructure, those are feeling of the community”.

As I already mentioned, CSIAP started the tank rehabilitation and the cascade development interventions by doing multiple studies, surveys, and screening to ensure that no harm to the ecosystem and the community in the climatically vulnerable hotspot area. To avoid and prevent the impacts and the risks, CSIAP conducted the PRA, hydrological assessments, engineering survey, HSAADP, PIR, and environmental and social screening for the cascades and the tanks in the climatically vulnerable hotspot areas. The cascade development is an integrated intervention. Therefore, CSIAP ensured that tank rehabilitation and cascade development works are done without harm to the ecosystem and the community.

CSIAP is rehabilitating and developing the different types of tanks in a cascade with different functions (forest tanks, tanks for water purification/ silt trapping, tanks for seasonal cultivation with no permanent settlements, and village tanks). A village tank consists of many components, each serving a specific purpose to maintain the integrity and hydrological connectivity of the system. With the absence of this integrity, the small tank cascade systems fail to deliver the ecosystem services and socio-cultural benefits such as the provision of water for irrigation and other domestic uses, water purification, groundwater recharge, flood management, erosion control, provision of food, medicines, raw materials, recreational benefits, cultural and spiritual bonding, habitats for wildlife, and carbon sequestration.

The components of a village tank are a stream (seasonal stream), a filter (a strip of grass and reeds on the periphery of the water body that acts as a filter to trap silt), a water hole (an upstream sediment trap), a windbreak of trees (an area planted with large trees that act as a windbreak to minimize evaporation from the surface of the tank), soil ridge (an upstream bund to manage soil erosion and sedimentation), and interceptor (the stretch between the tank bund and paddy fields). This acts as a downstream wind barrier, reduces tank seepage, and prevents sodium, magnesium, and iron from entering the paddy land, paddy field, and drainage.

We can say that pocket of biodiversity can be identified in the tank cascade system. Or we can say that tank cascade systems are rich in biodiversity. Tank ecosystems create a mild microclimate that supports a variety of flora and fauna that otherwise would not have inhabited the climatically vulnerable hotspot areas. The long-term sustainability of tank cascades depends on the holistic understanding of socio-ecological aspects and requires a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach. In this way, CSIAP is establishing the Cascade Management Committees (CMCs) with the relevant stakeholders in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka.

It is most important to point out that, the CSIAP always ensures the long-term knowledge management and transparency of investments in tank management to ensure community ownership. Also, the project is promoting community-centred tank rehabilitation. We identified that more cost-effective compared to third-party contracting.

The CSIAP has conducted sufficient cascade-wise technical studies required before rehabilitation work. Cascades-based approaches are helping sustainable agroecological landscapes, cascade-based climate adaptation, and cascade-based disaster risk reduction. In this project, we implemented a cascade-based approach for tank rehabilitation and cascade development, while blending the scientific results with traditional indigenous knowledge and practices. We successfully brought back the community lead maintenance and management of tanks, without losing the vital contribution made by the stakeholder agencies. The achievements of the project will be highly significant. Key lessons learned from the CSIAP can be used about cascades in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas on how to empower communities with the means and knowledge to embrace their heritage and environment and become self-sufficient.

Article Written By: Sharmila Thirhiharan, Gender Development Officer,
Project Management Unit, Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project
Photographs by Deputy Project Director's Office (Southern)

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-04-26

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ දේශගුණික වශයෙන් අවදානමට ලක්විය හැකි ප්‍රදේශවල දේශගුණ සුහුරු කෘෂිකාර්මික පිළිවෙත් සහ තාක්‍ෂණය භාවිතා කරමින් ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් වගාව සිදු කරන ගොවිමහතෙකුගේ සාර්ථකත්වය

‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් දෙමුහුන් ප්‍රභේදයකි. සාමාන්‍යයෙන්, එය නිවර්තන කලාපවල වර්ධනය වේ. ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ ගස්ලබු ගෙවත්තේ පවා වගා කළ හැකිවන අතර හොඳ ලාභයක් සහිතව අඛණ්ඩ අස්වැන්නක් ලබාදෙන හොඳ රසවත් පලතුරකි. ඒ අනුව, දේශගුණ සුහුරු කෘෂිකාර්මික ක්‍රම අනුගමනය කරමින් වායව අතු බැඳීමේ ප්‍රචාරණයෙන් මෙම ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ ගස්ලබු වගාව සහ නිෂ්පාදනය නැගෙනහිර පළාතේ අම්පාර දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ කෝමාරි ගොවිජන සේවා මධ්‍යස්ථානයේ කෝමාරි – 01 ග්‍රාම නිලධාරී වසමේ ගොවියකු වන සිවකරන් සහ ඔහුගේ බිරිඳ සුමිත්‍රාදේවි විසින් සාර්ථකව සිදු කරන ලදී.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් දෙමුහුන් බීජවල මිල සාපේක්ෂව අධිකය. එමෙන්ම ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් බීජ වෙනත් රටවලින් ආනයනය කරන අතර එය සෑම ගොවියකුටම ගෙවතු වගාවට අවශ්‍ය කුඩා ප්‍රමාණවලින් ලබාගත නොහැක. මෙම ගොවි මහතා විසින් වායව අතු බැඳීමේ තාක්ෂණය යොදා ගනිමින් සාර්ථකව ගස්ලබු පැල ප්‍රචාරණය සිදු කරයි. අම්පාර ප්‍රදේශයේ මෙම ගොවි මහතා ඉතා අඩු වියදමකින් ශාකමය ප්‍රචාරණයෙන් එක් 'රෙඩ් ලේඩි' පැපොල් ගසකින් පැළ රැසක් නිෂ්පාදනය කළ හැකි බව සහ වර්ධක ප්‍රචාරණය, වගාව සහ 'රෙඩ් ලේඩි' පැල නිෂ්පාදනය කිරීමේ තාක්ෂණය, නැඟෙනහිර පළාතේ අප ව්‍යාපෘති ක්‍රියාකාරකම් වල ප්‍රගතිය නැරඹීමට ගිය අවස්ථාවේදී ලෝක බැංකුවේ සහ දේශගුණ සුහුරු වාරි කෘෂිකර්ම ව්‍යාපෘතියේ නිලධාරීන්ට සහ සෙසු ගොවීන්ට පැහැදිලි කළේය.

එක් ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් පැළයක මිල රුපියල් 250 ක් පමණ වනු ඇත. එසේම එම බීජය භාවිතයෙන් ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් පැළයක් සකස් කර ගැනීමට (අඩි 1ක් උසට වැඩීමට) අවම වශයෙන් මාසයක් ගත වේ. නමුත් ඉතා සරල තාක්‍ෂණයෙන් කෙනෙකුට වායව අතු බැඳීමේ තාක්ෂණය භාවිතා කර දින පහළොවක් පමණ ඇතුළත තම ගෙවත්තේ විශිෂ්ට, සෞඛ්‍ය සම්පන්න, ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් පැළ නිෂ්පාදනය කළ හැකිය.

‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් වායව අතු බැඳීමේ තාක්ෂණය
ගෙවත්තේ ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ ගස්ලබු ගසේ උඩ කොටස (රිකිල්ල) කපා දැමිය යුතුයි. ඉන්පසු කපා දැමූ ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් ගස ප්ලාස්ටික් බෝතලයකින් ආවරණය කරන්න. එය ආවරණය කිරීමේ අරමුණ වන්නේ කපා දැමූ ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ ගස්ලබු ගසේ කඳට වැසි ජලය හෝ වෙනත් ජලය ඇතුළු වීම වැළැක්වීම සහ දිලීර ආක්‍රමණය වැළැක්වීමයි.

මේ ආකාරයට ගස්ලබු ගසේ ඉහළ කොටසේ (රිකිල්ල) වැඩෙන කොටස කපා බෝතලයකින් ආවරණය කළ පසු ගස්ලබු ගසේ පැත්තෙන් අතු එන්නට පටන් ගනී. මෙයින් අදහස් කරන්නේ පාර්ශ්වීය අංකුරයෙන් විවිධ ශාඛා ඇති වන බවයි. අලුතින් සෑදුණු අතු ඇඟිල්ලක් පමණ විෂ්කම්භයට වැඩුණු පසු කුඩා කැපුමක් කළ යුතුය. කුඩා කප්පාදුවක් සිදු කිරීමෙන්, මව් ගස සහ නව ශාඛාව අතර අර්ධ සම්බන්ධතාවයක් ඇති කළ හැකිය. කුඩා කැපුමක් කළ පසු මවු ගස සහ අතු අතරේ කුඩා පොලිතින් කොළ කැබැල්ලක් තැබිය යුතු අතර එමඟින් ඒවා එකිනෙකට එකතුවීම වලකී. ඉන්පසුව අතු ප්‍රදේශයේ කැපූ කොටස වැසෙන සේ කොම්පෝස්ට් සහ කොහුබත් සහිත පොලිතින් කැබැල්ලකින් ආවරණය කළ යුතුය. මෙහිදී පස් වෙනුවට කොහුබත් භාවිතය ඉතා ඵලදායී වේ. මේ ආකාරයට සතියකට වරක් වතුර දැමූ විට දින 15කින් නව අත්තෙන් මුල් මතු වේ. එසේම, මුල්වල වේගවත් වර්ධනය සඳහා කැපූ කොටසෙහි ඉන්ඩෝල් බියුටිරික් අම්ලය (IBA)(රූටෝන්) යෙදිය යුතුය.

දින 15 කට පසු, මුල් වර්ධනය වී ඇති ශාඛාව (බීජ පැළය) කපා වෙන් කර පොලිතින් බඳුනක (එය විකිණීමට තිබේ නම්) හෝ පොළවේ නම් සෙවණ යට‌ෙත් දින 10 ක් පමණ තැබිය යුතුය. ප්‍රමාණවත් තරම් මුල් ඇති වූ පසු, පොලිතීන් බඳුන ඉවත් කළ හැකිය. තවද පතුලේ සිහින් කැපුම් සිදු කළ විට මුල් වර්ධනය උත්තේජනය වන අතර මුල් පද්ධත්ය හොඳින් වර්ධනය වේ. මේ නිසා තද සුළඟක් හමන විට ගස කැඩී නොයයි. වායව අතු බැඳීමේදී පැළයේ විශේෂත්වය වන්නේ එය මාස තුනක කාලයක් තුළ පොළවේ සිට සහෝ අඩි දෙකක් පමණ දුරින් ඵල දැරීමට පටන් ගැනීමයි. බීජ මඟින් නිපදවන ශාකයක ගෙඩි හට ගැනීම සිදුවන්නේ වසරකට පසුව වන අතර එවිට ගසේ උස අඩි 5 ක් පමණ වේ. අලුත් ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් ගසක සෑම ගෙඩියක්ම කිලෝ 1 – 2 1/2 පමණ බරින් යුක්ත වේ. ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් ගස් 15ක් තිබීමෙන් මසකට 20,000 කට ආසන්න මුදලක් උපයා ගත හැකි බව ගොවියා සිනාමුසු මුහුණින් පැවසීය.

මෙහි ඇති වැදගත්ම දෙය නම් නව පැපොල් පැළය, පලතුරු රසය ආදියෙහි කිසිදු වෙනසක් නොමැතිව මව් ගසට සමාන ලක්ෂණ වලින් යුක්ත වීමයි. එසේම අඛණ්ඩ ආදායමක් ලබා ගැනීමට කෙටි කාලයක් තුළ වඩා හොඳ ප්‍රතිඵල ලබා ගත හැකිය. මෙම ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් ගෙඩිය අනෙකුත් පැපොල් පලතුරු මෙන් නොව මිහිරි රසයකින් යුක්ත වන අතර ඕනෑම අයෙකුට පැමිණ මිලදී ගත හැකි වෙළෙඳ පොළ අවස්ථාවක් ද ඇත.

'රෙඩ් ලේඩි' පැපොල් වායව අතු බැඳීම මඟින් ලැබෙන ප්‍රතිලාභ
·        මෙම පැල මගින් නිර්මාණය කරන ලද ගසකික් අඩි 1 ½ - 2 උස සිට අඛණ්ඩව අස්වැන්න ලබා ගත හැකිය.
·        රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් ගෙඩියේ මිහිරි රසය අඛන්ඩව පවත්වා ගත හැකි වීම.
·        පලතුරු අස්වැන්න නෙළීමේදී සිදුවන අපහසුතාවය හා අස්වැන්නට වන හානිය සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම වළක්වා ගත හැක.
·        භෞතිකව පලිබෝධ මර්ධනය කර ගත හැකි වීම.
·        ගසේ කෙටි උසකින් ගෙඩි ලබා ගත හැක.
·        එක ගසකින් ‘රෙඩ් ලේඩි’ පැපොල් පැළ කිහිපයක් එකවර නිපදවිය හැක.

රචනය - ෂර්මිලා තිර්හිහරන්, ස්ත්‍රී පුරුෂ සමාජභාවය සංවර්ධන නිලධාරී, ව්‍යාපෘති කළමනාකරණ ඒකකය, දේශගුණ සුහුරු වාරි කෘෂිකර්ම ව්‍යාපෘතිය
ඡායාරූප සහ තොරතුරු - ටී.සේකරන් - සමාජ ආරක්ෂණ නිලධාරී, සහ පී.සායි පුරුෂෝතමන් , කෘෂිකර්ම පහසුකාරක (කෝමාරි), නැගෙනහිර පළාත, දේශගුණ සුහුරු වාරි කෘෂිකර්ම ව්‍යාපෘතිය

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-04-19

The success story of a farmer on ‘Red Lady’ papaya cultivation by adapting climate-smart agriculture practices and technology in the climatically vulnerable hotspot area in Sri Lanka

The ‘Red Lady’ papaya is a hybrid. Normally, it grows in tropical regions. The ‘Red Lady’ papaya can be cultivated even in the home garden and can get yield consistently with good tasty fruit along with better returns. Accordingly, the cultivation and production of this ‘Red Lady’ papaya through Vegetative propagation by adopting climate-smart agriculture practices were carried out successfully by a farmer (Sivakaran and his wife Sumithradevi) in the Komari – 01 Grama Niladhari Division of Komari Agrarian Service Centre Division in Ampara District, Eastern Province.

In Sri Lanka, the ‘Red Lady’ papaya hybrid seed is comparatively expensive. Also, the ‘Red Lady’ papaya seeds are imported from other countries and it is not available in small quantities required for Homestead gardening by every farmer. The farmer, who is successfully propagating vegetatively through adopting the “air layering” Technique. Many seedlings can be produced from one ‘Red Lady’ papaya tree through Vegetative propagation at a very little cost within a short time, by a farmer in Ampara districts and also explained the technique of vegetative propagation, cultivation and production of the ‘Red Lady’ papaya seedling and fruits to the officials of the World Bank and Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project and fellow farmers when they visited the subproject area in the Eastern Province.

The cost of one ‘Red Lady’ papaya seedling, will be around Rs 750 – 900. Also, it takes at least a month to produce a ‘Red Lady’ papaya seedling (to grow to 1 feet height) using that seed. But with the very simple technic of vegetative production, one can produce excellent, healthy, ‘Red Lady’ papaya seedlings in one’s home garden within about fifteen days by using the air-layering method.

‘Red Landy’ papaya air-layering method
In the home garden, the top part (shoot) of the ‘Red Lady’ papaya tree should be cut off. Then, cover the cut ‘Red Lady’ papaya shoot with a plastic bottle. The purpose of covering it is to prevent rainwater or other water from entering the trunk of the cut ‘Red Lady’ papaya tree and to prevent fungal invasion

In this way, after cutting the growing portion of the upper part (shoot) of the papaya tree and covering it with a bottle, the branches will start coming from the side of the papaya tree. This means that many different branches will arise from the lateral bud. A small cut should be made at the bottom where branches are formed between the mother tree and the branch after the newly formed phloem has reached a point where they can be cut. By making a small cut, a partial connection between the parent tree and the new branch can be served. After a small cut is made, a small piece of polythene sheet should be placed between the mother tree and the branches so that they do not stick to each other. Then the lower part of the branch area should be covered with a polythene bag with compost and coir pith. Here, using coir dust instead of soil is very effective. In this way, when you water once a week, roots will emerge from the new branch in 15 days. Also, apply Indole Butyric Acid (IBA) in the cut portion for faster growth of roots.

After 15 days, the branch (seedling) that has developed roots should be cut and separated and placed in a vase with the polythene (if it is for sale) or in the ground for about 10 days under a shadow. After enough roots have formed, the polythene can be removed. And when thin incisions are made from the base from the bottom, the cells grow and the base enlarges. Due to this, the tree does not break when the wind blows strongly. The speciality of the air-layering seedling is that it starts bearing fruit 30 centimetres or one foot from the ground within a period of three months unlike the seeds will produce fruits only after a year. Each fruit from a new ‘Red Lady’ papaya tree weighs about two to two and a half kilos.

The farmer said with a smile that by having 15 ‘Red Lady’ papaya trees, he can earn nearly Rs. 40,000 per month. The most important thing here is that the new papaya seedling will have the same characteristics as the mother tree without any change in fruit taste, etc. Also, they can get better results in a short time to earn continuous income. This ‘Red Lady’ papaya fruit is full of sweet taste unlike other papaya fruits and has a market opportunity that anyone can come and buy.

Benefits of the ‘Red Lady’ papaya air layering through registration

A tree created by air layering will bear fruit continuously from a height of one and a half feet.
The ‘Red Lady’ will never change the sweet taste of papaya fruit.
Loss during the harvest of fruit can be completely avoided.
Directly the pest can be physically removed.
Fruit can be obtained at a short height of the tree.
It is also cost-effective and can generate recurring income.
A single tree can produce several ‘Red Lady’ papaya seedlings at once.

Written: Sharmila Thirhiharan, Gender Development Officer of the Project Management Unit, CSIAP.
Photos and information: T. Sekaran, Social Safeguard Officer, and
P. Sai Purushothaman, Agriculture Facilitator, Komari, EP, CSIAP.

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Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-04-09

புதிய தொழில்நுட்ப உத்திகளைக் கையாண்டு வெற்றிகரமான ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசிச் செய்கை

''காலநிலையால் உச்ச பாதிப்படைந்த பிரதேசத்தில் காலநிலைக்கு சீரமைவான விவசாய நடைமுறைகள் மற்றும் புதிய தொழில்நுட்ப உத்திகளைக் கையாண்டு வெற்றிகரமான ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசிச் செய்கை''.

‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி என்பது ஒரு கலப்பின பயிராகும். இது வெப்ப மண்டலப் பிரதேசங்களில் வளரக் கூடியது. குறிப்பாக வீட்டுத் தோட்டங்கள் முதலான இடங்களில் பயிரிடுவதன் மூலம் தொடர்ச்சியாகச் சிறந்த வருமானத்தைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்ளக் கூடியதாக இருக்கும். அந்த வகையில், இந்த ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரச் செய்கை உற்பத்தியை காலநிலைக்கு சீரமைவான விவசாய நடைமுறைகள் மற்றும் புதிய தொழில்நுட்ப உத்திகளைப் பின்பற்றிக் கிழக்கு மாகாணத்தில் அம்பறை மாவட்டத்தில், கோமாரி கமநல சேவை நிலையப் பிரிவில் அமைந்துள்ள ‘கோமாரி - 01 என்ற கிராம சேவையாளர் பிரிவில் உள்ள விவசாயி (சிவாகரன் மற்றும் அவரது மனைவி சுமித்திராதேவி) மிகவும் வெற்றிகரமாக செய்கை செய்து வருகின்றமை இங்கு குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

இலங்கையில் ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி விதை ஒப்பீட்டளவில் விலை கூடியதொரு விதையாகக் காணப்படுகின்றது. அத்துடன் ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி விதைகளை வேறு நாடுகளில் இருந்தும் இறக்குமதி செய்யப்படுகின்றது. மேலும் ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரக் கன்றுகளும் ஒப்பீட்டளவில் விலையுயர்ந்த மரக் கன்றுகளாகவே சந்தைகளில் கிடைப்பதை அவதானிக்கக் கூடியதாக இருப்பதோடு, மற்றும் அவை அரிதாகக் கிடைப்பதையும் பார்க்க முடிகின்றது.

அந்த வகையில்இ ஒரு ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரத்தில் இருந்து இரசாயனம் அற்ற மற்றும் செலவில்லாமல் அல்லது மிகக் குறைந்த செலவில், மிகக் குறுகிய காலப் பகுதிக்குள் ஒரு இடத்திலேயே, ஒரு மரத்தில் இருந்து பல மரக் கன்றுகளை உருவாக்க முடியும் என்பதை ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசியை வெற்றிகரமாக செய்கை செய்துவரும் விவசாயி, உலக வங்கி மற்றும் காலநிலைக்கு சீரமைவான நீர்ப்பாசன விவசாயத் திட்ட அலுவலர்கள் கிழக்கு மாகாணத்திற்குக் திட்டக் கள விஜயத்தை மேற்கொண்ட போது அத் தொழில்நுட்ப உத்தியையும் தனது வெற்றிக் கதையையும் உத்தியோகத்தர்கள் மற்றும் சக விவசாயிகளிற்கு தெளிவாக விளங்கப்படுத்தி இருந்தார்.

ஒரு Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரக் கன்றைக் கொள்வனவு செய்வதாக இருந்தால் கிட்டத்தட்ட ருபா 750 - 900 ஐச் செலவிட வேண்டும். அத்துடன் நாங்கள் அந்த விதையைப் பயன்படுத்தி ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரத்தை உருவாக்குவதற்கு (1 அடிக்கு வளர) குறைந்த பட்சம் கிட்டத்திட்ட ஒரு மாத காலம் வரை எடுக்கும்.

ஆனால் இலகுவாக, தொழில்நுட்ப உத்தியைப் பயன்படுத்தி பதி வைத்தல் முறையினூடாக கிட்டத்தட்ட பதினைந்து நாட்களிற்குள் சிறந்த, ஆரோக்கியமான, இரசாயனமற்ற ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரக்கன்றுகளை தத்தமது தோட்டத்திலேயே உருவாக்கிக் கொள்ள முடியும்.

‘Red Lady’ பப்பாசி பதி வைத்தல் முறை

தோட்டத்திலோ அல்லது வீட்டுத் தோட்டத்திலோ ஏற்கனவே வளர்ந்துள்ள ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரத்தின் அங்குரத்தின் உச்சிப் பகுதியை அதாவது மேற்பகுதியை வெட்ட வேண்டும். பின்னர் வெட்டப்பட்ட ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரத் தண்டை ஒரு பிளாஸ்ரிக் போத்தலால் அல்லது முடியால் மூடி விட வேண்டும். இதனை மூடுவதன் நோக்கம் என்னவென்றால், வெட்டப்பட்ட பப்பாசி மரத்தின் தண்டுக்குள் மழை நீரோ அல்லது ஏனைய நீரோ உட்செல்லாமல் பாதுகாத்துக் கொள்வதற்கே ஆகும்.

இவ்வாறு மரத்தின் அங்குரத்தின் உச்சிப் பகுதியை அதாவது மேற்பகுதியை வெட்டி அதனைப் போத்தலால் மூடிய பின்னர் வெட்டப்பட்ட

அந்த பப்பாசி மரத்தின் பக்கவாட்டில் இருந்து கிழைகள் வர ஆரம்பிக்கும். அதாவது கணு இடைகளில் இருந்து வெவ்வேறு பல கிழைகள் உருவாகும். உருவாகிய அந்தப் புதிய கிழைகள் ஓரளவு வெட்டக் கூடிய அளவிற்கு வந்ததன் பின்னர், அவ்வாறு கிழைகள் உருவாகும் இடத்தில் அதாவது தாய் மரத்திற்கும் தண்டிற்கும் இடைப்பட்ட உரியப் பகுதியில் சிறு வெட்டு ஒன்று போடப்பட வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு சிறு வெட்டு ஒன்றைப் போடுவதன் மூலம் தாய் மரத்திற்கும் புதிய கிழைக்கும் இடையில் பகுதி அளவான தொடர்பைத் துண்டிக்க முடியும். சிறு வெட்டு ஒன்று போடப்பட்ட பின்னர் தாய் மரமும் கிழையும் ஒன்றுடன் ஒன்று ஒட்டாமல் இருக்க (தொடர்பு இல்லாமல்) இடையில் சிறு பொலித்தீனை மறித்து வைக்க வேண்டும். பின்னர் கிழை விடும் பகுதியின் கீழ்ப் பகுதியில் மண் மற்றும் கூட்டெருக்களைக் கொண்டு பொலித்தீன் ஒன்றினால் கட்டி கிழமைக்கு ஒரு முறை நீர் விட வேண்டும். இங்கு மண்ணிற்குப் பதிலாக தும்புத் தூள் பயன்படுத்துவது மிகவும் வினைத்திறனாக இருக்கும். இவ்வாறு கிழமைக்கு ஒரு முறை நீர் விட்டுக்கொண்டுவரும் போது 15 நாட்களில் புதிய கிழையில் இருந்து வேர்கள் வந்துவிடும். விரைவான வேர் வளர்ச்சிக்காக IBA என்ற Indol Butic Acid ஐத் தடவுவதும் உண்டு.

15 நாட்களின் பின்னர் வேர்கள் உருவாகிய கிழைகளை (கன்றுகளை) வெட்டி பிரித்தெடுத்து கிட்டத்தட்ட 10 நாட்களிற்கு அந்தப் பொலித்தீனோடே சாடி ஒன்றினுள் (விற்பனைக்காக என்றால்) அல்லது சொந்த தேவைக்காக என்றால் நிலத்தில் நிழலில் வைக்க வேண்டும். போதியளவான வேர்கள் உருவாகிய பின்னர் அந்த அந்த பொலித்தீனை அகற்ற முடியும். மேலும் அடிப்பகுதியில் இருந்து மேலிருந்து கீழ்நோக்கி மெல்லிய கீறல்கள் செய்யும் போது கலங்கள் மேவி வளர்ந்து அடிப்பகுதி பெரிதாகும். இதனால் காற்று பலமாக வீசும் போது மரம் முறியாது.

பதி வைத்தல் மரத்தின் சிறப்பம்சம் யாதெனில் நிலத்தில் இருந்து 30 சென்ரி மீட்டர் அல்லது ஒரு அடியில் இருந்து காய்கள் வர ஆரம்பிக்கும். புதிய ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரத்தில் இருந்து கிடைக்கும் ஒவ்வொரு பழமும் கிட்டத்தட்ட இரண்டு அல்லது இரண்டரைக் கிலோ நிறையில் இருக்கும்.

இவ்வாறு 15 ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரங்களை பராமரிப்பதன் மூலம் கிட்டத்தட்ட ருபா 40,000 ஐ மாத வருமானமாக பெறக் கூடியதாக இருக்கும் என புன்னகையுடன் அந்த விவசாயி தெரிவித்தார். இங்கு மிக முக்கியமான விடயம் யாதெனில், தும்புத் தூள் அல்லது கூட்டெருக்களை வைத்து பொலித்தீனால் கட்டப்பட்ட இடத்தில் இருந்து உருவாக்கப்படும் புதிய பப்பாசி மரக்கன்று தாய் மரத்தில் உள்ள அதே குணாம்சங்கள் மற்றும் பழத்தின் சுவை முதலானவையில் எந்தவொரு மாற்றமும் இன்றி தாய் மரத்தின் சாயலைக் கொண்டதாக இருக்கும்.

அத்தோடு அவை குறுகிய காலத்தினுள் தொடர்ச்சியாக வருமானம் ஈட்டக் கூடிய வகையில் சிறந்த பலனைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்ள கூடியதாகவும் இருக்கும். இந்த ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசிப் பழம் ஏனைய பப்பாசிப் பழங்களைப் போலன்றி இனிப்பு சுவை நிறைந்ததாகவும், எவரும் தேடி வந்து வாங்கக் கூடிய அளவிற்கு சந்தை வாய்ப்பைக் கொண்டதாகவும் காணப்படுகின்றது.

பதி வைத்தல் முறையினூடாக உருவாக்கப்படும் ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசியால் கிடைக்கும் நன்மைகள்

· பதி வைத்தல் மூலம் உருவாக்கப்பட்ட மரம் ஒன்றரை அடி உயரத்தில் இருந்தே தொடர்ச்சியாகப் பழத்தைக் கொடுக்கும்.

· ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசிப் பழத்தின் அதே இனிப்புச் சுவை என்றும் மாறாது.

· பழங்களை அறுவடை செய்கின்றபோது ஏற்படும் இழப்புகளை முற்றாகத் தவிர்க்கலாம்.

· நேரடியாக பீடைகளை பௌதீக முறைப்படி அகற்றலாம்.

· குறுகிய உயரத்திலேயே பழத்தைப் பெறலாம்.

· செலவு குறைந்த மற்றும் தொடர்ச்சியான வருமானம் ஈட்டக் கூடியதாகவும் இருக்கின்றது.

· ஒரு மரத்தில் இருந்து பல ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசி மரக் கன்றுகளை ஒரே நேரத்தில் உருவாக்க முடியும்.

எழுத்து: சர்மிலா திரிகரன், பால்நிலை அபிவிருத்தி உத்தியோகத்தர், திட்ட முகாமைத்துவ அலகு - CSIAP
புகைப்படம் மற்றும் தகவல்: த. சேகரன், சமூக பாதுகாப்பு உத்தியோகத்தர் - EP, CSIAP
பு. சாய் புருசோத்தமன், விவசாய இலகுபடுத்துநர் - கோமாரி, - EP, CSIAP

தயவு செய்து Video வைப் பார்க்க லிங்னை கிளிக் செய்யவும்

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-04-03

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) funded by the World Bank conducted a workshop at Jade Green Hotel in Hambantota yesterday (14th) to introduce an Agro-Ecological Landscape Resilience Plan in Hambantota to stakeholders in the area. The plan was designed after a pilot study in the Hambanthota District, to specifically look at the landscape defined in the Hotspot Area (HSA) of Bandagiriya, Weerawila and Yodakandiya ASC under CSIAP, to understand its ecological character, both in production and non-production habitats, current issues and challenges and seek opportunities to bring in greater environmental and social resilience through appropriate integration of sustainable agroecological practices within the HAS.

Objectives and Scope of the Plan

To assess the current land use pattern and status of the Hambantota District HSA and assess current/future demands that are shaping the use of land/natural resources within it.
To review the ecological character of the Hambantota District HSA, and map existing forest patches, corridors and other important ecosystems within it including food production areas.
Identify issues, threats and drivers of change that have and will continue to shape the ecological character and balance within the landscape. The focus here should be centred mainly on ecosystems within and adjacent to the HSA landscape that supports the food production ecosystems.
To determine critical ecological networks within the HSA landscape and the economic value of key ecosystem services, especially focusing on benefits to food production ecosystems.
To study the extent of the HEC over the last 10 years, with a particular emphasis on HEC levels (number and intensity) that exist in the landscape today and how it will increase and intensify with agricultural expansion and productivity improvement that is planned under the HSAAD (Hotspot Area Agriculture Development) plan. Mapping of the potential movement paths of elephants in particular (normally an elephant is assessed to move 2800sq Km a year). This is essential to suggest mitigation measures due to HEC (Humen Elephant Conflict).
To understand the social impacts of the HEC on community living and livelihoods including impacts on vulnerable groups.
To identify key stakeholder groups in the HSA landscape, assess their level of interest and influence on its future land use and identify means of engaging them for fostering greater harmony between conservation and production land-use practices – to improve the climate resilience of the HSA landscape. The involvement of local communities in a participatory approach will be very useful
To identify appropriate landscape-level management strategies that will promote integrated management of agricultural areas and the natural resources that underpin ecosystem services that are essential for food production and buffer against climate risks.

Dr. Janaka Jayawardena, Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist of the CSIAP briefed participants on the objectives of the workshop. Mr. H.M.P. Bandara, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP and Mr. S. Manoharan, Consultant, World Bank also expressed their views too. Senior government officials representing various institutions attended the workshop. the Agro-Ecological Landscape Resilience Plan in Hambanthota was developed by Teams Consultants.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-03-15

The World Bank Funded Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) has been implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in 2019 as a five-year project to improve the climate resilience of smallholder farming communities and improve the productivity of irrigated agriculture in 06 Provinces, 11 districts, 52 Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs) Divisions, and 256 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GNDs) which areas are identified as climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka. Climatically vulnerable hotspot areas reveal that the prolonged draughts, heavy intense rainfall flash floods, variation of seasonal patterns, strong winds, and rising sea levels have become the main climate change impacts for the farmers living in hotspot areas.

The CSIAP is promoting various adaptation strategies to combat the climate change impacts for project beneficiaries those are:

1. Promote Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and technologies among men and women smallholder farmers.

2. Provide water for agriculture through the rehabilitation of minor tanks, and improve the cascade development.

3. Increase access to the markets by promoting market linkages, post-harvest processing, value chain development, and providing the machinery for improving the value chain development activities.

4. Promote climate change adaptation and CSA technologies among smallholder farmer beneficiaries (men and women farmers) through capacity-building and by providing required agricultural inputs.

CSA is a quite new concept to the Sri Lankan smallholder farming community, even though the farmers apply some traditional CSA practices without a real scientific background. Therefore, there is a critical need to increase and build the capacities of stallholder men and women farmers for the use of CSA technologies and practices to fulfil the requirement. In this scenario, an eco-friendly dedicated CSA Farmer Training School (FTS) was newly built by the CSIAP which opened end of 2022 in the Thirappane area of the Anuradhapura District. Officials of the Provincial Deputy Project Directors Offices (PDPDO) are already involved in selecting the lead farmers through the Farmer Organizations (FO) and Producer Societies (PS) for the training. Through that, farmers are promoted to build up their knowledge, and skills on the CSA technologies among both men and women through the newly built FTS of CSIAP. Once the lead farmers get knowledge of the CSA technology at the FTS, they go back to their villages and share their knowledge with the other farmers.

The men and women farmers are identified by the provincial Deputy Project Director (DPD) offices to represent all ASC divisions and make necessary arrangements to transport them to FTS promises on time. 25 lead farmers (14 men and 11 women) are being recruited to each batch for the 03 days residential training program on CSA practices and technology at the FTS. Most importantly, CSIAP is always ensuring the project’s target that is when the lead farmers are recruited to the CSA training program, at least 40% of the leaded farmers should be female farmers. Therefore, Women farmers will get the opportunity to adopt the CSA technologies in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas.

The project is continually transferring knowledge on CSA technology to the participants through the FTS. Men and women farmers gain knowledge on the climate change impacts, mitigation, and adaptation of climate change impacts, how CSA can help to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change, sustainable management of the natural and farming landscape, building the resilience of local ecosystems, adjusting cropping calendar as per weather forecast, selection of tolerated crop varieties, on-farm water management technics, building soil resilience through soil fertility management, protecting crops from climate-induced pest resurgence, and sustainable intensification of crop production, crop-livestock integration, fodder protection, and seasonal stocking of freshwater fish in the village tanks, productivity enhancement through mechanization, the use of market information, value addition, and marketing for increasing farmer income. Knowledge acquired from training used for CSIAP interventions, and knowledge disseminated among fellow members of the community.

CSIAP is planned to carry out 62 training sessions for leader farmers (both men and women) and technical officers during the project period and build capacities of 1860 participants on CSA technologies and practices. So far 08 training conducted at the eco-friendly CSA FTS 184 lead men & women farmers have participated. Out of that 42% of women farmers were trained in CSA practices and technology at the FTS.

Table No: 01 Details of the training program conducted at the dedicated CSA farmer training school, Thirappane on the CSA Practices and Technologies.

An Eco-friendly dedicated CSA farmer training school is one of the most important assets for the farming community in Sri Lanka. Social inequalities put many people on the frontline of harmful climate change impacts while constraining their options for taking action to reduce them through adaptation. Gender is often a defining factor of these barriers to adaptation.

It is important to say that inclusive and meaningful participation of all community groups, particularly the most vulnerable is included in the training programs. Participation in the training program empowers men, women, boys, and girls to find solutions to their development challenges. Empowering women and engaging men in a process where women and men work together as equally recognized decision-makers at the FTS. It is a crucial pathway toward gender equality and resilience among the smallholder farming community in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas.

In addition to the above facts, men and women farmers listen, learn and respect each other, are trained to be culturally and socially sensitive, prepared to unlearn negative attitudes and stereotypes, personal cultural/ gender bias, share their knowledge, experiences, etc. with their community.

Females' participation on training programmes at Framer Training School in Thirappane, Anuradhapura

Written by Sharmila Thirhiharan, Gender Development Officer, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-03-08

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-03-04

Mr. Martin Raiser, South Asian Vice President of the World Bank receives a token of appreciation prepared by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) during the observation tour at the Farmer Training School ( FTS) in Thirappane, Anuradhapura from Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary of Agriculture recently.

The FTS, which has been designed to build the capacity of project beneficiaries for the use of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and combat the adverse impact of climate change, was built at a cost of Rs. 40 million by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project funded by the World Bank and implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture. The FTS where Mr. Faris H. Hadad-Zervos and Ms. Chiyo Kanda laid foundation stones on 22nd December 2021, was declared open by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, the Minister of Agriculture on 04th December 2022.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-03-03

The first ever Climate Smart Farmer Training School in South Asia established at Thirappane will prepare Sri Lankan farmers for climate change, said Mr. Martin Raiser, World Bank Vice President for South Asia during a visit to the Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane, Anuradhapura recently. “What the farmers learn here is how to conserve water and how to use new planting techniques. I was told, with these techniques they can increase income by 30% and reduce the water that they need to irrigate by more than half,” Mr. Raiser added.

The World Bank’s Vice President visited the FTS in the company of Mr. Faris H. Hadad-Zervos, Country Director of the World Bank for Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, Ms. Chiyo Kanda, Country Manager of the World Bank for Maldives and Sri Lanka and other World Bank officials. The FTS, built at a cost of Rs. 40 million by the World Bank-funded Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, has been designed to build the capacity of project beneficiaries for the use of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and combat the adverse impacts of climate change. Mr. Faris H. Hadad-Zervos and Ms. Chiyo Kanda laid foundation stones for the FTS on 22 December 2021, and the school was declared open by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, the Minister of Agriculture on 4 December 2022.

Expressing his views, Mr. Raiser said, “The Farmer Training School at Thirappane is a great project. Very happy to see the first Climate Smart Farmer Training School in South Asia and how Sri Lankan farmers are being prepared for climate change.” When inquired about advancing FTS up to international standards, Mr Raiser responded, “There is a lot of international learning that is possible. Some techniques, such as mulching and drip irrigation I see here, have been used in other countries like China. However, lot of the knowledge needs to be local – you need to understand the local crops and the local soil. Sri Lanka has the capacity, with some international support, to develop a top class system yourselves.” “We also have internationally renowned Agriculture Experts who can come here and talk to local scientists to develop the right solutions together,” added Mr. Raiser.

A part of the CSIAP project is focusing on the rehabilitation of local irrigation systems. This system retains rainwater and then transmit it along irrigation channels onto the command area of the CSIAP. Several of Sri Lanka’s irrigation channels, draining systems and tanks are currently dilapidated and silted up. This means they can store less water and the soil is salinized; thus, more land erodes into tanks. This reduces the effectiveness of the agriculture systems in Sri Lanka. The goal of CSIAP is to rehabilitate local irrigation systems and improve farmer knowledge to ensure Sri Lanka’s future in climate-smart agriculture and help generate higher incomes for farmers.

“My message to Sri Lankan farmers is to continue to study and learn. Do not just do everything that you have done. Find a better way to do it. Talk to each other, communicate, learn from others, and share experiences. That’s why a school like this is here.”

The Vice President, Country Director and Country Manger awarded certificates to Farmer Leaders from Gomarankadawara Agrerian Service Center Division in Eastern Province of the 6th group who undertook a 3-day Residential Training Programme at the FTS. To mark this occasion, Mr. Raiser received a token of appreciation prepared by the CSIAP from Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary of Agriculture at the event.

Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project presented a report on the current progress of the project. Some of the farmers who participated in the training programme expressed their views regarding the benefits they received due to the project.

Mr. Vijaya Wanasinghe, Provincial Secretary of Agriculture, North Central Province, Ms. K.N.C Gunawardhana, Director, Dr. Wasantha Mallawaarachchi- Principle Scientist, Dr. M.S. Nijamudeen, Principle Scientist, Field crop & Research Development Institute, Mahailuppallama, Ms. Sandya N.G Abeysekara, Additional District Secretary, North Central Province, representatives of implementing agencies, farmers and CSIAP staff attended in this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-03-03

The overall objective of the Cascade Management Committees (CMCs) is to restore and improve the watershed system through integrated management and manage water and associated natural resources in a sustainable manner to enhance the living standards of rural communities. In order to achieve to above objective, an awareness programme and nominating framer leaders for CMC were conducted at Yodawewa Beach Hotel in Tissamaharama by the Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). Mr. Mahinda Suwandaarachchi, Deputy Project Director (Southern Province) of the CSIAP explained the importance of the CMCs at this programme which was attended by 78 farmer leaders. Mr. R.P.M. Dissanayake, Institutional Development and Capacity Building Specialist (Southern Province and Mr. D.V. Bandulasena, Institutional Development and Capacity Building Specialist(Project Management Unit of the CSIAP also made farmer leaders aware of forming CMCs.

Strengthening the institutional framework in the cascade is identified as one of the key requirements for managing the cascade system. Therefore, CMCs are to be formed, consisting of the farmer Organizations and local level officials for resources (water and land) management at the cascade level. The CSIAP will establish 30 CMCs in North Western, 12 CMCs in North Central, 10 CMCs in Northern, 12 CMCs in Eastern, 07 in Southern and 09 CMS in Uva provinces respectively.

Story by R.P.M. Dissanayake (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), SP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-03-01

International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21st every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. It recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals focus on leaving no one behind. The day was first proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999, and has been celebrated annually since 2000.

The purpose of the day is to celebrate the diversity of languages and cultures around the world and to promote awareness of the importance of preserving and protecting linguistic diversity. It also aims to promote the use of mother languages in education and everyday life, as well as to encourage people to learn and use other languages. On International Mother Language Day, people around the world celebrate their mother tongues, organize cultural events, and participate in language-related activities to promote linguistic and cultural diversity.

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) funded by the World Bank and implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture uses mother languages to achieve project development objectives in areas where the CSIAP is being implemented in the following way.

1. Effective communication: It is the most natural way of communication for individuals, and using it in agriculture ensures clear and precise communication. In rural areas, farmers may not have a strong grasp of the official language or other languages used in agriculture, and communicating with them in their mother language can help them understand technical information better.

2. Transfer of knowledge and traditional practices: It is often closely tied to the cultural and traditional practices of a community. Using it in agriculture can facilitate the transfer of knowledge and traditional practices from one generation to the next. This is especially important in agriculture, where traditional practices and knowledge can play an important role in sustainable farming and the conservation of natural resources.

3. Engagement and empowerment: Using the mother language in agriculture can help engage and empower farmers who may feel excluded or marginalized due to their limited knowledge of the official language or other languages used in agriculture. This can help create a sense of belonging and community, which can motivate farmers to take an active interest in their work and participate in decision-making processes.

4. Promotion of local products and culture: It is often closely linked to the culture, identity, and values of a community. Using it in agriculture can help promote local products and culture, which can be beneficial for local economies and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Mother language plays an important role in agriculture by facilitating communication, access to resources, building relationships, and sharing knowledge and best practices. Overall, using the mother language in agriculture can have significant benefits for effective communication, knowledge transfer, empowerment, and the promotion of local products and culture and it can also help create a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural sector to reach the CSIAP’s objectives.

Image: Curtsey of the UN.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-02-21

"Hydrological Studies Using Software Applications", the second one of the workshop series was conducted for engineering and technical staff of the Provincial Irrigation Department, District Agrarian Department and Department of Irrigation in North Central Province by the Design Cell of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) at the Creston Park Hotel, Anuradhapura recently. The purpose of the workshop was to equip Sri Lankan engineers with knowledge and skills to use software related to Hydrological Studies and to transfer the knowledge gained by the Design Cell of the CSIAP to Implementing Agencies and other authorities related to the Irrigation sector.

This workshop, which was held in two sessions of one week each, had been initiated under the instructions of Eng R.M.B. Rajakauruna, Project Director, the CSIAP and this workshop was guided by the Senior Engineering Consultant Eng. H.G.M.Kulasinghe. Project Engineering Consultants Eng. R.M.H.N Bandara and Eng. P.H.S. Rangika made their contribution to the workshop as resource persons along with the Engineering Trainee Mr. B.D.M.S.B Dissanayake. Participants received Certificates of participation in the workshop. Mr. S.M Seelarathne, Deputy Project Director (North Central Province) of the CSIAP of CSIAP (NCP) coordinated the workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-02-20

The Farmer Field School (FFS)at Thirappane trains farmers and give hands-on experience on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices to address the challenges of building strategies for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and food security (crop productivity), which are closely related to agriculture and minimize their potential negative impacts and technologies to the beneficiary farmers of hot spot areas in 11 districts of six provinces such as North Western, North Central, Northern, Eastern, Uva and Southern Provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented. The FFS project costs around Rs 40Mn and the Ministry of Agriculture is the main agency responsible for executing the project. The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) funded by the World Bank and implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture. increases and builds the capacities of farmers for the use of CSA technologies to combat the climate change impact. The project aims to build a village-level resource person pool with the competencies of CSA technologies & practices from support organization officials and selected leader farmers through the newly established FFS.

The main objective of FFS is to enhance the capacities of support organization officials and farmer leaders to promote CSA technologies and practices in their villages. Subsequently, the project aims to impart their knowledge and skills on CSA practices to village-level potential farmers to respond to the adverse climate impacts in their villages. In addition, the project mobilizes trained leader farmers to organize training activities and disseminate knowledge on CSA practices among peer groups. All training programs are conducted with the collaboration of the Extension division of the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Peradeniya, including the allocation of potential resource persons for training sessions. All sessions are to be organized as residential (03 days) intensive, multi-session and multi-activity group learning sessions that use lectures, group discussions, demonstrations of practical activities, videos, and other audio-visual resources as well as entertainment activities (drams and role play), etc.

The fifth o training programme is being conducted presently at the FFS with the participation of 18 lead farmers including 05 women from the Thunukkai Agrarian Service Centre area in Mullaitivu Districts. Apart from the in-house lectures delivered, farmers were given hands-on experience in the field by subject specialists.

Dr. T. Karunainathan, Deputy Director (Research), Dr. M.S. Najiamudeen, Principal Agriculture Scientist at Field Crops Research and Development Institute (FSRDI) in Mahailluppallama delivered lectures and provided participants with hand on experience in both cultivation and irrigation areas. Mr. Farnk Jayasinghe, CSA Specialist (PMU), Mr. W.K..P.C Perera, Agri-Business & Market Linkage Specialist, Mr. Samantha Mallawaarachchi, IEC & ICT Specialist, Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Gender Development Officer of the CSIAP also delivered lectures in their subject areas at FFS.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-02-17

Four tanks such as Galatabedi wewa, Katupitigama wewa, Kumbukgete wewa, and Ambagaha wewa located in the Ambanpola Agricultural Service Center area in Kurunegala District renovated at a cost of Rs 13.42 million by the Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in North Western Province (NWP) were declared open recently and handed over to farmers to use for agricultural activities. 164 farming families living in the area will be benefited from these four tanks

The Provincial Office of the CSIAP in NWP has already started renovating 141 tanks in the provinces investing Rs 1661 million to boost the agricultural economy which leads to improving the livelihood of the farming community in the project area. As the chief guest, the Provincial Secretary of Agriculture Mr. D. M .K. Chandana Dissanayake unveiled plaques of tanks and poured pots of milk into tanks to mark the opening. Deputy Project Director of CSIAP in NWP Mr. W.M.S Wijesinghe opened sluice gates and handed certificates of completing the renovation of tanks to farm organizations. Invitees to the event planted trees and a traditional ceremony was also held to bless the cultivation and farming community too.

The Divisional Secretary in Ambanpola Mrs. H.M.C.J. Herath, Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture Mr. P. Sisira Kumara, Director of Provincial Irrigation Mr. W. Kamalsiri, around fifty government officers representing provincial departments, over 120 farmers, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP in NWP Mr. W.M.S Wijesinghe and his staff attended this programme.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture Facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-02-08

The Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in North Western Province (NWP) encourages farmers to run Vegetable Shops to sell their surplus organic home garden harvest to consumers to earn extra income. The CSIAP promotes Organic Home Gardening which means gardening without using synthetic products like fertilizers and pesticides. It involves the use of only natural products to grow plants in home gardens. Organic gardening replenishes natural resources as it uses them. Around 16762 Climate Smart Home Gardens have already been started by the CSIAP Office in NWP and the provincial office has planned to invest Rs 1.6M to inaugurate 36 vegetable shops across the province to support farmers. Eggs (backyard poultry) and value-added products such as Turmeric powder and Chili powder will be sold by these shops too.

Vegetable shops are a fundamental part of the rural interface and this will give the opportunity to consumers to purchase fresh vegetables, specially produced directly from Home Gardens. Vegetable Shops allow consumers to have access to locally grown, fresh produce and enable farmers to develop personal relationships with their customers. The first vegetable shop belongs to Mrs. K.M. Indrani Kusumalatha in Vadurassa village located in the Ambanpola Agrarian Service Center area in Kurunegala district was declared open recently under the patronage of the Provincial Secretary of Agriculture Mr. D.M.K. Chandana Dissanayake and the Divisional Secretary in Ambanpola Mrs. H.M.C.J. Herath.

Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture Mr. P. Sisira Kumara, Director of Provincial Irrigation Mr. W. Kamalsiri, around forty government officers representing provincial departments, over 120 farmers, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP in NWP Mr. W.M.S Wijesinghe and his staff were present in this event.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture Facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-02-07

Strengthening the institutional framework in the cascade is identified as one of the key requirements for managing the cascade system. Therefore, Cascade Management Committees (CMCs) are to be formed, consisting of the farmer Organizations and local level officials for resources (water and land) management at the cascade level. The overall objective of the CMC is to restore and improve the watershed system through integrated management and manage water and associated natural resources in a sustainable manner to enhance the living standards of rural communities.

The Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in Southern took initiative to establish CMCs in the province and awareness of CMCs was held at the Divisional Secretariat’s Auditorium in Tissamaharama recently. The CSIAP will establish 30 CMCs in North Western, 12 CMCs in North Central, 10 CMCs in Northern, 12 CMCs in Eastern, 07 in Southern and 09 CMS in Uva provinces respectively.

At this meeting presided over by the District Secretary in Hambantota Mr P.H Sumanasekara, former Head of the Water Management Division at the Department of Agrarian Development and retired Chief Engineer Prabath Vithana delivered a special lecture on the importance of the cascade system, social, and economic and environmental aspects of the cascade. Institutional Development and Capacity Building Specialist and acting Deputy Project Director of the Project Management Unit (PMU), CSIAP, Mr. D.V. Bandulasena explained the formation process of CMCs, its duties and responsibilities of it. Heads of Line Agencies agreed to nominate their representatives for each CMC too. and heads of line agencies and field officers including 120 participants attended this event.

Story by R.P.M. Dissanayake (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), SP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-02-07

Home gardens give more benefits to CSIAP farmers. It can be categorized into social, economic and environmental benefits. The most fundamental social benefit of home gardens stems from their direct contributions to household food security by increasing the availability, accessibility and utilization of food products. Home gardens established have been maintained for easy access to fresh vegetables and fruits at the Grama Niladhari Division level where the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is being implemented. Food items from home gardens add substantially to the family's energy and nutritive requirements on a continuous basis. The CSIAP is planning to provide and
encourage farmers to raise egg-laying poultry birds for egg production too.

The Deputy Project Director’s Office (DPDO) of the CSIAP in Uva Province forms around 9973 home gardens in the Agrarian Serve Center area of Buttala. Grow bags, seeds and plants were already given to farmers to implement home garden programmes in the area. The officials of DPDO visited 14 home gardens to see their progress with Agriculture Instructor (Kukurampola Range) Mr. R.M.P.Ramanayake recently. Instructions were given to framers to improve their home gardens further by Mr. Ramanayake

Story and Photographs by R. Dushyanthan (Agriculture Facilitator), Buththala ASC, UP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-02-02

The 09th National Steering Committee Meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) commenced this morning (24th) at the Ministry of Agriculture and was chaired by Mrs. Lathisha P. Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development). Provincial Chief Secretaries representing provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented, top officials of the World Bank, implementing agencies and officers of the Provincial Deputy Project Directors’ Office joined the meeting via video conferencing technology.

Eng. R. M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director led the CSIAP’s team which included Deputy Project Directors, Subject Specialists and officers at this meeting. Dr. (Ms) E. R. S. P. Edirimanna, Additional Secretary (Agri Technology). Mrs. M. M. Renuka Rathnayaka, Director (Development) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. A. H. M. L. Abeyrathne, Commissioner General, Mr. R. Vijayakumar, Commissioner (Development) of the Department of Agrarian Development and Mr. Nuwan Weerasooriya, Assistant Director, Climate Change Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment were also present in this meeting. Please click Images to see more photos of the event.

Photograhs by Gayani Dasanayake, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-24

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-22

The Progress Review Meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) chaired by Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe was held at the Ministry of Agriculture this morning (17th). The Provincial Progress Reports presented via video conferencing by six Provincial Deputy Project Directors of the CSIAP were reviewed by the Secretary, Mrs. Lathisha P. Liyanage, Additional Secretary (Development) and Mrs. M. M. Renuka Rathnayaka, Director (Development) of the Ministry. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP, led the team of Subject Specialists of the CSIAP at this meeting. Please click Images to see more photos of the meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-17

A three-day residential training programme on Manioc-based Value addition was organized for officers and farmers in Northern Province at Cathy Rich Food Processing Center in Embilipitiya recently by the Deputy Project Director’s Office (NP) of the climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project.

Value-added foods are increasingly beneficial in addressing food security, nutrition and poverty. The term “value-added foods” includes crops or foods that have been enhanced through a variety of improvements, including processing, fortification, increased safety or nutrition, better packaging or extended storage. The benefits of value-added foods include providing better nutrition; greater income for producers; access to new markets; and new processes to improve packaging and storage to reduce waste and ensure greater food safety.

Representing the Northern province, 4 Agriculture Instructors, 3 Agriculture facilitators and 16 small entrepreneurs including 10 female entrepreneurs participated in this training. and the majority of entrepreneurs who attended were cassava chip makers and bakery manufacturers.

Following the bad economic recession in the country, most of the bakeries are collapsing in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts due to price escalation and scarcity of wheat flour. Therefore, the main task of this training programme was not aiming at replacing wheat flour completely or partially with manioc flour. but introducing other manic-based value-added products like sago, biscuits and cake. Value-added food production is cost-effective, can make easily and has high nutritive value compared to wheat-based foods. All participants had hands-on experience too.

The key contents of the training are Post-harvest technology of Manioc, Identification of Manioc processing equipment, Identification & characteristics of raw materials, Packaging, Designing of a label with participants as a group activity, Solutions for your packaging (technical) and other relevant problems, Suitable packaging/material for your products, Contact details for packaging equipment and packaging material, Usage of packaging equipment with entrepreneurs, Preparation of Manioc flour, Manioc starch, Manioc Cake, Manioc sago and Manioc Biscuit.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-16

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) launches its first-ever Drone spraying services for farmers and officers in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts recently. This Drone services will help farmers gain better and uniform spraying across their crops and address the farm labour shortage. The advanced technology of drone spraying will save farmers' time and ensure their safety from higher exposure to liquid pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides.

This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) could help agriculture operations by monitoring crop growth and increasing crop output too. This UAV is capable of spraying crops with fertilizers or pesticides. Unlike a traditional Knapsack sprayer, drones can spray crops more precisely. It can be used to spray an even amount of liquid in all necessary sections, so there’s no risk of overdosing crops. Drone spraying service will be introduced to the other areas where the CSIAP is being implemented.

The demonstration of the drone spray service was conducted in the presence of farmers and officers by Eng. K. Arulvaratharjaah, Nilaveli Lagoon (Pvt) Ltd at Government Seed Production Farm, Paranthan, Kilinochchi recently. This high-efficiency drone is capable of operating twenty-five times faster than a traditional knapsack sprayer. Agrochemical was sprayed in 2 hectares of paddy field within 30 minutes efficiently in front of the participants by this drone. Before the demonstration, a group discussion was conducted regarding the drone technology, use of organic pesticides and fertilizers in drone sprayer, advantages, disadvantages and limitations, of drone sprayer delays in getting security approvals and economic analysis of drone application. Around 122 personnel including 31 females participated in this event.

Mr. George Babu, Deputy Project Director (NP), Subject Specialists and officers of the CSIAP organized and coordinated the demonstration. Officials of Field Crops Research Development Centre (Kilinochchi), Animal Production & Health (Kilinochchi), Seed & Planting Material Development Centre (Kilinochchi), Provincial Department of Agriculture (Kilinochchi), Provincial Department of Agriculture (Mullaitivu), Government Departments, NGOs, private sector, Representatives of private companies, Seed producers, leaders of Farmer Organizations, members of Producer Societies and farmers were present in this demonstration programme.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-16

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) conducts the third two-day residential training programme on the GIS-based Management Information System (MIS) for its staff in North Western and North Central Provinces today (12th) at the Creston Park Hotel in Anuradhapura. Mr. S.M. Seelarathna, Deputy Project Director (Northern Central Province), CSIAP welcomed all the participants and pointed out the importance of using MIS for the CSIAP. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP addressed participants and highlighted that MIS, which stores and organizes data, enables CSIAP Staff to generate reports and analyze data to address CSIAP’s needs and present information while having top-level meetings including the World Bank.

The MIS, which is a software system that focuses on the management of information technology to provide efficient and effective strategic decision-making, helps the CSIAP to coordinate, visualize, analyze information and make decisions through its activities. The above MIS is a combination of its multiple sub-components to provide the relevant information to take out useful information. An integrated system, which blends information from selected operational areas, is a necessary characteristic of MIS.

Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd invented the GI-based MIS for the CSIAP. Mr. Dinesh Denipitiya, Senior Business Manager (Operations), Chamath Ekanayake, Tech Lead, Mr. Pavithra Prabodya, Senior Software Engineer and Pramodya Amarajeewa, Software Engineer of Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd explained the new system and provided the CSIAP staff with hands-on experience. Mr. W.M.S. Wijesinghe, Deputy Project Director (North Western Province), Subject Specialists of the Project Management Unit of the CSIAP also participated. The Deputy Project Director (North Western Province) of the CSIAP organized this training programme and Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the CSIAP coordinated it.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-12

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) continued the second two-day residential training programme on the GIS-based Management Information System (MIS) for its staff of in Northern and Eastern Provinces today (10th) at the auditorium of the Department of Agrarian Development Kilinochchi. Mr. George Babu, Deputy Project Director (Northern Province), CSIAP welcomed all the participants. The MIS is a computerized database that helps the CSIAP to make decisions, coordinate, visualize and analyze information through its activities. Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd invented the GI-based MIS for the CSIAP. Mr. Dinesh Denipitiya, Senior Business Manager (Operations), Chamath Ekanayake, Tech Lead, Mr. Pavithra Prabodya, Senior Software Engineer and Pramodya Amarajeewa, Software Engineerof Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd explained the new system and provided the CSIAP staff with hands-on experience. Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Gender Development Officer of the CSIAP contributed by interpreting Sinhalese and English lectures into Tamil.

The same programme will be continued for the CSIAP staff in North Western and North Central Provinces. Dr. R. M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director (Eastern Province), Subject Specialists of the Project Management Unit of the CSIAP also participated. The Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) of the CSIAP organized this training programme and Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the CSIAP coordinated it.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-10

The first working day of the New Year- 2023 was inaugurated in the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) on Monday (02^nd) under the patronage of Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director , CSIAP. Firstly, Eng. Rajakaruna lit the traditional oil lamp and subsequently, Institutional Development and Capacity Building Specialist Mr. D.V. Bandulasena, Financial Management Specialist Mr. W. G. N. Abeywickrama, Members of supporting staff Miss. Gayani Dassanayake and Mr. D.G.S. Liyanage also lit the traditional oil lamp.

Addressed the gathering, the Project Director of the CSIAP at the outset expressed his best wishes for a happy New Year 2023 to the CSIAP Staff and their family members. He also expressed his gratitude to the staff of PMU and Provincial Deputy Directors’ Offices for carrying out their duties to the best of their ability to achieve the objectives of the project. Eng. Rajakaruna further mentioned that the CSIAP is expecting to speed up its activities in 2023 in the project areas. Adding more, he highlighted remarkable success can be achieved by working as a team. Traditional food items were served to the staff and Subject Specialists and Officers attended this event.

Photographs by Gayani Dassanayake, PMU-CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2023-01-02

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) conducts a two-day residential training programme on the GIS-based Management Information System (MIS) for its staff in Southern and Uva Provinces today (21st) at Jade Green Hotel, Hambantota. The MIS is a computerized database that helps the CSIAP to make decisions, coordinate, visualize and analyze information through its activities. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP welcomed all participants and explained the importance of using MIS for the project. Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd invented the GI-based MIS for the CSIAP. Mr. Dinesh Denipitiya, Senior Business Manager (Operations), Chamath Ekanayake, Tech Lead and Mr. Pavithra Prabodya, Senior Software Engineer of Celata Tech (Pvt) Ltd explained the new system and provided the CSIAP staff with hands-on experience. The same programme will be continued for the CSIAP staff in North Western, North Central, Northern and Eastern Provinces, and Subject Specialists of the Project Management Unit of the CSIAP also participated. Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the CSIAP coordinated this programme.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-12-21

Dapog nursery method, which is used to produce seedlings for transplant paddy seedlings in the field by using either Mechanical or Manual Paddy Transplanters, is introduced to farmers in Buttala located in Uva province by the Deputy Project Director’s Office (Uva Province) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project.

This nursery is established on polythene or in the transplanting trays. At the inception around 3-4 feet, a wide nursery bed is constructed on the field and lay a polythene sheet on it. Subsequently, a ½ inch thickness mud layer is spread on the polythene, and equally, distribute germinated seed paddy on this mud layer.

This nursery is maintained for around 14 days by daily applying water and fertilizer as required. After 14 days, these seedlings can be used for planting by removing the polythene sheet and cutting the nursery into pieces and inserting them into transplanting trays. There are several benefits of the Dapok nursery. It needs less area to produce seedlings and requires less quantity of seed paddy (12 -15Kgs ) to cultivate 01-acre paddy land. In addition, the uprooting cost of paddy seedlings is very low when compared with the manual transplanting system. Hence it is explicit the Dapog system leads to minimising production cost for paddy farmers and increasing farmer family income.

Over 120 farmers participated in the 03 training programmes conducted in Buttala ASC (Agrarian Service Center) division to gain experience in preparing Dapog nurseries and around 400 transplanting trays were given to farmers. Agriculture Instructor Mr. K. D. I. Amitha Premalal (Buththala range), Agriculture Research and Production Assistants Ms. R.M.Kanthy and Mr. J. Gunadasa conducted the training.

Story and Photographs by R. Dushyanthan (Agriculture Facilitator), Buththala ASC, UP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-12-13

"Hydrological Studies Using Software Applications", the first workshop of the workshop series was conducted for engineering and technical staff of the Department of Agrarian Development, Department of Irrigation and CSIAP (NWP) in North Western Province by the Design Cell of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) at the Irrigation Training Institute Galgamuwa recently. The workshop's purpose was to equip Sri Lankan engineers with knowledge and skills to use software related to Hydrological Studies and to transfer the knowledge gained by the Design Cell of CSIAP to Implementing Agencies and other authorities related to the Irrigation sector.

This workshop, which was held in two sessions of one week each, was initiated under the instructions of Eng R.M.B. Rajakauruna, Project Director, CSIAP and was guided by the Senior Engineering Consultant Eng H.G.M.Kulasinghe. Project Engineering Consultants Eng R.M.H.N Bandara and Eng P.H.S. Rangika made their contribution to the workshop as resource persons. Mr. W.M.S. Wijesinghe, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP (NWP) coordinated the workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-12-09

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-12-07

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) has built a first-ever Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) School called Farm Field School (FFS) to promote CSA practices in Sri Lanka. The FFS is used to train farmers and give hands-on experience on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices to address the challenges of building strategies for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and food security (crop productivity), which are closely related to agriculture and minimize their potential negative impacts and technologies to the beneficiary farmers of hot spot areas in 11 districts of six provinces such as North Western, North Central, Northern, Eastern, Uva and Southern Provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented. This fully pledged farm field school is located at Wagayakulama village of Thirappane, located approximately 30 km South of Anuradhapura town in the North Central Province.

The FFS was declared open by the Ministry of is declared open by Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation on 04^th at Thirappaney. The main objective of FFS is to enhance the capacities of support organization officials and farmer leaders to promote CSA technologies and practices in their villages. Subsequently, the project aims to impart their knowledge and skills on CSA practices to village-level potential farmers to respond to the adverse climate impacts in their villages. In addition, the project mobilizes trained leader farmers to organize training activities and disseminate knowledge on CSA practices among peer groups.

Renowned Sri Lankan Film Director/Maker late Mr. Dharmasena Pathiraja’s son Dr. Milinda Pathiraja, Senior lecturer in Architecture, who took responsibility of the architectural design of the FFS has provided service with his team at Robust Architecture Workshop free of charge. Dr. Pathiraja was honoured with a Token of Appreciation for his contribution to the FFS at this ceremony.

The FFS project costs around Rs 40Mn and the Ministry of Agriculture is the main agency responsible for executing the project. The CSA is a new concept to the Sri Lankan farming society, even though the farmers apply some traditional CSA practices without a real scientific background. In this scenario, the project wishes to increase and build the capacities of farmers for the use of CSA technologies to combat the climate change impact. The project aims to build a village-level resource person pool with the competencies of CSA technologies & practices from support organization officials and selected leader farmers through the newly established FFS.

All training programs are conducted with the collaboration of the Extension division of the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Peradeniya, including the allocation of potential resource persons for training sessions. The CSIAP is promoting various CSA practices via FFS to increase crop productivity and ensure the food security of the project beneficiaries with a contribution to climate change adaptation and mitigation as follows.

1.     Climate-smart Home Garden Development
2.    Crops Diversification
3.    Implementation of Climate Smart Agronomic Interventions
4.    Promote Micro Irrigation
5.     Climate Smart Seeds Production
6.    Interseason Cultivation to increase cropping intensity

Each batch consists of 25 participants, including leader farmers and technical officials from a support organization. The participants are identified by the provincial Deputy Project Director (DPD) offices to represent all Agrarian Service center (ASCs) divisions and make necessary arrangements to transport them to FFS premises on time.

All sessions are to be organized as residential (03 days) intensive, multi-session and multi-activity group learning sessions that use lecturing, group discussions, demonstrations of practical activities, videos, and other audio-visual resources as well as entertainment activities (drams and role play), etc.

The technology transfer plan for the FFS is developed by 07 modules. Each module consists of thematic areas to be covered and lessons/topics to be discussed and learning objectives to transfer the CSA technologies to the participants. These modules define how the knowledge acquired from training will be used for CSIAP interventions, how knowledge will be disseminated among fellow members, what roles to be played in Farmer Organizations (FOs), Producer Societies (PSs), and Cascade Management Committees (CMCs), and post-evaluation of the training.

The CSIAP is originally planning to carry out 74 training sessions for leader farmers and technical officers during the project period and build capacities of 1850 participants on CSA technologies and practices. Hence, the expected outcome is to establish a CSA knowledge hub within the village and disseminate CSA technologies among beneficiaries residing in the hotspot areas covering all 47 ASC divisions. Subsequently, CSIAP is planning to disseminate the CSA technology and practices to the whole farming communities, those vulnerable to climate change impact in the country, with the intervention of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) officials.

The FFS is one of the most important assets for the farming community in Sri Lanka. Hence, ensuring its sustainability is important. As we mentioned earlier, all capacity-building programs will be conducted with the assistance of extension divisions of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and it leads to creating a competent resource person pool in the Department of Agriculture (DOA) on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices. Also, the training needs on CSA technologies will be increased due to the prevailing scenario. Therefore the project aims to enter into an agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and to hand over this program, including all assets, to ensure sustainable functions of the center for the betterment of the vulnerable farming communities to build their resilience against the climate change impacts.

Parliamentarian Mr. Duminda Dissanayake, Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Senior Officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Provincial Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Development, Field Crop Research & Development Institute, officials related to agriculture field, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Provincial Deputy Project Directors, Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-12-06

Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife & Forest Resources Conservation assured that Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) could contribute to preserving Sri Lanka’s foreign currency reserves by increasing local production in the country at a special Progress Review Meeting held at the Ministry this morning (21st). The minister advised continuing the ongoing programmes in a very systematic manner to increase productivity furthermore. It is important to maintain the sustainability of the activities, which are being conducted,
after the project period, the Minister further added. Eng. Rx.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP presented the current progress of the CSIAP and future activities.

Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Senior Officials of the Ministry and Subject Specialists of the CSIAP attended this meeting.

Photograph by Pathum Rasanjana, Ministry of Agriculture

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-21

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) continually provides farmers with inputs to carry out cultivation without delay in the areas where the CSIAP is being implemented. Under this, around 700 farmers representing producer societies in Mallikativu, Manakandal and Puthukudiyiruppu East received Rs 6.65m worth of inputs recently from the CSIAP.

Inputs such as 13 types of vegetable seeds, Turmeric & Ginger rhizomes, 50 Grow bags, Plants (Guava, Lime, Murunga, Papaw, Passion) Manioc and Sweet potato cuttings were distributed among farmers. The World Bank Team headed by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader handed inputs over to farmers with CSIAP staff.

Addressing the audience Mr. Salau said that the World Bank always support improving the productivity and living standards of the farming community. Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank, Mr. George Babu, Provincial Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this event.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-10

The Sales Centre & Training Hall built at the Agrarian Service Center in Puthukudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu under the modernization of Agrarian Service Centers was inaugurated by the World Bank recently. The World Bank Delegations led by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan ceremonially opened the new Center and Hall by unveiling the plague, and the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) spent Rs 10m to modernize the Puthukudiyiruppu Agrarian Service Center. Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank, Mr. George Babu, Provincial Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were on this attended this occasion.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-10

The World Bank Team arrived in Koolamurippu village, Mullaitivu to supervise Climate Smart Nutritional Sensitive Home Garden (CSNSHG), Crop Clink and Compost Production Programmes conducted by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) recently. The World Bank Officials met members of a Producer Society in the village to find CSISP’s contribution to improving productivity and livelihoods. Farmers in the village highly appreciated the support provided by the CSIAP to improve productivity.

The World Bank Delegations led by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist, Mr. George Babu, Provincial Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were on this tour.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-09

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) commenced a two-day residential workshop in the Project Management Unit (PMU) this morning (09th) to train the Staff of Accounts Departments working for Provincial Deputy Project Directors’ offices and PMU of the CSIAP to use the Financial Management Information System (FMIS). The CSIAP’s finance and accounts activities will be handled via the FMIS from December 01st onwards. Soft Vision Technologies (Pvt) Ltd designed the finance and account application for the CSIAP. Mr. T.T. Dhayalan, System Analyst and Consultant, Soft Vision Technologies (Pvt) and his team are giving the CSIAP Staff a hands-on experience with the FMIS.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-09

The World Bank Officials observed the construction of Mathamoddai Kulam Tank in Semankunru village located in Mulankavil Agrarian Service Center Area in Kilinochchi recently. The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) builds this tank at a cost of Rs 46.32m.

The World Bank Team led by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist met members of the Social Audit Committee and Farmer Organization in the area. The World Bank insisted that the farming community in the project area will be aided. The World Bank advised the contractor of the tank to speed up the rehabilitating process and explain to them the necessity of completing construction as planned.

Mr. George Babu, Provincial Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in this meeting.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-08

The World Bank Officials observed the construction of the Pallai Kulam Tank which is being rehabilitated by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) at the cost of Rs 6.52m in Semankunru village located in Poonakary, Kilinochchi recently.

The World Bank Delegations led by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader met the Social Audit Committee & the Producer Society in the village to highlight the importance of rehabilitating tank which leads to the improving productivity. Mr. Salau pointed out the World Bank’s interest in supporting the farming community in the Northern Province to improve their livelihoods.

Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Mr. George Babu, Provincial Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were on this mission.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-07

United Nations Climate Change Conference ( COP27)
The Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC from 06th to 18th November 2022

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 27 takes place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from 6 to 18 November 2022. The Climate Conference of the Parties is held every year since 1995. It provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss the climate crisis on a global level. Annually, the conference brings actions on issues to addressing the climate emergency from reducing Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), helping communities build resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change, financing climate actions and addressing loss and damage all over the world. This year, the climate conference supposes to assess the progress of the nation toward enhancing resilience and helping the most vulnerable communities.

Sri Lanka, a member county of the United Nations intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is experiencing climate-related natural disasters that resulted in major economic impacts. The damages caused by natural disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclones and landslides are reducing the economic value of the country. The agriculture sector of the country plays a major role in the economy and most of the farmers in the agriculture sector are smallholders, largely depending on rainwater. This has increased the risk of adverse climate change impacts on smallholder farmers.

In this context, it is appropriate to brief on the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in Sri Lanka which has been designed to improve the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas. This project is implementing strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the smallholder agriculture sector through the introduction of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices to boost agriculture production and marketing. CSIAP educate the farmers and develop their skills with scientific knowledge on CSA. The newly established Farm Field School (FFS) will launch its operation in a few weeks to provide scientific training to promote CSA practices to mitigate the climate change impact. The concept of Farm Business School promotes CSA practices in hotspot areas to increase resilience and adapt to climate change. Demonstration Villages have been established to multiply CSA technology transfer to uplift the farmer's cultivation practices.

Cultivation programs including Maha Season, Yala Season, Inter-Seasons, Climate Smart Nutrition Sensitive Home Gardens and Cluster Villages are being implemented to promote CSA practices and increase the resilience of farmers. The beneficiaries are able to achieve maximum production from their farmlands using CSA practices and it helped their socioeconomic resilience. The project introduced new institutional arrangements including Producer Society and Producer Associations to strengthen the farmers against climate change. These institutions are the foundation of a community organization to take collective decisions to promote CSA practices and develop their plan for mitigating climate vulnerability and enhancing climate resilience.

The water for agriculture program is building climate resilience and supporting the rehabilitation of irrigation systems targeting possible future climate changes. It aimed to collect more rainwater and surface runoff to mitigate floods and drought by buffering against climate change. Hydrological assessments and water balance studies have been conducted in 14 river basins to assess effective water availability for the future in river basins, watersheds and cascades of tanks.

Socio-economic well-being is the paramount requirement to strengthen climate resilience in society. Social vulnerability is higher among the elders, women-headed families, differently able people, and economically marginalized people. CSIAP provided safety nets for over 70,000 vulnerable community families in eleven hotspot areas. The community has been strengthened by social and economic capital to mitigate climate change impact and increase resilience.

Climate resilience in biodiversity plays a major role in balancing the production system. As land becomes increasingly scarce and impacts climate change, an effective management system needs to balance conflicting demand or land use in a large landscape. Sustainable management of natural resources will ensure ecosystem resilience. CSIAP is implementing Agro-ecological Landscape Resilience Studies in selected hotspot areas to conduct auditing the landscapes to understand their ecological character both in production and non-production habitat, current issues and challenges and seek opportunities to bring in greater environmental and social resilience through appropriate integration of sustainable agroecological practices to face future climate change risk.

The above study will provide hotspot area development guiding principles that will address a number of key points including land degradation neutrality and nutritional security; the welfare of the watershed community and economic gains to the farmers; adaptation to climate change; emphasis on secondary agriculture; promoting land use and production systems in sync with climate and soil site-suitability of land resources; scientific planning based on technology inputs, spatial and non-spatial data, hydro-geologic and aquifer characteristics; institutional sustainability; and convergence of programs and resources.

The CSIAP wishes the COP 27 a success!

By Dr. Janaka Jayawardana,
Environmental & Social Safeguard Specialist, PMU, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-07

The World Bank Delegations arrived in the Northern Provincial Offices of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) situated in Kilinochchi to review the current progress in the province under the CSIAP recently. The World Bank Team led by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO-Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP met senior officials of implementing agencies Mr. V.Premakumar, Provincial Director of Irrigation, Northern Province, Mr. K. Karunanithy, Deputy Director of Irrigation, Kilinochchi, Mrs. S. Yamini, Acting Deputy Provincial Director of Agriculture, Mullaitivu and Mr. R. Paraneetharan, Assistant Commissioner Agrarian Development, Mullaitivu to discuss ongoing project activities which are implemented and how to move forward to meet the project development objectives.

Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist also represented the World Bank Team. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Mr. George Babu, Deputy Project Director (Northern Province), Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this meeting. Please click Image to see more photos of the event.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-06

The World Bank Delegations visited the Climate Smart Demonstration Village formed in Keppapulavu village located in the Mulliyawalai Agrarian Center area in Mullaitivu, Northern Province recently. The World Bank Officials discussed with the Keppapulavu producer society, formed in the village by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP), to Find out how to support furthermore to improve productivity and their livelihoods. The CSIAP provided this producer society with inputs, seeds and technical guidance to carry out cultivation in the village.

The World Bank team headed by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO-Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP visited the village along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist represented the World Bank, Mr. George Babu, Deputy Project Director (Northern Province), Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-05

CO-Task Team Leader (TTL) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) Mr. Sheu Salau says that the CSIAP will be the best agricultural project in South Asia during a special meeting held in the Project Management Unit (PMU), CSIAP, Colombo this afternoon. Representing the World Bank Mr Salau visited the PMU for the first time along with Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan and Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna warmly welcomed World Bank Officials with the CSIAP staff.

Mr. Salau insisted that all staff of the CSIAP including Provincial Deputy Project Director Offices should work hard to achieve Project Development Objectives that lead to improving the productivity and climate resilience of the farming community where the CSIAP is being implemented. The World Bank stands with the CSIAP staff to support and guide them to move forward with project activities, he further added. Subject Specialists and Officers of the PMU were present in this meeting. Please click Images to see more photos of the event.

Photographs by Gayani Dassanayake, PMU-CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-03

World Bank Delegations had a discussion with members of the Producer Association in Thanduwan of Oddusuddan Agrarian Service Center area, Mullaitivu to find a way that the World Bank could support farmers in the area furthermore to improve their productivity and livelihood.

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) has taken initiative to establish market linkage between farmers and leading retail change to sell agricultural production.

Mr. Sheu Salau, CO-Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP, Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist represented the World Bank. Mr. George Babu, Deputy Project Director (Northern Province), Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in this meeting.

Story by R. Sanjeepan (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-03

The World Bank delegation participated in the inaugural ceremony of the Contingent Climate Smart Nutritional Sensitive Home Garden (CSNSHG) Programme of CSIAP was held in the Thriyai Conference Hall at Kuchavelli, Trincomalee recently. The World Bank Officials headed by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO-Task Team Leader (TTL) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist were warmly welcomed by farmers.

The 470 farmers are selected for this home garden programme in Kuchchaveli ASC area and 14 varieties of seed packs, grow bags & 25 Kg of compost have been given per beneficiary at the initial stage. Farmers expressed their gratitude to the World Bank Officials & the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project for the rehabilitation Agro wells and for improving their livelihood through Yala & Inter Seasonal cultivation. Also, they insisted that more service and support from World Bank through CSIAP Project would be expected furthermore.

Mr. K. Kunanathan, Divisional Secretary, Kuchchavelli, Mr.S. Vimalathas, Principal, Thriyayi Tamil Maha Vidyalayam, Grama Niladari, Economic Development Officers, Trincomalee and Dr. R.M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director (Eastern Province), Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in this event.

Story by K.Karthiga (Monitoring & Evaluation Officer), CSIAP, EP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-02

The World Bank Officials led by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO-Task Team Leader (TTL) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP), met members Social Audit Committee (SAC) and Farm Organization (FO) of Periya Kalillupai Tank & Kattaru Anicut at Pulmodai Agrarian Service Centre in Trincomalee recently during the special tour in Northern and Eastern Provinces to review the progress of the CSIAP. The role of the SAC members in tank rehabilitation work, Grievance Redressal Mechanism and 2022/2023 Maha Cultivation was discussed in this meeting.

Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist joined the World Bank Team. Mr. I.K.G Muthubanda, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Eastern Province, Mr. G. Senthuran, Provincial Deputy Director of Irrigation, Trincomalee and Dr. R.M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director (Eastern Province), Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this event. Please click Images to see more photos of the meeting.

Story by K. Karthiga (Monitoring & Evaluation Officer), CSIAP, EP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-11-02

The World Bank Delegation led by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) & Mission Leader visited the Farm Field School, which is being built at Thirappane, Anuradhapura, to inspect the ongoing construction work recently. Mr. S.M. Seelarathne, Deputy Project Director-North Central Province accompanied the World Bank Officials to the construction site with the CSIAP staff. Instructions were given to complete the construction works in a very successful manner by Mr. Salau. The World Bank Delegation consisted of Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist.

Story and Photographs by Upali Rathnayake (Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist), NCP, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-29

The Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project (CSIAP) gives Rs 14.8 million worth of inputs to farmers in Giribawa to boost Home Gardening Production in North Western Province (NWP) under the Contingency Home Gardening programme. Inputs such as Seeds, Compost, Electric Fence Energizer and Parachute trays were given to 150 farmers recently at the Divisional Secretariat, Giribawa.

This programme is planned to enhance household food security and nutrition in areas where the CSIAP is being implemented. There are around 3254 farm families in the Giribawa Divisional Secretariat, Kurunegala district and a total of 15,762 farm families are with this programme in NWP.

Mr. H.M.Bandara, Divisional Secretary & 08 Officers of the Divisional Secretariate, Giribawa, Mr. A.P. Pradeep, Divisional Officer, Rajanganaya ASC, Mr. W.M.S. Wijesinghe, Deputy Project Director (NWP) & officers of the CSIAP, 15 Grama Niladaries, 15 Agriculture Research and Production Assistants, 10 Economic Development Officers, 13 Samurdhi Development Officers and 150 farmers attended this event.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture Facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-26

The World Bank Officials visited Poonakary, Kilinochchi yesterday (25th) to observe Pallai Kulam Tank which is being rehabilitated by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). This mission was arranged to monitor the activities of the project implementation. Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP & Mission Leader, Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Mr. George Babu , Provincial Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were on this mission.

Photographs by A.K.C. Amarathunaga, PMU-CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-26

The Frame Field School (FFS) at Thirappane being built by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) will be used to train farmers and give hands-on experience on CSA practices and technologies to the beneficiary farmers of hot spot areas in 11 districts of six provinces. The FFS is located at Mannakkulama Village of Thirappane in Anuradhapura District. Direct beneficiaries of the FFS are 2,700 selected male and female farmers and 150 extension staff of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Development. The FFS project costs Rs 117M and the Ministry of Agriculture is the primary agency responsible for executing the project which is financed by the World Bank.

Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, the CSIAP supervised the construction process of the FFS yesterday (24).

Photographs by A.K.C. Amarathunaga, PMU-CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-25

A special workshop began this morning (21) in the World Bank Office, Colombo to discuss the restructuring of the Result Framework of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) for the rest of the project period. This workshop was chaired by Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- Task Team Leader (TTL) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) & Mission Leader of the World Bank.

Mr. John. C. Keyser, TTL of the CSIAP , Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank, Senior Officials of Ministry of Agriculture, Department of External Resource and Department of Agrarian Development, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Provincial Deputy Project Directors and Subject Specialists of the CSIAP were present in this programme. Please click Images to see more photos of the workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-21

The World Bank assesses the overall development progress of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) and its effectiveness in delivering project development objectives. The World Bank Team headed by Mr. John. C. Keyser, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the CSIAP arrived in CSIAP’s head Office, Colombo this morning (20^th) to evaluate progress, review and get updated on the current status of the CSIAP. Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP welcomed the World Bank Officials and presented the overall progress of the CSIAP. This meeting was also an opportunity for Subject Specialists in the Project Management Unit (PMU) to reflect on progress in each of their subjects and the overall performances of the CSIAP.

Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- TTL of the CSIAP & Mission Leader, Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Environmental Consultant Ms. Sithara Athapatthu, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist, Mr. Shanek Fernando, Social Development Specialist, Ms. Nadeera Rajapaksha, Environmental Specialist, of the World Bank, Provincial Deputy Project Directors, Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this meeting. The World Bank Officials outside Sri Lanka joined the meeting virtually too. Please click Images to see more photos of the event.

Photographs by Gayani Dassanayake, PMU-CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-20

The World Bank Team headed by Mr. John. C. Keyser, Task Team Leader (TTL) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) discussed the current modernization process of 47 Agrarian Service Centers located in eleven districts where the CSIAP is being implemented. The main objective of the modernization of Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs) is to convert the Community Centre into a One-Stop Service Centre that caters for the real needs of the farming community in the area. This is considered as one of the biggest sub-projects, which comes under the CSIAP. It has many components and therefore this project will involve implementing major interventions with a view to developing the ASC as a One-Stop Service Centre, which provides modern services to the farmers to become resilient to the changing climate situation and thereby overcome the issues that hinder their productivity.

The following main areas have been identified as priority basis for the modernization of ASCs in all six provinces. The major 03 interventions are;

Renovating, expanding and refurbishing existing 47 office buildings of the ASCs within areas of the CSIAP to function as attractive and productive One-stop Service Centers
Establishing a full pledged ICT unit within each of the 47 ASCs with trained officials and the necessary equipment to provide required data related to weather forecasts, markets, and new technology for farmers under the digitalization of ASCs.
Establishing a Farm Machinery Hub (FMU) in each of the 47 ASCs managed by the Agrarian Development Committee (ADC) of the ASC to prevent the exploitation of farmers from the middlemen and also to provide an opportunity for the ADC to develop the Agrarian Fund.

The review meeting held this morning (19th) at the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) was chaired by Mr. A. H. M. L. Abeyrathne, Commissioner General of Agrarian Development. Mr. Vijayakumar Rajaratnam, Commissioner (Development), DAD pointed out the modernization process of 47 ASCs. Mr. Sheu Salau, CO- TTL of the CSIAP & Mission Leader of the World Bank also commented on the ASC modernization process.

Consultant Mr. S. Manoharan, Dr. Athula Senarathne, Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank, Mr. D.V. Bandulasena, Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist, Mr. Samantha Mallawaarachchi, IEC & ICT Specialist and Mr. Christy Perera, Agri-Business & Market Linkage Development specialist of the CSIAP were also present in this meeting. Please click Images to see more photos of the event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-19

Empowering women for ensuring the Nutritional Food Security of the Household and increasing farmer income
under the Prevailing Economic Crisis in Sri Lanka

“Implementing Contingency Climate Smart Nutrition Sensitive Home Gardening (CERCSNSHG) program in climatically the most vulnerable Hotspot areas of 11 districts in Sri Lanka commenced in 2022 with 64, 407 households beneficiaries in 2 phases: for ensuring food & nutrition security and increase farmer income under the prevailing economic crisis in Sri Lanka”.

Background
The basic concept of the home garden system evolved thousands of years ago. The basic structures of the home garden varied from place to place, based on their ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural settings. The structure and crops of the home gardens are almost the same in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Generally, home gardening is practiced on a small scale of land close to the dwelling premise. The produce from the home garden is usually added to the daily nutrient supplements of the family members. Home garden is a kind of farming technique, which does not involve the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and therefore promotes nutritional and organic food safety.

Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) aims to enhance climate resilience, crop productivity, and farm income of smallholder agriculture in climatically most vulnerable regions (hotspots) of Sri Lanka by focusing on three core areas: agricultural production, market, value chain development, and water storage and management. This overarching goal is to be realized by promoting: Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices, market-responsive and diversified crop patterns, secure and dependable irrigation systems, proactive input and extension supports, women empowerment for economic decisions and collective bargaining, access to processing, storage, and value chain networks.

Since nutritional food security cannot be divorced from the resilience, productivity, and economic adaptability of agricultural production systems. Although food systems form only a part of agricultural production systems, given their significance for rural livelihoods and national consumption, they have impacts far beyond the agricultural sector. CSIAP does have an underlying, but fundamental, need to equally transform the food systems.

Therefore, Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is now implementing the 2^nd phase of the Climate Smart Nutritional Sensitive Home Gardening (CSNSHG) program as the name of Contingent Emergency Response Nutritional Sensitive Home Garden Programme – 2022 for ensuring nutritional food security of the household and to increase farmer income under the prevailing economic crisis in Sri Lanka. This program is primarily focusing on women who are living in climatically vulnerable hotspots in rural areas in Sri Lanka.

Opportunities and Challenges for implementing the Contingency Nutritional Sensitive Home Garden Programme – 2022
Factors within the agriculture sector that impede rural women’s economic and social empowerment include lack of ownership of productive resources such as land, lower wages, limited program focus on female farmers, and poor avenues to engage in the decision-making process in the agriculture sector. Through these home garden activities, women are encouraged to undertake the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, and condiments in their home gardens achieving household food & nutritional security while opening avenues to have a sustainable source of income for the household. By being effectively involved with this home gardening program women can contribute to fulfilling the family’s nutritional food requirements through the home garden, improving the family’s food consumption pattern, and minimizing the cost of food requirements of the family. This subproject is not only a significant milestone of rural women's empowerment in the selected hotspot area but also helps to ensure nutritional food security during the country’s current economic crisis.

At the same time, food & nutrition are very important concepts. The National Nutrition Policy (NNP) in Sri Lanka iterates, ‘The nutritional well-being of a population is influenced by determinants that cut across the areas of responsibilities of different sectors and agencies. Household food insecurity, for example, is influenced by factors such as health, education, employment, food availability, and food affordability, and leads to malnutrition. Therefore, home gardens and nutrition-related subprojects are most relevant to improve the existing situation and conditions of the rural community. Also, this subproject will respond to the relatively low levels of nutrition among children, pregnant ladies, elders, young children, men, and women and ensure higher standards of nutrition for all citizens in Sri Lanka. Nutrition levels of children are a key concern, as well as those of younger women.

Considering all the above facts, the CSIAP is implementing Contingent Emergency Response Nutrition Sensitive Home Gardens (CERNSHG) in 2022 with farm women as a strategy for increasing nutritional food security through women empowerment during the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Women who will be involved with the project are familiar with the cultivation of vegetables and other food crops in their home gardens but failed to utilize their resources sustainably.

Interestingly, the disruptions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the current serious economic crisis in Sri Lanka have exposed some of the challenges and fragilities of contemporary nutritional food systems. These issues include problems of access to affordable, safe, and nutritious food supply under lockdown and closed market situations, food loss from delayed cultivation/harvest due to movement restrictions, the vulnerability of farmers growing high-value, labour-intensive, and perishable crops, and livelihood risks of those engaged in informal food value chains and supply chain networks.

The disruptions in food systems will create opportunities to drive positive and long-term-oriented changes. To begin with, by exposing how responsive or otherwise the different segments of existing food systems are, the crisis did provide an opportunity to identify weak spots and take corrective actions. The uncertainties caused by disturbances in imports and distant supply sources have also underlined the importance of closer and more flexible supply sources and shorter and predictable value chains. There is an impetus to rely more on alternate input sources and localized markets, and create resilient food supply chains through decentralized storage, inventory management, and spaced investment options. The current crisis has also provided a new thrust, ensuring food security and context for protecting agricultural ecosystems and biodiversity as a natural buffer for food systems against diseases, anthropogenic risks, and natural imbalances.

Food Systems Transformation Through Home Gardening: What and Why?
Food systems involve not just food production systems but the entire gamut of ecological, infrastructural, institutional, and policy environments within which they operate. In this sense, the key components of food systems are the production system and its landscape and ecology, irrigation, input and extension infrastructures and institutions, value chain, marketing, and supply chain networks, and overall policy environment. Home gardening is needed to transform these components to make the food systems not only economically efficient & ecologically sustainable but also climatically resilient, nutritionally sensitive, accessible to the needy, and flexible and responsive to emerging changes and uncertainties.

Since the home gardening program is a key part of the overall attempt of CSIAP to transform the entire smallholder agriculture itself there are many operational linkages & functional synergies between the objectives of the home garden and the overall project development objectives of CSIAP.

Further, the current economic crisis and the COVID -19 pandemic limit the future food supply of the country through the limited availability of food items and also owing to the unhealthy financial status of the country. During the field visit, women farmers highlighted the need for home gardens to meet family consumption and minimize the malnutrition problem in rural areas with climatic vulnerability. They have pointed out that the surplus production may give additional income or savings to farming families while supplying reduced pesticide/ pesticide-free fresh fruits and vegetables to the end users for their daily consumption.

In addition to the above fact, based on the country’s current economic crisis, there is a critical need to promote and maintain sustainable home gardens in the most climatically vulnerable hotspot areas to ensure nutritional food security and reduce hunger and malnutrition all over the country. Therefore, CSIAP has already implemented the CSNSHG program in 11 climatically most vulnerable hotspot areas with 5,545 in 2020/21. The second phase of the CERCSNSHGP is currently implemented by addressing lessons learned from the first phase of the HG programs in the hotspot areas.

The beneficiary of CERCSNSHGP – 2022

Table no. 01 indicates the number of households selected for implementing the Contingency Climate Smart Nutritional Sensitive Home Gardening Program 2022. It was identified that approximately 82,692 farmer households are located in the climatically vulnerable hotspot areas and out of that 5, 545 households benefitted under the CSNSHG Program in 2020/21. In addition to that considering the prevailing economic crisis of the country 64,407 households were identified for the Contingency Climate Smart Nutritional Sensitive Home Garden Programme – 2022 under the CSIA project. The 1^st phase of the program is being implemented in the early Maha Season of 2022 and 2^nd phase of the same program will be implemented in the late Maha season of 2022.

Table no. 02 is indicating that conducted awareness/ meetings/ discussions which held with the officials on the Implementation of the Contingent Emergency Response Home Garden Programme – 2022 to accelerate the program in the climatically most
vulnerable hotspot areas. The acceleration and the successful implementation of this program were with 19 awareness/ meetings/ discussions/ progress reviews with the relevant officials of the project and still, it’s going weekly.

Table n0. 03 is indicating that conducted IEC & ICT Campaigns for the Contingent Emergency Response Home Garden Programs for the Public. The project support increasing agricultural productivity for both men and women sustainably. Therefore, IEC & ICT campaigns build on men's and women's knowledge of local resources and climatic condition/ weather information, awareness on increasing women's access to advisory services, education, and information on sustainable agriculture, by training female extension agents, using specific methods appropriate and accessible for women (announcements, public campaigns, disseminating information leaflets and posters), and planning training and demonstrations in venues convenient for both women and men, Support men's and women's organizations and networks, and strengthen the capacity of women's groups, offering matching grants for enterprise and business development which facts were informed to the public through the IEC & ICT campaign. 268 IEC & ICT campaigns were conducted with the participation of 27854 public out of 18498 (66%) were rural women in climatically most vulnerable hotspot areas.

Rural women are empowered on the CSA options/ practices which are stress tolerance varieties, conservation agriculture, improved home garden, on-farm tree planting, and composting. Stress-tolerant varieties are bred to be adapted to specific climate challenges, such as droughts, floods, submergence, saline or acidic soils, and pests, so they can be effective in improving food security by reducing the risk of crop failure. However, stress-tolerant varieties are often expensive and require new technologies and more inputs to grow, which could be a challenge for women, who face more constraints than men in accessing resources and knowledge.

Small-scale irrigation systems, like rainwater harvesting, and agro wells can provide a secure supply of water for domestic use and home gardens, even in times of drought. Such systems enable year-round home garden cultivation and improve nutritional food security for families. They can also reduce the time women spend collecting water, thus allowing them to invest freed time and energy in education and productive work, and giving them access to and control over the additional income and benefits brought by these systems.

In this way, men and women in were received technical training on soil conservation, rainwater harvesting, crop mulching, using grow bags for cultivation, and preparing compost and liquate fertilizer in the climatically most vulnerable hotspot area under this program. 284 technical training conducted so far and 18529 public participated and out of that 11680 (63%) of them are rural women from climatically most vulnerable hotspot areas.

Women’s adaptation ability can be affected by labor requirements from Climate-Smart Agricultural practices. Therefore, the project helps to reduce women’s workload and time poverty. For example: Promote labor-saving technologies and methodologies (such as machinery and tools easily handled by women and children), and adopt household methods to discuss within families on labor concerns of men and women. Therefore the following items are providing to the farmers free of charge in 2022.

Under this program selected all beneficiaries (100%) receive inputs like a variety of vegetable seeds (Chili, Tomato, Brinjal, ladies finger /Okra, Long beans, Capsicum (O.P), Bitter gourd, Snake gourd, Wing bean, Radish, Cucumber, Luffa, Spinach¸ and Grow Bags & Compost bag (25 kg), Planting Materials and Poultry Chicks distribute among 50% of identified beneficiaries, Tool kit (Water spraying can, Wheelbarrow, Mamoty, Hand Fork, Jungle knife) will be distributed 25% of identified beneficiaries in 11 districts which are Kurunegala, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Ampara, Batticaloa, Hambantota, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu districts and 37 Divisional Secretariat Divisions, 49 Agrarian Service Center Divisions and 256 Grama Niladhari Divisions in the 06 Provinces.

Conclusion
Hotspot Area agri-food systems are threatened by climate change at a time when demand for food is increasing and the country’s markets are disrupted by COVID-19 and the economic crisis. The result is a loss of livelihoods and growing unemployment, hunger, and malnutrition. Women are disproportionally affected yet have limited opportunities to participate in adaptation efforts.

Mainstreaming gender-smart investments in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) presents great opportunities to mitigate risks, amplify impacts, and reduce gender inequality. This can better inform investment decisions and identify market opportunities by focusing on building capacity and increasing access to finance for women-owned and women-led agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs), promoting gender equality within agribusinesses and across their value chain partners, and offering products or services which significantly improve the lives of women and girls.

CSIAP has identified four key dimensions for promoting gender equality in the context of CSA: participation in decision-making at the household, community, national and global levels, Access to, control of, and ability to use productive resources such as agro-climatic information, technology, credit, and income, Decreased workloads that free up time and ease physical burdens and collective action is a platform for women to share information and resources, support each other, express their voices, and participate in community decision-making.

Successful mainstreaming of gender-smart CSA investments requires four interdependent actions:
·       CAPACITY BUILDING: Scaling gender-smart CSA options require building capacities of all actors in the food ecosystem, including farmers, SMEs, corporations, financiers, and public bodies – 284 training programs conducted this year.
·       GENDER-RESPONSIVE PRODUCTS AND PROGRAMS: As gender norms and biases exist across societies, organizations, and systems, gender analyses are needed to identify gaps, develop innovative products, and transform processes and value chains to foster gender equality – 198 programs have already been implemented from 2019.
·       PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT: Partnerships to leverage resources and knowledge are crucial for faster collective action.
·       SEX-DISAGGREGATED DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Developing and using sex-disaggregated data is essential to identify new gender-smart CSA business models and investment strategies.

Written By:
Sharmila Shanmuganathan
Gender Development Officer
Project Management Unit, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-17

October 15 is the “International Day of Rural Women” which recognizes the crucial work of women and girls in the food systems of the world. This year’s theme is: “Rural Women Confront the Global Cost of Living Crisis.” For Sri Lanka, it reflects the fact that the current disruptions in food markets and food price inflation are worsening gender disparities in food insecurity and malnutrition. In addition to their low decision-making power, the food and nutrition crisis is hitting women harder because they bear the brunt of households’ coping strategies in tough times. Empowering women farmers can serve as a transformative tool to boost food production. Yet, this hasn’t been a straightforward solution owing to barriers that constrain women’s productivity.

Women also spend more time on care work and household management than men, leaving them with less time to devote to farming, supervising labour and participating in reciprocal labour groups. Finally, limited access to markets is a binding constraint for women farmers due to their lower cash reserves, restrictions on mobility, and potential safety concerns. Women also face greater obstacles in accessing storage facilities and new digital solutions that could strengthen market links. Strengthening the linkage to the market, improving transportation, and information technology services are pivotal. Alongside this, boosting investments in storage and technology can help mitigate the risks of post-harvest losses. Providing financial (or other) incentives to directly buy from women in the supply chain could also be considered.

Many of these interventions that have been initiated by CSIAP in climatically vulnerable hotspot areas are highly cost-effective, making them scalable and sustainable solutions to address food insecurity without adding pressure on limited fiscal space. While these solutions can directly help boost production, it is equally important to build resilient food systems, especially in the face of climate change. Fiscal policies targeted at providing financial and social assistance to women alongside capacity-building programs and public investments in infrastructure can increase the adoption of climate-smart crops, livestock, and technologies.

Gender Unit
Project Management Unit
Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-15

The 08th National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) chaired by Mr. M.B Rohana Pushpakumara, the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture held today (05th) at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The NPSC is set up at the Ministry of Agriculture, which takes the overall responsibility for executing the project. The NPSC will consist of key officials of the major stakeholder agencies of the central government, provincial government, private sector and the apex level community organizations mainly to provide policy guidance to the project and to ensure achieving the project’s objectives.

Chief Secretaries of the six provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented, Senior officials of the World Bank, implementing agencies, and Provincial Deputy Project Directors of the CSIAP joined the meeting virtually and senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Development and Subject Specialists of the CSIAP were present physically in this meeting. Please click Images to see more photos of the meeting.

Photographs by Gayani Dassanayake, PMU-CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-05

Consultancy Service for Conducting Training of Trainers (TOT) Programs for Selected Officers of Provincial Department of Agriculture and CSIAP Project, for Farmer Business School (FBS) Programmes and Consulting Services to Prepare a Agro-ecological Landscape Resilience Plan in the Monaragala Hot Spot Area. Please click https://csiap.lk/request_for_expression_of_interests to obtain more information.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-10-02

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) distributed Two Million worth of Equipment such as Sprinkler Irrigation Systems (50), Compost Making Kit (500) and Rain Shelters (20) among CSIAP farmers in Kokawewa, Galenbindunuwewa ASC area recently. The Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera participated in this event and supervised CSIAP’s activities too. Minister Amaraweera and Parlimentarian Mr. Duminda Dissanayahe handed over equipment to CSIAP farmers. The Deputy Project Director’s (DPD)Office in the North Central Province of the CSIAP organized this distribution ceremony of equipment. Ministry of Agriculture engaged in a friendly discussion with villagers to find issues that they face and propose solutions.

Parliamentarian Mr. Duminda Dissanayake, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Deputy Project Director (NCP) Mr. S.M. Seelarathne, around 100 farmers, Agriculture Instructors (Inter-Provincial) Agriculture Facilitators and CSIAP staff in NCP were present in this programme.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-09-26

The Geo- Enabling Initiative for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS) Programme for both Monitoring & Evaluation Officers and Safeguard Officers of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is being held at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM), Athurugiriya. This three days residential programme commenced on 22nd this month aims at giving hands-on experience on GEMS for both Monitoring & Evaluation Officers and Safeguard Officers of the project

Ms. Dikshya Dawadi, GEMS Consultant and Mr. Dimesh Nilendra, GEMS Consultant, World Bank conducted this programme which was organized by Dr. Janaka Jayawardana Environmental & Social Safeguard Specialist and his team. Around 31 officers representing Provincial Deputy Project Directors’ Offices and Project Management Unite were present in this event. Please click Images to see more photos of this programme.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-09-23

An Orientation Programme for newly recruited Agriculture Facilitators (AFs)of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project is being held now
at the Irrigation Training Institute (ITI), Galgamuwa under the guidance of Mr. D.V. Bandulasena, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP. Representing North Western, North Central, Northern, Eastern, Uva and Southern Provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented, forty-seven fresh AFs are attending this two-day residential programme. Subject specialists from the PMU will deliver lectures over two days on different subject areas for AFs to realize their roles and responsibilities at the ground level when working at the Agrarian Service Center level. Please Images to see more photos of the event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-09-01

A Home Garden Field Training Programme was conducted in the Gurulupitigama Grama Niladhari Division of the Rajanganaya Agricultural Service Area in Giribawa by the Deputy Project Director’s Office in the North Western Province of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project on 24th and 25th this month. This was one of the hundreds of programmes scheduled in North Western Province under the Emergency Home Gardening Programme in this year.

Mr. Ravindra Bandara, Agriculture Instructor, demonstrated how farmers could make home gardens and shared his technical expertise with farmers. A subjective discussion was also held with the farmers about the various agricultural issues that they are currently experiencing when cultivating.

Mrs. E.M.N.S. Ekanayakem Grama Niladari (Gurulupitigama), Mr.Premarathnamm, Agriculture Research and Products Assistant (Gurulupitigama) Mrs. S.N.W.M. Anuradha Sandamali, Economic Development Officer (Gurulupitigama), Mrs. P.J.N..Senawirathna, Samurdhi Development Officer (Gurulupitigama), and around 180 villagers were present in this event.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture Facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-08-27

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-08-07

The 07^th National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) chaired by Mr. M.B Rohana Pushpakumara, the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture is being held today (29th) at the Auditorium of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The NPSC is set up at the Ministry of Agriculture, which takes the overall responsibility for executing the project. The NPSC will consist of key officials of the major stakeholder agencies of the central government, provincial government, private sector and the apex level community organizations mainly to provide policy guidance to the project and to ensure achieving the project’s objectives.

Chief Secretaries of the six provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented, Senior officials of the World Bank, Implementing agencies, and Deputy Project Directors of the CSIAP provincial joined the meeting remotely via WebEx video conferencing, and senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture were present physically in this meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-29

Both Mr. Silva and Mr. Wijerathna addressing farmers at the Community Hall

A ratification meeting of tank rehabilitation for farmers' societies in Sangappalaya Grama Niladhari Division attached to the Andarawewa cascade system was conducted at Sangappalaya Community Hall in the Tabutta Agricultural Service Area of Kurunegala yesterday (19th). The Social Audit Committee and Cascade System Management Committee were appointed there too. Mr. Sanath de Silva, Senior Engineer Assistant, explained the importance of tank rehabilitation and its advantages to farmers. Mr.K.A.D.J.A.K. Wijerathna, Senior Technical Officer, CSIAP-NWP informed farmers of CSIAP’s contribution to tank rehabilitation for the betterment of the farming community in the NWP. Officers from the Department of Agrarian Development, around sixty-five farmers and CSIAP Staff-NWP were present in the programme. Please click Images to see more photos of the event.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture Facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-20

Programmes in Puliyankadawala, Galoya, Singhegama, Mahasengama, Moragaswewa and Dekethipothana

Around 1230 farmers participated in the Home Garden Upscaling Programme and the Agro Well Improvement Programme conducted in six Grama Niladhari Divisions (Dekethipothana- 253 farmers, Puliyankadawala-216 farmers, Rotawewa-207 farmers, Galoya-113 farmers, Singhegama-107 farmers, Moragaswewa-274 farmers and Mahasengama- 60 farmers) in Parangiyawadiya and Hingurakgoda Agrarian Service Centres areas of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts by the Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in North Central Province recently.

Mr. U.I. Ratnayake, Institutional Development & Capacity Building (IDCB) Specialist and Ms. M.A.P. Gunasekara, Gender Development Officers of the CSIAP-NCP organized the above programmes.

Story and Photographs by U.I. Ratnayake, IDCB Specialist, CSIAP-NCP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-19

Home Gardening Programmes at Madobe and Siyabalewa Grama Niladhari Divisions

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP)’s Home Gardening Programme ensures to some extent the stability of household food security at the village level. The CSIAP’s study of home gardens in its project area revealed that home gardening families spend less on food than non-gardening families, while home gardening families who plant a larger number of varieties of fruits and vegetables spend even less spending on their food purchasing. Therefore, the Deputy Project Director’s Office of the CSIAP in North Western Province is promoting Emergency Home Gardening Programmes throughout the province. Two more promotional programmes were conducted at Madadobe Welfare Association Building and Siyabalewa Society Building in the Galgamuwa ASC Division last week. Mrs. Champika Abeywradena, Gender Development Officer, CSIAP-NWP, explained the importance of commencing Home Gardening, how to implement it in the village and the support that could be provided by the CSIAP.

Mr. N. P. S. R. Dharmathilaka, Grama Niladhari, Mr. H. M. A. B. Herath, Economic Development Officer in Madadobe with 85 farmers, Mrs. E. J. M. V. P. K. Jayasundara, Grama Niladhari, Siyabalewa with 50 farmers and the CSIAP Staff attended both programmes. Please click Madadobe and Siyabalewa to see more photos of the both events.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture Facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-18

The Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in North Western Province made officials of the Ehetuwewa Divisional Secretariate aware of the Emergency Home Gardening Programme to address potential food shortages at the Divisional Secretary Auditorium Hall, Ethuwewa recently.

On behalf of CSIAP-NWP, Mrs. Champika Abeywradena, Gender Development Officer, explained the activities of the CSIAP, the importance of commencing Home Gardening, and officers’ assistance to implement it at village levels and the support that could be provided to the programme by the CSIAP. Mrs. W. M. U. Weerasinghe, Divisional Secretary, Mr. Y. M. J .Y. Bandara , Deputy Director (Planning), Mr. K. B. P. Bandara – Divisional Officer, Department of Agrarian Development, Mr. W. A. Priyantha Weerasinghe , Grama NIladhari (Admin), Ehetuwewa and W. R.M. S Nawarathna Business Development Officer , CSIAP-NWP and round 50 Officers at the Ehetuwewa Divisional Secretariate were present in this programme. Please click Images to see more photos of the programme.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-16

Mrs. Abeywardena addressing farmers

The Deputy Project Director’s Office of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) in North Western Province conducted an Emergency Home Gardening Programme to address potential food shortages for Farmers in the Bulnewa Grama Niladari area of the Galgamuwa ASC division at the Bulnewa Welfare Association Building this week.

Mrs. Champika Abeywradena, Gender Development Officer, CSIAP-NWP, explained the importance of commencing Home Gardening, how to implement it in the village and the support that could be provided by the CSIAP. Mrs. J. M Anoma Kumari, Economic Development Officer, Bulnewa Gramaniladhari Division, around 87 farmers and the CSIAP Staff participated in this programme. Please click Images to see more photos of the event.

Story and Photographs by Chamara Basnayake (Agriculture Facilitator), Rajanganaya ASC, NWP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-16

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-15

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-07-07

The World Bank suggested scaling up activities for agricultural production to enhance food security and increase farmers’ income to overcome the prevailing economic crises in Sri Lanka.

In order to accomplish the above task, the following areas were discussed at a very special meeting held at the Project Management Unit, Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) yesterday (25^th)
1. Aggressive scaling-up of homestead vegetable gardening
2. Rapid scaling up of organic compost production
3. Aggressive promotion/supply of materials for leguminous cover crops (Green manure; Sun hemp, Glyricedia etc.) and other soil enhancement techniques
4. Dialogue with our procurement team on involving Farm Organizations in canal maintenance.

Provincial Deputy Project Directors, CSIAP of six provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented joined the meeting remotely. Mr. John C. Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and the Task Team Leader of the CSIAP, Dr. Athula Senaratne (Senior Agriculture Specialist), Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan (Consultant - Agriculture & Rural Development) of the World Bank, R.M.B. Rajakaruna Project Director, Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present physically in this discussion. Please click Images to see more photos of the discussion.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-05-26

Secretary Mr. Bandaranayake addressing the audience

We need to act fast to reach Project Development Objectives (PDOs ) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project ( CSIAP) in a timely manner according to the schedule, said Mr. D.M.L Bandaranayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture on the final day of the 03 day special workshop conducted to develop the Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) for the Project Component- 1 of CSIAP held yesterday (07th) at Janki Hotel, Colombo.

When local projects in the country have been halted due to the current economic crisis, an opportunity has arisen for you to do something for the country with a foreign-funded project like the CSIAP, the Secretary expressed. You should think of moving forward by fulfilling your own duties and responsibilities. The focus should be on the physical development of the project. Therefore, we must all work together to develop the country through agriculture and uplift the living standards of the farming community, Mr. Bandaranayake further added.

The CSIAP's Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Provincial Deputy Project Directors, Subject Specialists and Subject Officers attended this workshop which was organized by the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the Project Management Unit, CSIAP Mr. Bandula Sirimal. Please click Images to see more photos of the final day.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-05-08

Project Director Eng. Rajakaruna addressing his staff on the inaugural day of the workshop

A 03 day special workshop on the development of the Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) for the Project Component- 1 of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) began under the patronage of the CSIAP's Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna this morning (05th) at Hotel Janaki, Colombo. This workshop is structured to develop a set of norms for the preparation of a detailed action plan which will seed up CSIAP’s activities till the project ends in 2024.

Day 01:

* Adoption of CSA practices for Agriculture production and demonstration of the effectiveness of CSA practices through FBS and uptake of CSA practices through Producer Society/Producer Association

* Institutional development and marketing

* Cascade Management and Operation & Management of the Irrigation Systems (identifying the activities for Cascade management and Operation & Management

Day 02:
* Preparation of overall action plan for agriculture production and marketing for each province with separate plans for ASC with a focus on the planning of cascade

Day 03:
* Continuation of overall action plan preparation for agriculture production and marketing for each province based on the comments given for ASC level action plans

Deputy Project Directors, Subject Specialists and Subject Officers attended this workshop which was organized by the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the Project Management Unit, CSIAP Mr. Bandula Sirimal. Please click to see Images more photos of the above programme.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-05-05

The World Bank Officials headed by Professor Ravichandran Kannan (CSA Specialist) of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations met Mr. Chandrasiri Bandara, the Chief Secretary of the North Central Province (NCP) on the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) at the Chief Secretariat in Anuradhapura recently. The CSIAP is being implemented in two districts of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in North Central Province. Dr. Athula Senaratne (Senior Agriculture Specialist of the World Bank, Mr. Maheepala Herath, Govender, Senior Officials of Provincial Council and implementing agencies in NCP, Mr. Lakshman Premanath, (Deputy Project Director-NCP), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-04-13

The Mid Term Review (MTR) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) was held between representatives of the World Bank and officials of the Northern Province (NP) chaired by Mr. S. M. Saman Bandulasena, Chief Secretary, Northern Province at the Chief Secretariat in Jaffna recently. The CSIAP is being implemented in districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu in the Northern Province. Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan (Consultant - Agriculture & Rural Development) of the World Bank, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Manhachery (Hydrologist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Consultant), Senior Officials of Provincial Council and implementing agencies in the NP, Mr. George Chandra Babu, (Deputy Project Director-NP), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this event. Please click Images to see more photos of the MTR of the NP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-04-13

The World Bank team discusses the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the CSIAP with Mr. P. B. Wijayarathna, the Chief Secretary of the Uva Province (UP) at the Chief Secretariat in Badulla recently . The CSIAP is being implemented in the district of Monaragala in UP. The World Bank Team included Dr. Athula Senaratne (Senior Agriculture Specialist) of the World Bank, Professor Rathinasamy Saleth (Climate Smart Agriculture, Producer Collectives & Enterprise Promotion, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Consultant) and Professor Ravichandran Kannan (CSA Specialist, FAO Consultant). Senior Officials of Provincial Council and implementing agencies in UP, Mr. I.H. Dharmasekara, (Deputy Project Director-UP), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this event. Please click Images to see more photos of the MTR of the UP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-04-10

World Bank Officials inspecting Farm Machinery Unit at Weerawila

The World Bank Officials visited the Farm Machinery Unit (FMU) established at the Agrarian Service Center (ASC) in Weerawila, Hambantota during the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) with the help of the CSIAP, planned to commence the FMU as one of the major interventions for the ASC to act as an efficient and effective one-stop service centre. It is also expected to provide a better service for the farmers through the ASC to solve critical issues such as lack of agriculture machinery, which hinders expected productivity of the farmer lands and reduces the high production cost and thereby improving the life condition of the farmers in the CSIAP areas. The DAD plans to pilot two such units in Parangiyawadiya and Weerawila ASCs respectively in Anuradhapura and Hambantota districts this year with the financial assistance of the CSIAP. The total estimated cost of the two pilot Units is approximately Rs 240 million and the CSIAP invests Rs 195.39 million two ASCs mentioned above.

Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan (Consultant - Agriculture & Rural Development), Mr, Shanek Fernando (Social Development Specialist), Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne (Consultant - Institutions) and Mr. Mohamed Ameen (Consultant - Capacity Building, Fiduciary) of the World Bank, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna (Project Director), Mr. Mahinda Suwandaarachchi (Deputy Project Director- Southern Province), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-04-05

The World Bank Officials headed by Mr. John. C. Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and the Task Team Leader of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) had a special discussion of the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the CSIAP with Mr. D. M.L. Bandaranayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture this afternoon at the Ministry. The World Bank Officials joined the meeting remotely via WebEx video conferencing. Senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director and specialists of the CSIAP attended this meeting. Please click Images to see photos of the meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-04-04

The Mid Term Review (MTR) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) began between the World Bank officials led by Mr. John C. Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and the Task Team Leader of the CSIAP and officials of the Southern Province (SP) headed by Mr. R.C. de. Zoisa at the Jade Green Hotel, Hambantota this morning (01st). The CSIAP is being implemented in the district of Hambantota in the Southern Province and the WB officials already had discussions with Chief Secretaries of the rest of the five provinces (North Western, North Central, Northern, Eastern and Uva) where the CSIAP is being implemented.

Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan (Consultant - Agriculture & Rural Development), Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne (Consultant - Institutions) and Mr. Mohamed Ameen (Consultant - Capacity Building, Fiduciary) of the World Bank, Mr. Azhar Khan (M&E Specialist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Consultant), Senior Officials of Provincial Council and implementing agencies in the SP, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna (Project Director), Mr. Mahinda Suwandaarachchi, (Deputy Project Director-SP), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this programme. Please click Images to see more photos of the MTR of the SP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-04-01

The World Bank team led by Mr. John C. Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and the Task Team Leader of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) discusses the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the CSIAP with the Mr Thusitha. P. Wanigasinghe, the Chief Secretary of the Eastern Province (EP) this morning (30^th) at the Chief Secretariat in Trincomalee. The CSIAP is being implemented in three districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara in EP, and the WB officials will be having meetings with the Chief Secretaries of the rest of the provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented.

Dr. Athula Senaratne (Senior Agriculture Specialist), Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan (Consultant - Agriculture & Rural Development), Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne (Consultant - Institutions) and Mr. Mohamed Ameen (Consultant - Capacity Building, Fiduciary) of the World Bank and Mr. Dinesh Kumar Manhachery (Hydrologist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Consultant), Professor Rathinasamy Saleth (Climate Smart Agriculture, Producer Collectives & Enterprise Promotion, FAO Consultant); Professor Ravichandran Kannan (CSA Specialist, FAO Consultant), Mr. Azhar Khan (M&E Specialist, FAO Consultant), Senior Officials of Provincial Council and implementing agencies in EP, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna (Project Director), Dr. R.M. Ariyadasa, (Deputy Project Director-EP), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP were present in this event. Please click Images to see more photos of the MTR of the EP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-03-30

The World Bank Officials headed by Mr. John C. Keyser, Senior Agriculture Economist and the Task Team Leader of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) met Mr. P.B.M. Sirisena, the Chief Secretary of the North Western Province this morning (29^th) on the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the CSIAP at the Chief Secretariat in Kurunegala. The CSIAP is being implemented in two districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam, and the WB officials will be having meetings with the Chief Secretaries of the other five provinces where the CSIAP is being implemented.

Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne (Consultant - Institutions), Mr. Mohamed Ameen (Consultant - Capacity Building, Fiduciary) and Ms. Anjali Vitharanage (Procurement Specialist)of the World Bank, Mr. Azhar Khan (M&E Specialist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Consultant), Senior Officials of Provincial Council and implementing agencies in NWP, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna (Project Director), Mr. W.M.S. Wijesinghe, (Acting Deputy Project Director-NWP), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this event. Please click Images to see more photos of the MTRof the NWP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-03-29

The Mid Term Review (MTR) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) commenced this morning (23rd) at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI), Colombo.

The purpose of this Mid Term Review is to assess the continued relevance of the CSIAP’s development objectives, review implementation progress in achieving the goals, assess adequacy of the implementation arrangements in terms of remaining time frame, assess the overall implementation risks, review fiduciary and safeguard compliances, and agree on changes needed in the Financing Agreement to complete the project as agreed.

Mr. John C. Keyser (Senior Agriculture Economist, Task Team Leader of the CSIAP), Dr. Athula Senaratne (Senior Agriculture Specialist), Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan (Consultant - Agriculture & Rural Development), Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne (Consultant - Institutions), Mr. Mohamed Ameen (Consultant - Capacity Building, Fiduciary), Ms. Nadeera Rajapakse (Environmental Specialist), Ms. Sithara Athapatthu (Safeguard Team) and Ms. Samanmalee De Alwis (Program Assistant) of the World Bank, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Manhachery (Hydrologist/Consultant), Professor Ravichandran Kannan (CSA Specialist) of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna (Project Director), Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this event. Please click Images to see more photos of the MTR.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-03-23

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is calling qualified candidates for vacancies below advertised in Sunday Observer published on 13th this month.

Deputy Project Director - 01 Position (North Central Province), Water Resources Development Specialist - 01 Position (North Central Province, Engineer - 03 Positions (Provincial Level), Senior Technical Officer- 08 Positions (Provincial Level), Senior Procurement Officer - 06 Positions (Provincial Level), Procurement Officer - 01 Position (Project Management Unit), Agri-Business & Marketing Linkage Officer - 06 Positions (Provincial Level), Draughtsman - 06 Positions (Provincial Level), Technical Officers - 18 Positions (Provincial Level), Monitoring & Evaluation Officer - 01 Position (Project Management Unit), Finance Officer - 01 Position (Project Management Unit), Social Safeguard Officer - 02 Position (North Central Province/Northern Province), Gender Development Officer - 01 Position (Uva Province) and Agriculture Facilitator - 47 Positions (Provincial Level).

Please visit https://csiap.lk/vacancies for further information

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-03-15

IEC & ICT Specialist Mr. Mallawaarachchi explaining the CSIAP's Digitalization Strategy

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) discovered its Digitalization Strategy to be implemented by establishing full-pledged ICT unit within each of the 02 ASCs at Parangiyawadiya of Anuradhapura District and Weerawila of Hambantota District with trained officials and the necessary equipment to provide required data related to weather forecast, market, new technology for farmers living in hot spot areas, where the CSIAP is being implemented, in the Agri tech vendor forum with BMGF (The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) held at the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) yesterday (10th).

As a pilot project, the CSIAP plans to implement this project in 02 ASCs out of 47 ASCs covering 02 hotspot areas this year. Accordingly, it is expected to extend the implementation of the project in the rest of the ASCs in the 11 hotspot areas gradually within the period of the CSIAP with the lessons learned to develop the ASCs as effective One-stop Service Centers.

The Department of Agrarian Development will implement the ASC Digitalization project with the cooperation of the CSIAP to provide efficient service to the farming community within the project command areas. In this process, the project intends to provide farmers with a better service via the ASC to address issues of neediest and pressing information such as information on weather, crop production technology, market prices of crops, marketing opportunities and marketing links, disaster information which might affect the productivity of farmlands etc. A web-based communication system to provide market and product information, weather information, emergency alerts (early warning), E-Governance data and agriculture-related information, an Online Market Place (OMP) to sell agriculture-related products online, Interactive Digital Smart Board as multimedia, wireless portable sound system, desktops to explore knowledge, and kiosk machine to obtain various services such as allowing users to pay utilities, phone, loan repayments, credit cards or even insurance for beneficiaries will be introduced to ASCs under digitalization said Mr. Samantha Mallawaarachchi, IEC & ICT Specialist of the CSIAP by delivering the presentation on how to execute the ASC Digitalization plan in selected two ASCs in this forum.

BMGF believes that climate change is a major issue facing all of us and focuses on assisting Sri Lanka in the development of Farmer Data Management Systems and Digital Strategy, and ICTA will drive this initiative. The BMGF, a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. The ICTA organized this forum together with the BMGF in Colombo. Representing the BMGF Mr. Siddharth Chaturvedi, top officials of the private sector with senior officials of ICTA led by its Chairman Mr. Oshada Senanayake participated in this forum. Please click Images to see more photos of this programme.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-03-11

Unique Home Garden Programme - A case study from Sri Lanka

The empowerment of female farmers and female-headed households remains a key project development objective of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The ongoing CSIAP since 2019 has not only mandated 50% of beneficiaries in all its programmes to be females but also designed and implemented an exclusively women-centric programme aiming to create Climate-Smart Nutritional Sensitive Home Gardens (CSNSHG) across 11 economically and climatically vulnerable districts in Sri Lanka.

The CSIAP has helped to create 4,230 home gardens so far - 2695 in 2020, and 1535 in 2021. Being part of the homesteads, these gardens are small in size, usually about 0.10 ha (or 0.25 ac). But the combined area of all home gardens established so far is about 398 ha. Under CSNSHG, beneficiaries are provided with seeds, planting materials, water-saving equipment, training and knowledge transfer, and extension support free of charge. Exposure visits are also arranged to facilitate experience sharing and learning across regions. In view of its crucial role in household food, nutritional security, cost-cutting and income addition, CSNSHG has an excellent reception among women across project regions, so much so that it is one of the most popular and impact-oriented programmes of CSIAP.

Results from a 2021 survey provide evidence of significant income and consumption impacts of the CSNSHG programme (see Tables 1 and 2), on average, each garden produced vegetables worth LKR 16,817/family/season. Besides, savings in food costs are also reported to the tune of LKR 4,733/family/season. While 30% of families derived income from vegetable sales, 33% of families reported significant savings from food costs. As 70% of families reported self-consumption of home garden outputs or sharing the same with neighbours, there is evidence for the contributory role of CSNSHG to household food and nutrition security, especially during the challenging period of the pandemic.

In terms of sustainability, CSNSHGs are designed to support each family with only a one-time investment and related support, but having gained knowledge and realized benefits, more than 90% of families have reported continuing with their home gardens even after the programme.

While the economic and food security impacts of CSNSHG have a powerful empowering role, equally, if not more, the subtle but real impacts on rural women in terms of self-reliance, organizational inclusiveness, sense of solidarity, leadership skills, and time reallocation from routine chores towards more productive and fulfilling activities are important. The formation of women producer societies, training and skill development programmes, and group exposure visits have also created such impacts. These impacts were observed during field visits. It is also observed that homestead vegetable production fits well to women’s livelihood strategies and time and resource availability.

In addition, CSNSHG has also created new knowledge and skills in applying climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies, organic fertilizers developed from composted household wastes, and integrated farming systems on a small scale at the homestead level. Since women have learned to produce seeds and planting materials for the next season, the cost on them has been reduced thereby improving the chance of continuity of home gardens. There are also significant spill-over effects on their children as they develop new knowledge on food security, nutrition, and health while they observe their home garden. From a larger perspective, home gardens are one of the key mechanisms for ensuring economic and climate resilience at the local and household level.

Overall, CSNSHG programme and CSIAP, in general, have contributed significantly not only to the economic and food security dimensions but also to the social and human development of women empowerment in rural Sri Lanka. Such contributions have advanced various SDGs both directly and indirectly. While the contributions are more direct to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), they occur essentially via their impacts on SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

On this International Women’s Day, it is worthwhile to record, share, and disseminate such positive evidence of women empowerment occurring at the grassroots level of countries such as Sri Lanka. Hope more such local and international evidence of this nature would flow in coming years!

By Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Gender Development Officer, Project Management Unit, CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2022-03-08

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is recruiting 47 Agricultural Field Facilitators to work in identified Agrarian Service Regions located in following provinces and Project Management Unit (PMU) in Colombo.

The 8 for North Central Province, 12 for North Western Province, 03 for Uva Province, 03 for Southern Province, 12 for Eastern Province, 07 for Northern Province and 02 for Project Monitoring Unit , Colombo.

a. A successfully completed two years Diploma in Agriculture, which is recognized by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission. Preference will be given to experience gained in the field of agriculture extension.

b. Age limit: Candidates above 30 years of age on the closing date of application are not eligible to apply.

c. Payment: Monthly allowance Rs 45,000, in addition, Travelling and reporting reimbursement Rs 7500 (Monthly allowance and reimbursements are based on monthly work done)

A brief Job description: Assist and facilitate agriculture instructors working in Hot Spot area to promote Climate Smart Practices and technologies among the farming community, while maintaining very close association with all relevant stakeholder agencies and community-based organization of the Agrarian service area and collecting all data and information relevant to project activities and assist in the Formation and Strengthening producer societies, producer associations, social audit committees, farmer organization, producer federations and maintaining good governance practices in above community-based organization, promote groups and collective activities through community-based organization and while maintaining very close associations with all relevant stakeholder agencies.

Please visit https://www.csiap.lk/vacancies for further details.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-06-11

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5^th to bring awareness among the people regarding environmental issues and to take positive steps for the survival of the environment. The theme for World Environment Day 2021 is “Ecosystem Restoration”. This year, the Day will also serve as the formal launch of the United Nations Decade on “Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030”. The restoration could occur in many ways – for example; through actively planting or by removing pressures so that nature could recover on its own. It is not always possible or desirable to return an ecosystem to its original state. We still need farmland and infrastructure on land that was once forest, for instance, and ecosystems, like societies, need to adapt to a changing climate.

The CSIAP is expected to bring positive environmental benefits to the project areas through the scale-up of climate-resilient agricultural technologies and farming practices that help improve soil health, water use efficiency, and catchment area treatment to promote more efficient use of surface water and more sustainable use of groundwater for agriculture. An Environment Assessment and Management Framework (EAMF) has been prepared to guide the screening of activities for physical investments, project-supported advisory, policy support interventions, resulting in implementation from an environmental perspective, mitigation actions to manage their environmental impacts including preparation, implementation of Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) to address site-specific risks and impacts and subsequent monitoring and reporting requirements.

The CSIAP has taken several actions to bring awareness among the people regarding environmental issues and to take positive steps for the survival of the environment and ecosystem restoration. More than 150 Environmental Screening and Environmental Management Plans were prepared to identify the negative environmental impact and to produce mitigation measures through the project activities. The Green Building Concept was introduced through the 47 ASC modernization activities. It highly emphasized asbestos and led free materials for the use of the rehabilitation process.

The project has conducted five major production programs which were applied a holistic pest control approach that utilizes all available pest control strategies on a case-by-case basis while maintaining the pest population below at an Economically Injury Level (EIL). Whenever possible, human-animal and ecosystem-friendly pest control strategies are used.

Irrigation rehabilitation programs are implemented for the rehabilitation, modernization of tanks in the hotspot area. This rehabilitation includes restoration of vegetations around the tanks to minimize water evaporation and absorption of metals in recycled water and desilting. The restoration process was successfully achieved in North Central province replanting 300 trees saving 48 trees during the tank rehabilitation process. The CSIAP was able to save thousands of trees as well as flora and fauna during the implementation of project activities including ASC modernization, tank rehabilitation, agri road rehabilitating and cultivation program.

The Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is particularly significant in all the Hotspot Areas. To mitigate HEC in the hotspot area, the project has planned a mechanism to build a direct collision with humans and elephants. In order to avoid further intensifying HEC, innovative landscape-level strategies and 410 km extent “Bio Fencing” will be established where wildlife and humans can co-exist in the same landscape.

A decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 will be declared by the United Nations to Reimagine, Recreate and restore the ecosystem in the world this year. Similar to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, the CSIAP has planned to implement the below-mentioned programs to reimagine, recreate and restore the ecosystem in the hotspot area.

Model Cascade Development - Project will develop eleven models Cascade to

1. Holding the water from monsoons and preventing flood, recharging groundwater and storing water for irrigation, household and other uses

2. Support restoration of vegetations around the tanks and

3. Minimizing ecological and offsite impacts done by the farmers themselves in HAS. The aim is to enable communities to better cope with climate change impacts while restoration of ecosystem

Agro-ecological Landscape Resilience Plans - The project proposes to develop a set of science-based "integrated" climate-resilient agro-ecological landscape plan focusing on the selected cascade of the HSA. This is to understand the biodiversity attributes, ecosystem services and to introduce Nature base Solutions (NbS) for the current issues and seek opportunities to bring in greater environmental and social resilience through appropriate.

Dr. Janaka Jayawardena

Developing Agroecology Training of Trainers (TOT) Manual and conducting TOT Program - Agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and manages ecosystems and ecosystem services supporting agriculture. It also provides disaster risk reduction benefits including climate resilience, in addition to the sustainable productivity improvement due to quality ecosystems. The project has planned to train project technical staff, extension officers and farmer awareness on agroecology in HAS. To support this process and also to support agriculture extension services, the CSIAP proposes a partnership with the (Internatuional Union of Consevation of Nature (IUCN) to develop an agroecology Training of Trainers manual and guideline.

By Dr. Janaka Jayawardena, Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist, CSIAP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-06-06

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-06-16

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) team headed by Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Acting Project Director, discussed CSIAP’s ongoing activities with Mr. A.H.M.L. Abeyrathna, Commissioner General, Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) today (18^th) at the DAD Head Office, Colombo 07.

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe explained all activities, which are being implemented by the CSIAP in six provinces, to DAD officials. Provincial Deputy Project Directors of the CSIAP presented activities involved at ASC (Agrarian Service Centers) levels too.

The CSIAP is closely working with the DAD when implementing its activities in 11 districts with 47 Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs) which are operating at the field levels to accomplish the mission of the DAD. Senior officials of CSIAP and DAD were present at the meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-05-18

The 3^rd National Steering Committee (NSC) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) was held at the Ministry of Agriculture today (08^th) under the patronage of Mr. M.B Rohana Pushpakumara, the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture. A fruitful discussion was conducted to highlight the importance of continuing the activities of the CSIAP by Secretary Mr. Pushpakumara too. The Acting Project Director of the CSIAP Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe delivered a presentation on the progress and current activities of the CSIAP and Mr. S. Manoharan, Task Team Leader of the CSIAP for the World Bank pointed out the role of the World Bank in the project.

The NSC is set up at the Ministry of Agriculture, which is the Ministry taking the overall responsibility in executing the CSIAP. The NSC will consist of key officials of the major stakeholder agencies of the central government, provincial government, private sector and the apex level community organizations mainly to provide policy guidance to the project and ensure achieving project’s objectives.

The main responsibility of the NSC is to provide strategic guidance for project implementation and to be the interface between the central and provincial institutions. The NPSC also approves the annual work program and budget of the project endorses the working arrangements with strategic partners and is briefed by the World Bank (and the Project Director) on the outcomes of implementation support and review missions carried out with the WB team.

The World Bank Officials, Chief Secretaries of Provinces where the CSIAP being implemented, senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government Departments and Provincial Institutions alone with Provincial Deputy Project Directors and senior officials of the CSIAP were present at the meeting.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-04-08

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-03-31

Senior officials of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) let by Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, the Acting Project Director, had a special discussion to raise awareness about the CSIAP and its progress under the patronage of Mr. M.B Rohana Pushpakumara who assumed duties as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Dr. Weerasinghe explained the journey from the beginning of the CSIAP to the present, activities to be implemented in 2021 and coming years, and CSIAP’s contribution to the national food production in detail during the discussion. Representing the CSIAP, subject specialists from the Project Management Unit (PMU) and Provincial Deputy Project Directors from six provinces attended the meeting held at the Ministry.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-03-10

IEC programme on the CSIAP and ASC Digitalization was conducted for government officers at the Poonakary ASC, Kilinochchi recently under the patronage of Mr. M. Raghunathan, Agrarian Development Officer by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP).

Around 40 officers representing Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Development and Divisional Secretariate, Poonakary attended this event. The CSIAP’s Northern Province office organized this event and on behalf of the project IECT & ICT Specialist Mr. Samanatha Mallawaarachchi delivered the main lecture on CSIAP and ASC Digitalization. Mr.Rajeswaran Sanjeepan, Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist and Mr. Kathirgamanathan Kapilan, Social Safeguard Officer of the CSIAP’s Northern Provincial Office also addressed the audience.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-03-01

The Certificate Awarding Ceremony for Agriculture Instructors who have successfully completed the Train of Trainers (TOT) Programme facilitated by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) was held at the Bindunuwewa Inservice Training Center recently. Around 50 officers including those from Monaragala District attended this programme.

Mr. I.H Dharmasekara, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP delivered a special lecture on CSIAP and its activities and awarded certificates too.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-09-09

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-02-03

An awareness programme on Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) and its Uva Province plans in 2021 for government officers in Buttala Divisional Secretariat Area, Monaragala District, Uva Province was held under the patronage of Mr. R. M. R. S. Thilakarathna, Divisional Secretary, Buttala at the Divisional Secretariat, Buttala on 01st of this month.

Agrarian Development Officers, Economic Development Officers, Grama Niladari Officers, Agriculture Instructors, Agriculture Research and Production Assistants, Samurdhi Development Officers and Mid Wives including top officials of the Divisional Secretariate and officers from CSIAP attended this event.

Mr. I.H. Dharmarasekara, Deputy Project Director (Uva Province) CSIAP and his staff organized this programme.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-02-01

Capital TV and Kinniyan TV telecasted the event

The groundnut field day was held at Pulmuddai , Trincomalee on 07^th this month with the aim of promoting agricultural practices in CSIAP’s command areas under the Maha Season. The field day is a special event: A series of demonstration skits, speeches and other activities focused on a central theme are strung out over the course of a day to promote new practices and bring recognition to successful farmers and agricultural workers in a particular area. The prevailing mood is festive and the atmosphere is not unlike that of a country fair. The point of such a day is to call attention to new and exciting developments in agriculture. The Groundnut cultivation program was initiated by the Deputy Project Director’s office in the Eastern Province of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) which desperately focusing on uplifting the country from agriculture and improving the living slandered of famers in drystone in Sri Lanka.

This field day was conducted under the patronage of Mr.M.Parameswaran, Deputy Director of Agriculture (Trincomalee) and Dr. R. M.Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP Project (Eastern Province). The staff of the Department of Agriculture, CSIAP, Community leaders and farmers were present at this ceremony.

Please watch Capital TV and Kinniyan TV

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-01-11

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2021-01-01

Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) extends its sincere greetings and best wishes to all Sri Lankans to mark the New Year 2021 a meaningful and fruitful one. We are entering a decade during which we must find solutions for combating climate change and building a better future for all. Therefore, CSIAP is making greater efforts in fighting climate change vowing to keep people safe and healthy as COVID-19 which, is spreading in our community, has been remaining an urgent task on an unprecedented scale.

May this year bring new happiness, new goals, new achievements, and a lot of new inspirations on your life. CSIAP encourages its beneficiaries to make 2021 a better year, and overcome challenges. May all Sri Lankans’ dreams come true and all their hopes are fulfilled. Let us all get together and join hands in order to strengthen and uplift our country. CSIAP wishes you a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-12-31

The climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is moving forward in 2021 to improve living standards of farmers in CSIAP command areas and boost agroeconomic in Sri Lanka said, Miss. Sharmi Shanmuganathan, Gender Development Officer and Acting Social Safeguarded Officer, Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project, (CSIAP), with an exclusive interview with Tamil National Service of SLBC on 24th Dec 2020.

CSIAP is implementing COVID 19/ YALA 2020 Cultivation Programme, Mid-season Cultivation Programme, Maha Season Cultivation Programme, Cluster Village Development programmers, Climate Smart Nutritional Sensitive Home Garden Progaamme, 47 ASC Modernization and Digitalization, Rehabilitation of Agriculture Roads, Construction of Grain Warehouses, Cascade Development through the rehabilitation of minor and medium tanks, Establishment of Farm Field School at Thirappane and CSA Model Villages, She further added. This discussion was broadcasted simultaneously with Thendral FM and Yaal FM of SLBC too.

Please click to listen to full interview on: Tamil Service at SLBC

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-12-27

A special training programme on CSIAP framers’ database was held at the Governor’s Auditorium of North Central Provincial Council Office, Anuradhapura yesterday (22^nd) under the patronage of Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Project Director, CSIAP. This is the first time that CSIAP has conducted such a training for its staff.

Selected staff from six Deputy Project Directors’ Offices including Provincial Deputy Project Directors and senior officials of PMU attended this event. Those, who were on the training programme, had been given hands on experience by Mr. Uvindu Anuradha, Senior Web Developer and Mr. Ajantha Lakmal, Senior Web Developer, a team from SLT Digital Info Service Ltd lead by Mr. Danushka Gangoda, Team Leader. Mr. Lakshman Premanath, Deputy Project Director, North Central Province, CSIAP organized the above programme.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-12-23

The climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project is to improve the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture through long-term sustainability of irrigation infrastructure development. The infrastructure supported under the project will be identified and designed based on projections of climate change including the frequency of drought and flood events both to maximize the availability of water to farmers and also to protect land and assets from potential flooding. Climate resilience is defined as the capacity of agricultural systems to respond to drought and flood by resisting or tolerating the impacts and recovering quickly, through integration of adaptation, mitigation, and other climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices.

Miss. Sharmi Shanmuganathan, Gender Development Officer and Acting Social Safeguarded Officer, Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project, (CSIAP), talks about CSIAP and its current activities on Tamil National Service, Thendral FM and Yaal FM at 7.30am on 16th Nov 2020.

Please click to listen: Tamil Service at SLBC

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-11-19

Recognizing rural women as ‘farmers’ and as ‘leaders’in adopting climate resilience agriculture technology and practices

Sri Lanka is a lower-middle-income country with total population of 21.8 million of which 77.4% of the population is largely rural.[1] Overall, poverty level of the country is 6.7%, and poverty remains concentrated in rural areas - of the poor, 82 percent are rural residents.[2] While agriculture sector contributes 6.9 percent to GDP, the sector employs approximately 27% of the population, which is mostly rural..[3] While the share of women in agriculture has remained between 30-33% for over two and a half decades[4], women play a key role in agricultural production and processing, both in family and farms outside; though women’s role have been mostly limited to home gardening and small-scale farming activities.

The World Bank funded “Climate Smart irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP)” targets farmers in climatically vulnerable hotpot areas to improve the productivity and resilience of smallholder agriculture activities. As part of the project’s strategic and operational design, it seeks to address gender gaps and risks in order to empower women as ‘farmers’ and as ‘leaders’ in their communities for adopting climate resilience practices.

Rural women in farming communities face multiple challenges,

which risks them of being excluded from benefiting from project activities

During the project preparation and assessment phase, many issues were identified which limits and prevents women from equitably benefiting from and participating in agriculture activities. These issues include: lack of land and asset ownership which limits women’s ability to engage and grow their agricultural production and livelihoods (e.g. in Sri Lanka, only 16 % of all privately-owned land belongs to women)[1], lack of access to climate smart agriculture production technologies and marketing, lack of decision-making power as most of the farmer organizations are led by male farmers, inability to fully participate in agriculture activities due household and care responsibilities, additional requirements to hire labour, difficulties in traveling to agriculture lands which are generally away from residential locations, greater risks of impact from the Human elephant conflict (HEC) as women mostly engage in cultivation work during day time when HEC is most prevalent and impacts linked to domestic abuse/gender based violence with increased consumption of alcohol by men. With all these setbacks for rural women, the current COVID pandemic situation increases their vulnerability affecting household income, food security and nutrition.

Rural women benefited from gender informed approaches in climate smart sub projects.

The project has taken multiplicity of actions to ensure the inclusion rural women in project activities. Thus the project has taken measures to:

1. reformulate project strategies during COVID19 period to implement several subprojects specially targeting rural women farmers to ensure their food and nutrition security.

2. assess gender gaps, issues and risks during participatory rural needs assessments and social screening.

3. incorporate measures in hot-spot area development plans and social impact management plans to ensure women’s participation and inclusion.

4. revise beneficiary selection criteria to be inclusive giving priority to women beneficiaries including vulnerable groups (such as women who are living under the poverty level, widows, families with young children and those living with elderly & disable persons)

5. establish minimum targets for female beneficiaries in project interventions

6. build capacities of project staff on gender issues and sensitize communities (both males and females) on principals of gender equity in line with the training manual developed.

7. build capacities of women on climate-resilient agricultural technologies

8. support to address risks of Human-Elephant conflict

9. provide support to purchases assets, hire labour and access services (such as credit, childcare facilities, etc.)

10. strengthen links with community-based organizations to receive project implementation support

11. implement GBV prevention measures (i.e. Code of Conduct for Communities etc.) and strengthen GRM reporting measures for GBV.

12. increase women's engagement in decision making in Farmer’s Organizations, Producer’s Groups & Social Audit Committees including acting on issues affecting them

Over 5,500 rural women farmers involved climate resilience agriculture practices

CSIAP strategies that are formulated and are being implemented have generated favorable outcomes for rural women farmers to ensure these groups are benefiting from climate resilience agriculture practices in an equitable manner. Therefore, in addition to increasing participation of women in project activities, the project has exceeded its target of 30% of beneficiaries to be women in all its programs and is also successfully implementing programs targeting 100% women as beneficiaries through its climate smart nutrition sensitive home gardening program.

By Sharmi Shanmuganathan,
Gender Development Officer and Acting Social Safeguarded Officer, PMU, CSIAP.

[1] https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/srilanka/overview#1 & RPF of CSIAP.
[2] Sri Lanka Poverty Update 2019 - The World Bank South Asia
[3] PAD of CSIAP
[4] Assessment to develop strategies for promoting gender involvement and increasing nutrition levels of farmer families – CSIAP

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-10-17

Mr Sisira Semasinghe,

Agriculture Extension Specialist

The Yala 2020 is designed to promote the Other Field Crops cultivation among the farming community in hot spot areas of the 11 districts of the island said Mr Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension Specialist of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) with an exclusive interview with Lakhanda News on 11^th August 2020.

This Yala 2020 covers the area of more than 3,600Ac of OFC (Groundnut, green gram, cowpea, chilli, maize, soya, red onion, kurakkan, sesame and Blake Gram are grown) cultivating lands of the country. Farmers who will be involving with the project have been familiar with the cultivation of OFCs and involving with the cultivation of OFCs for production purposes. The lessons learned by implementing the project in this season will be applied to correct mistakes in the coming seasons. In order to achieve the objectives of the programme, many strategies have been planned to be implemented by the CSIAP with implementing agencies.

Please click Lakhanda Newsto listen

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-08-24

Mr Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension Specialist

Women farmers are provided greater access to agriculture expertise, participation in local cultivation planning and decision making under Climate Smart Nutrient Sensitive Home Garden (CSNSHG); they are also provided adequate representation at all levels in relevant planning and decision making addressing the gender gap. CSNSHG is identified as the women farmer-based activity targeting to empower women farmers

A cluster village is an area where farmers are cultivation same crop or crop combinations following the Climate Smart Practices under the Cluster Village Development Programe (CVDP) . Cluster Village hence act as a Climate smart model village for farmers in hot spot areas and act as a information exchange and feedback receival village on Climate Smart Agriculture providing greater learning experience for farmers. The basic idea of each Cluster Village is to increase farmer income, applying all possible Climate Smart Agriculture practices.

Mr Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension Specialist, Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) explained the current status of both CSNSHG and CVDP, which is being implemented by CSIAP , in an exclusive interview with Lakhanda Radio on 29^th this month.

Please click Lakhnda Radio to listen .

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-07-30

Harvesting of cultivation in hotspot areas in 11 districts of six provinces in the dry zone of Sri Lanka under Yala 2020 food production program launched by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) has been broadcasted by national Radios. The news was in the main news bulletins of Sinhala, Tamil and English services of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Services and Lakhanda Radio of Independent Television Network today (24^th).

Yala 2020 food production programme goes in line with the programme of the Implementation Ministry in promotion of food crops cultivation in the Yala 2020 season to overcome possible food shortage that could surface out owing to COVID 19 pandemic. It focuses on the promotion of Other Field Crops Cultivation following Climate Smart Agriculture Practices in hot spot areas of 11 districts as from the food crops sector Other field crops occupy the highest share of importation at present.

More than 7000 farmers affected by climate changes in Hambantota, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Kurunegala and Monaragala have been selected for the above purpose. Cultivation is being carried out on 3635 acres and it is expected to produce nearly 8000 tons of OFCs. Groundnut, green gram, cowpea, chilli, maize, soya, red onion, kurakkan, sesame and Blake Gram are grown under this programme. The CSAIP contribution to this project is Rs 115.12M..8M.
Please click to listen:Lakhanda Radio, Sinhala Services at SLBC, Tamil Services at SLBC and English services st SLBC

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-07-24

An awareness programme on the Climate Smart Nutrient Sensitive Home Garden (CSNSHG), for officers in Buttala and Welaway Divisional Secretariats Areas, Uva Province was held at the Divisional Secretariats, Buttala on 21st this month. Climate Smart Nutrient Sensitive Home Garden is a very special programme that has been planned to implement with 2695 women farmers is aiming to increase the nutrition level of the farming families to ensure adequate immunity level to face COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. I. H. Dharmasekara, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP is addressing the audience

This program is implemented in all 11 districts to establish 2695 sustainable home gardens applying Climate Smart practices to provide nutrient enrich diet to farmers. CSNSHG is in line with the “Saubagya Gewaththa” implemented by the Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development Mr. S. K . Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension Specialist at Project Management Unit and Dr.Y. Ketipearachchi, Agriculture Specialist in Uva Province, CSIAP delivered lectures to educate officers too.

Officers of Department Agriculture (Provincial Uva), Department of Agriculture (Inter Provincial-Uva), Agrarian Services Department (Wellawaya, Buttala, Thelulla) and Divisional Secretariats Offices (Buttala, Wellwaya) attended this programme.

Mr. S. K . Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension Specialist, Mrs. S. M. S. Udayangani, Assistant Director, Department of Agriculture, Mr. H.K. P Jayalath, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture(Provincial-Uva), Mrs. K, A. R. M, Karunanayakr, Assistant Director (Planning), Divisional Secretariat, Buttala and Dr. Y. Ketipearachchi, Agriculture Specialist CSIAP were at the head table while Mr. I. H. Dharmasekara, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP is addressing the audience.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-07-23

Symbolically the first harvest was given to the District Secretary

The beginning of groundnut harvesting was held in the Nediyamadu Cluster Village in Batticaloa under the "Field Day" programme on 10th this month under the patronage of Mrs. Kalamathy Pathmarjah, the Government Agent / District Secretary, Batticaloa. The first harvest of groundnuts in the village was presented to the chief guest. Mr. S. Suthakar, Divisional Secretary, Manmunai West and Mrs. Sasikala Punniyamoorthy, Director (Planning), Batticaloa Kachcheri attended as guests of honour.
Continuing the Field Day activities, Mr. K. Vishnukaran, Technical Assistant at SLGAP Division of Department of Agriculture demonstrated how to Cultivate for high yield and how to prevent insects that harm crops. During the event, Mrs. Pathmarajah discussed with farmers about their ongoing issues faced when cultivating and suggested solutions too.

The Field Day Demonstration

Groundnuts were cultivated in an area of 50 Acres a Nediyamadu village by 50 farm families with the direct support of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) which was funded by the World Bank. Due to a large number of farmers in the village, “Nediyamadu Groundnut Producer Society” was formed and registered under the Department of Agriculture. The project provided everything needed including seeds and technical guidance for successful cultivation.
Mrs. Sasikala Punniyamoorthy, Director (Planning), Batticaloa District Secretariat, around 60 officers from Manmunai West Divisional Secretariat, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Development, the CSIAP officers including Dr. R.M. Ariyadasa, Deputy Project Director, Eastern Province , Mr. Amal Arunapriya , Institutional & Capacity Building Specialist-PMU, and 50 groundnut farmers were present in this ceremony.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-07-13

Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project implements Yala 200 which is in line with the programme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture to overcome possible food shortage that could surface out owing to COVID 19 pandemic. Therefore, this project will be implemented in all climatically vulnerable hot spot areas identified by the project covering 11 districts of the island giving priority for the promotion of Other Food crops (OFC). The total cultivable area expected to cover by the project is 4,029.4 Ac involving with more than 7,074 beneficiaries. The project aims to grow OFC in fields coming under the command area of tanks with adequate water applying climate-smart practices.

Harvesting cowpea in the field

The COVID -19 pandemic occurred in end 2019 will limit the future food supply of the country owing not only to the limited availability of food items in the export market but also to the unhealthy financial status of the country to import those. Under this circumstance, the Government of Sri Lanka has launched a Saubhagya National Food Production Drive persuading the cultivation of all food crops. Consistent with the AgStat volume XVI (Department of Agriculture, 2019), it was noted that from the total importation of food items, OFC alone utilizes 39.26% of the food import bill. Further, the decision recently taken by the cabinet of ministers to limit imports except pharmaceuticals and petroleum will create a food shortage in the market in the short run.

To face this situation, the Presidential Task Force established to fight for Covid 19, has declared the promotion of food crops as an urgent need and which has become a high priority in the country at present. This task force has identified Maize, Mung bean, Ground nut, Cowpea, Kollu, Sesame, Kurakkan, Chili, Soya, B Onion, Red Onion, Black gram, Turmeric and Ginger as the main crops to be given priority.

Main the objective of the Yala 2020

To support more than 7,000 farmers in hot spot areas of 11 districts to cultivate OFCs in 4,029.4 acres to increase food production in the country and the annual farmer family income by 10%.

Beneficiaries of Yala 2020

The number of direct beneficiaries of the sub-project is 7074 farmers in all hot spot areas. Out of which 4882 farmers are male and 2192 are female. No of women headed farmer families involved in the sub-project is 384.

Type of agriculture inputs and assistance for beneficiaries.

It is proposed that the selected farmers will be provided with seed materials required for the cultivation of identified crops. the table shows the seed requirement different OFC crops that would be cultivated under the project.

Crops proposed to be cultivated and the seed requirement.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-06-07

Cluster Village Development Programme is designed to increase farmer income, reduce food importation by applying all possible Climate Smart Agriculture practices in 11 hotpots districts. This programme covers 530 ac with 630 beneficiaries. The Project expenditure is Rs 43.0 million and it has been progressing successfully regardless of the many barriers encountered due to a chaotic situation in the country. The commitment of the officials and the farmers contribute to the success of the project.

Cluster Village Development Programme is one of four programs launched by Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project in parallel to National Food Production Drive under Saubhagye Dekma to avoid any future shortage of food supply due to the Covid19 pandemic.

Benefits to beneficiaries

· Identifying marketing opportunities

· Identifying suitable crops and lands

· Developing water resources and associated infrastructure.

· Providing 50% of the agricultural inputs from the project

· Forming market-focused producer groups and societies

· Setting up trade agreements to connect farmers with the market

· Smart technology for product sales, weather, cultivation technology and trade information

· Training farmers on cultivation to withstand the changing climatic conditions

· Conducting Farmer Business Training Schools

· Providing assistance to empower the farmers as agro-entrepreneurs

· Providing seed and technology transfer

· Implementing sustainable garden development programs

· Developing the ecosystems of the village

· Providing facilities to cultivate in each land

· Establishing market and agricultural access

· Establishing village cantered market in the village

· Establishing processing and packing centres

· Providing storage facilities for production teams

· Supplying plastic crates and agricultural implements to pack the farmers' produce

· Establishing demonstrations of climate smart agricultural practices

· Evaluating the farmers and create a mechanism to reward them

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-06-05

Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project extends its sincere greetings and best wishes to the Sinhala and Tamil community to mark the Sinhala and Hindu New Year in a meaningful and fruitful manner. Currently, we are passing through uncertain and unprecedented period due to Covid 19. We must do the right things and be prepared to take steps beyond what we are typically required to defeat this pandemic. We hope that all Sri Lankans are safe and well during this critical time. We stand with all Sri Lankans and with the world at large in these trying times. We wish for a full recovery for all the infected and we are confident that together we will overcome this new challenging crisis very soon.
This New Year is the national and cultural festival of the people in Sri Lanka. The dawn of New Year is the most powerful cultural festival which unites all Sri Lankans. This is the season where all people enjoy traditional merrymaking. The New Year binds with the traditional customs which blooms interrelations, family relationships and friendships. Let us all get together and join hands in order to strengthen and uplift our country. Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project wishes you a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-04-13

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe,
Deputy Project Director, CSIAP

CSIAP is moving forward to boost the agricultural economy of the country and uplift the living standards of farmers in climatically vulnerable hot spots areas of 11 districts of the country despite a critical situation where the whole country is facing due to the Covid19 pandemic said, Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director, Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) with excursive interviews with National electronic media.

Expressing furthermore during the interviews with the SLBC, Lakhanda and Ruhunu Sevaya, Dr. Weerasinghe said that this project aims to improve the climate resilience of farming communities through increasing productivity in climatically vulnerable Hot-Spot Areas identified in 11 districts of Sri Lanka.

In moving forward the project is implementing a program to increase other field crops production covering more than 3000 ac and 5000 beneficiary farmers in this Yala season in all 11 districts and the project will be implemented over six years (2018-2024), he further added.
Please click to listen:
SLBC Sinhala Service, SLBC Tamil Service, SLBC English Service, Lakhanda and Ruhunu Sevaya.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-04-12

Hot Spot Area Agriculture Development Plan (HSAADP) of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is currently being reviewed at the Uva Management Development Institute (UMDI), Passara. It has been decided that all the specialists of CSIAP must review the HSAAD plans developed by the consultancy firms to make certain that HSAADPs are well prepared, organized.

Eng. Nadaraja Sivalingam, Project Director, CSIAP, is explaining the objectives of the HSAADP

The HSAADP is the key instrument of the CSIAP project which would identify necessary interventions to be carried out in Hot spot areas during the period of its implementation based on the HSAADPs developed. It is expected that the HSAADPs will propose productive, economically sound, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable interventions for the respective Hot spot areas assuring the improvement of agriculture livelihood of the community.

The Project Management Unit (PMU) of the CSIAP has organized this two-day training workshop for the specialists and officers of the CSIAP to furnish them with necessary understanding of reviewing the HSAADP with the assistance of experts from the World Bank. Representing the World Bank Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, Task Team Leader of CSIAP and Senior Rural Development Specialist, Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne, Consultant, Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe, Consultant (Social Safeguard) also participated in this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-03-06

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director, CSIAP, is conducting the session. Eng.
Nadaraja Sivalingam, Project Director, CSIAP, Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, The World Bank
are also at the main table.

Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) has initiated to launch a cluster village programme in each district where the CSIAP is currently being implemented in pre-determined hotspot areas of eleven districts: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota, Monaragala, Kilinochchi, Mullativu, Kurunagala, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.

The objective of this programme is to develop cluster villages in hot spot areas where cultivate market driven crops with climate smart agriculture practices. A special discussion with the World Bank officials and the staff of CSIAP on the Cluster Village programme were held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo 07 recently.
Specific objectives of the cluster village programme

1. Establishing 11 climate smart production villages.

2. Modifying 47 Agriculture Service Centers to function as efficient and effective one - stop Service Centers.

3. Renovating water bodies in 11 selected villages.

4. Establishing Haritha Uyan.

5. Appraising and rewarding 11 farmers for establishing best Climate Smart Agriculture practices in each village.

6. Training 110 selected farmers of 11 villages on entrepreneurship development by Farmer Business School methodology.

7. Forming 22 Producer Groups in 11 villages and enhancing the leadership and management skills of the leaders of the producer groups.

8. Introducing 11 potential market linkage avenues to the farmers through the producer groups.

9. Promoting 5 water saving techniques and rain water harvesting method among farmers within the yala season.

10. Establishing 22 market driven CSA crops in 11 selected villages during Yala and Maha seasons of 2020.

Activities

1. Identifying marketing opportunities.

2. Identifying suitable crops and lands. Crops will be identified according to the supply and demand. Major crops cultivated in the village (supply driven) and crops which have the market (market driven) are selected.

3. Developing water resources and other related infrastructure.

4. Selecting suitable farmers. 50 farmers from each village will be selected.

5. Forming Producer Groups/societies. Crop based Producer Groups will be formed in each village.6. Linking farmers with the market 7. Providing training for farmers and conducting Farm Business Schools. Farmers will be trained on CSA interventions & value addition.8. Supply of inputs and technology transfer. 9. Establishing crops in the fields of farmers in each village.10.Eco system development will be setup under Haritha Uyan.
11.Providing facilities for marketing (Market access roads, village fairs, processing centres, pack houses, stores will be provided for producer groups. Plastic crates and equipment required for value addition will be provided for individual farmers).12.Evaluating farmers and developing a mechanism to reward them.

Representing the World Bank Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, Task Team Leader of CSIAP and Senior Rural Development Specialist, Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne, Consultant, and Mr.V.Mohamed Ameen, Consultant (Financial Management) also participated in this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-02-12

All three services of Si Lanka Broadcasting Corporation broadcasted the news of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) and its objectives in Sinhalese, Tamil and English.

Please click to listen: SLBC Sinhala service, SLBC Tamil Service and SLBC English Service

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-01-24

Mr. Amal Arunapriya, Institutional Development & Capacity Building Specialist and Mr. Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension Specialist of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) were on Sanhinda Live TV Programme on 21st Jan 2020 to talk about CSIAP and its objectives.
Please click to watch: Sanhinda on YouTube or Sanhinda on Facebook
There are four project components:
Component 1: Agriculture Production and Marketing (US$42 million). Subcomponent 1.1: Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Technology (US$21 million). Subcomponent 1.2: Marketing (US$21 million).
Component 2: Water for Agriculture (US$92 million). bSubcomponent 2.1: Rehabilitation of Irrigation Systems (US$86 million). bSubcomponent 2.2: Operation and Maintenance of Irrigation Systems (US$6 million).Component 3: Project Management (US$6 million). Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response (US$0 million).

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-01-23

Mr. W. G. Gnanadasa, Senior Engineer and Mr. Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension Specialist of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) were on Saaratha Bahagira Live Radio Programme of SLBC on 07th Jan 2020 to talk about CSIAP and its objectives.

Please click to listen: Saaratha Bahagira on YouTube or Saaratha Bahagira on Facebook
The main economic project benefits are expected to come from (a) increases in the area under production and crop productivity through improved irrigations systems and farmers’ adoption of climate-resilient technologies; (b) diversification from food grains into climate-adaptive, higher-value agriculture; and (c) improved postharvest management, value addition, and marketing. In addition to the increases in productivity and production of higher-value crops, it is expected that establishing PGs and facilitating private sector links will lead to increased incomes of beneficiaries due to (a) higher prices for the agricultural produce through better aggregation and new market channels, also resulting from improved market information; (b) potentially reduced input prices resulting from procurement by the PGs in bulk; and (c) increased value addition through CSCs established by the PGs for postharvest activities, including aggregation, cleaning, grading, sorting, and processing.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-01-22

A special meeting to discuss the Hot-Spot Area Agriculture Development Plan (HSAADP) and way forward activities 2020 was held at the Provincial Deputy Director Office (Southern) in Hambantota recently. This meeting was chaired by Mr. M. S. K. Suwandaarachchi, Deputy Project Director (Southern). On behalf of the World Bank Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne, Consultant, and Mr.V.Mohamed Ameen, Consultant (Financial Management) also participated in this event.

The current status of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) taken place in the project area was also reviewed. Staff of each discipline working for Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) were also present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-01-19

Representing the World Bank, Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne, Consultant, and Mr.V.Mohamed Ameen, Consultant (Financial Management) attended a special meeting, which was organized to discuss the Hot-Spot Area Agriculture Development Plan (HSAADP) and way forward activities in 2020 at the Provincial Deputy Director Office (Uva) in Monaragala recently. This meeting was chaired by Mr. I.H. Dharmasekara, Deputy Project Director (Uva Province). Staff of each discipline working for Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) were also present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-01-19

A special meeting was organized to discuss the Hot-Spot Area Agriculture Development Plan (HSAADP) and Way Forward Activities in 2020 at the Provincial Deputy Director Office (Eastern) in Trincomalee recently. This meeting was chaired by Dr. R.M. Ratnayake, Deputy Project Director (Eastern). On behalf of the World Bank, Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne, Consultant, and Mr.V.Mohamed Ameen, Consultant (Financial Management) attended this event. Staff of each discipline working for Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) were also present.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-01-19

The Retreat, which was held at International Kotmale Institute of Irrigation and Water Management last week, had been purely organized for the benefit of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) and this two-day residential programme was scheduled to reorganize and reorient if necessary, to meet the challenges in 2020.
CSIAP completed nearly one year in operation at the end of year 2019. The project at present has established its all Provincial offices and also recruited almost all the staff including specialists in different disciplines. At the dawn of year 2020, the CSIAP was in the view of organizing a re-treat to self-examine its performances during the past year and will look way forward in year 2020.

Project Director Eng. Nadaraja Sivalingam is welcoming participants. World Bank officials
Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan and Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne were also present.

Senior officials of the Project Management Team (PMU) and Provincial Deputy Director Offices of CSIAP attended this retreat. Representing World Bank Mr. Seenithamby Manoharan, Task Team Leader of CSIAP and Senior Rural Development Specialist, Mr. Sarath Wickramarathne, Consultant, and Mr.V.Mohamed Ameen, Consultant (Financial Management) also participated in this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date :2020-01-13

The staff of the Project Management Unit (PMU), Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project celebrate new year 2020

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-01-01

Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) extends its sincere greetings and best wishes to all sri Lankans to mark the New Year 2020 a meaningful and fruitful one. Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and multinational country where all communities live with amity and unity. CSIAP hopes that the new year will be the best year of Sri Lanka.
May the new year bring all the good things with no risks to those who live in climatically vulnerable areas in Sri Lanka. CSIAP hope that the new year will be full of positivity for them under its project activities.
The New Year binds with the expectations. May all Sri Lankans’ dreams come true and all their hopes be fulfilled. Let us all get together and join hands in order to strengthen and uplift our country. CSIAP wishes you a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2020-01-01

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director and Mr. Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture extension Specialist of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) were on Sooriya Wimana, a live TV programme telecasted by ITN at 10.00am on 27th this month to talk about CSIAP and its objectives.

Please click to watch: Sooriya Wimana on YouTube or Sooriya Wimana on Facebook

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-12-28

Dr. Weerasinghe is on ITN FM

The development objective of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is to improve the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture in selected hotspot areas. The project will address the key problem of the vulnerability of agriculture systems in climatic hot spot areas of the country. Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP talked about CSIAP on ITN FM at 7.55pm on 23rd this month.

The project is fully integrated within the Government of Sri Lanka administration, and the project implementation is designed to capitalize on existing government agencies at all levels. The participating departments will carry out the project activities within their mandates, but coordinated by provincial DPD (Deputy Project Director) offices, with district units established at the Department of Agriculture (DoA)/Provincial Irrigation Department (PID)/Assistant Commissioner Agrarian Development (ACAD) offices and divisional units established at Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs). Please click to listen: News of ITN FM yesterday (23rd).

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-12-24

Mrs. Samaraweera is discussing the nursery with farmers and the nursery is being prepared

The efficient way of preparing nursery for seedlings broadcasting was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas identified by Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). This method was practically demonstrated in Mahanikawewa and Ranorawa cascades in Anuradhapura District.
Seedlings broadcasting is a climate smart technology which is economically and environmentally friendly alternative option to seeding. This achieves what many are looking to accomplish: increase yields and quality, while decreasing costs, inputs and environmental impact. Prior to broadcasting, seedlings need to be raised in a nursery. In order to do this, pre-germinated seeds are sown on trays and seeds become seedlings there.
Main advantages of this nursery

1. Saving water needed for cultivation as seeds become seedlings separately

2. It provides favourable growth conditions

3. Better care of younger plants as it is easy to look after nursery in a small area against pathogenic infections, pests and diseases and weeds.

4. Nursery helps in making more efficient use of land

5. It helps to improve crop uniformity in the field

6. Nursery helps to reduce field management cost

Mrs. Gourie Samaraweera, Deputy Director of Agriculture, explained and demonstrated how to prepare a nursery for seedlings broadcasting. Mr. Lakshman Premanath, Deputy Project Director, North Central Province, officials of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and CSIAP also present on the occasion.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-12-09

Dr. Weerasinghe conducts the technical session 1

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP (Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project) conducted the technical session 1: Advanced Technologies in Soil Fertility Management of the 50^th International Symposium on Sustainable Soil Management (ISSSM) held today (05^th) at National Agriculture Information and Communication Centre (NAICC), Peradeniya. Dr. W.M.W. Weerakoon, The Director General of Agriculture, of Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka will grace the event as the chief guest.

Dr. Weerasinghe receives a token of appreciation

The objective of this symposium is to provide scientific knowledge and technological interventions to promote beneficial management practices to sustain soil resource for the provision of food, income and a quality environment for people.

At the end of the session a token of appreciation was awarded to Dr. Weerasinghe by Mr. W.S.P.Y. Upali, General Secretary of Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka which is the main organizer of this event. Dr. Weerasinghe, who is a Principal Agriculture Scientist (Soil and Plant Nutrition), was the Director of the Horticulture Crops Research and Development Institute of the Department of Agriculture prior to his retirement. Dr. Weerasinghe obtained his BSc (Agri) from the University of Peradeniya, M Phil (Agric) from Wye College, the University of London and PhD ( Soil Science) from Punjab Agriculture University, India. He has published many scientific research articles and book chapters in both national and international journals.

Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture of University of Peradeniya, Department of Export Agriculture, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are joint organizers.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-12-05

Cono Weeder is in operation in the paddy field

The Cono Weeder is designed for weeding paddy fields was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas by Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). This machine is being used in Ranorawa in Anuradhapura which falls under CSIAP. The machine is manually operated and the weeds are uprooted by the teeth of the weeder and buried in the mud by the push and pull operations.

This weeder can easily be operated manually to make weeding easier and is also suitable in heavy clay load soil. Famers will be able to minimize the use of herbicide by using Cono Weeder. Both C

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-12-03

Seedlings are being broadcasted into paddy field

A method of field establishing paddy; Seedling Broadcasting or Parachute Method was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas by Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). This is a new technology invented for broadcasting of seedlings in paddy cultivation.

This method is being popularized among the paddy growers of Mahanikawewa and Ranorawa in Anuradhapura which falls under CSIAP. The officials headed by CSIAP are behind this move with the Department of Agriculture and providing the guidelines and methods so as to encourage the farmers in this novel method of seedling establishment. Under this method, 12-15 days old seedlings in small cell plastic nursery trays with mud are broadcasted directly into paddy field.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-12-03

Both Dr. Wickramasinghe and Mr. Fernando are addressing participants

Two World Bank Specialists Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe, Consultant (Social Safeguard) and Mr. Shanek Fernando, Specialist (Social Safeguards) conducted a workshop on Identifying and Addressing Social Impacts for CSIAP (Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project) Interventions or Climatic Hot-spot Area Development held today (02nd) at CBS, Rajagiriya.

This two-day workshop, which started today, was organized by Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Social Safeguards and Gender Development Officer of PMU (Project Management Unit), CSIAP. The PMU and DPDO (Deputy Project Director Office) staff participated in this workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-12-02

Mrs. Samarakon is expressing her ideas

Mrs. Maheni Samarakon, Environmental Safeguard Specialist delivered her lecture on Familiarization of the Environment Screening Checklist and Environment Management Plan at the workshop on Environment Screening Report preparation and EMP preparation held today (28th) at CBS, Rajagiriya.

This two-day workshop, which started today, was organized by Ms. Udula Sedara, Environment Officer of PMU (Project Management Unit), Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The PMU and DPDO (Deputy Project Director Office) staff participated in this workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-28

Dr. Sakalasooriya is delivering his lecture

Dr. Nishan. P. Sakalasooriya, PRA Consultant for Tank Cascade System delivered his lecture on why cascade system is important for the hotspot area management at the workshop on Environment Screening Report preparation and EMP preparation held today (28th) at CBS, Rajagiriya.This two-day workshop, which started today, was organized by Ms. Udula Sedara, Environment Officer of PMU (Project Management Unit), Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The PMU and DPDO (Deputy Project Director Office) staff participated in this workshop.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-28

A demonstration programme on a Drum Seeder was held in Ranorawa and Mahanikawewa cascades in Anuradhapur District under Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP).

Row seeding in paddy field by using Drum Seeder and Eng. Balasooriya is explaining

The major benefit on this system is that the drum seeder itself can be also placed on any type of soil. Then seeding can be done easily , quickly and evenly by this drum seeder. In row seeding, the seeds are sowed in furrows made by the boot of the planter and evenly covered with loose soil to a given depth. This ensures uniform sprouting and plant development and simultaneous maturation.

Eng. Chinthaka Balasooriya of Farm Mechanization Training Centre explained the advantages of using Drum Seeder to farmers.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-26

The Hot-Spot area development model aims to enhance resilience of hotspot areas where you live said Mr. Nagarajah Rajkumar, Deputy Project Director, Project Management Unit (PMU) at Agrarian Service Centre (ASC), Akkarayan, Kilinochchi. Addressing the local community on the benefits and importance of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project will bring to the men and women farmers in the Hot Spot Area, he further added:

Mr. Rajkumar is addressing farmers

“Those, who depend on hotspot areas for their livelihoods by adapting flexible climate change management practices, will be feasible in the locality. This project will also focus on adaptive management of existing , improved irrigation water storage and delivery structures to make irrigation more reliable in the face of rising climatic variability.”

“ The project will also provide men and women smallholder farmers with better agricultural inputs, techniques and practices along with the additional water now available tohelp farmers to better stabilize crop yield rising climatic variability and reduce crop harvest losses".

“The project will focus on identifying new markets, and ensure better access to markets and higher prices, through marketing higher up the value chain, more competitive agri-enterprises and upgraded infrastructure for agricultural trade, so that producers and other value chain participants could better stabilize and increase incomes from agricultural livelihoods.”

Miss. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Social Safeguard and Gender Development Officer of Project Management Unit (PMU), Mr. S. Parthipan and Mr.V. Suganthan, Agrarian Development Officers of Dept of Agrarian Development and Staff of Provincial Deputy Project Director Office (PDPDO) of Northern Province also participated in this event.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-22

PMU staff with EMU Consultants

The PMU (Project Management Unit) staff of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) scrutinizes the competency of the newly nominated key facilitators for the PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) activity launched by EML Consultants in Trincomalee District. A consultative meeting was held with the EML consultants, new key facilitators and the PMU staff at the Deputy Project Director (DPD) office of the Eastern province on 14^st November 2019. After briefing the objectives of the visit, the team decided to interview each of the key facilitators separately instead of having a common meeting.

The interview panel was headed by Dr. Priyantha Weerasingh, Deputy Project Director and team leader of the PRA coordinating team along with other members Dr. Ariyadada Rathnayaka, Deputy Project Director, Eastern Province, Mr. S. Amal Arunapriya, Institutional Development and Capacity Building Specialist and team member of the PRA coordinating team, Mr O. P. Kithsiri, Deputy Project Director, North Western Province of CSIAP.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-19

The objective of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) development is to improve the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture in selected hotspot areas said Mr. Nadaraja Sivalingam, Project Director, CSIAP- Sri Lanka delivering key note address in the workshop to review Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) progress and Hostspots Area Agriculture Development Plan (HSAADP) outline held on 06th this month at Center for Banking Studies at Rajagiriya.

Project Director Eng. Nadaraja Sivalingam is addressing participants in the workshop

Expressing his idea on CSIAP furthermore Mr. Sivalingam further added “Sri Lanka is vulnerable to climate related natural disasters that have major economic impacts. The hotspot areas in the dry zone have emerged as being particularly susceptible to either flood or drought events, or both. Therefore, hotspot areas have been identified as the most vulnerable to climate events that affect the agriculture production and productivity.”

“Climate resilience is defined as the capacity of agriculture system to respond to drought and flood by resisting or tolerating the impacts and recovering quickly through integration of adaptation, mitigation and other climate smart agriculture practices. This project differs from the other projects by using the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to identify the problems, challenges and opportunities of smallholder agriculture communities in the hotspot area.”

“If we use the correct methods and also the active participation of all stakeholders during the PRA activity and also consultation with other stakeholders and partners, the issues and needs of the farmer communities can be fully understood and addressed through the project intervention. The information gathered from the PRA will be incorporated into a hot spot Area Agriculture Development Plan which will an action plan for the implementation of the project. Therefore, the HSAADP is very important to the CSIAP.”

“The HSAADP will also focus on the voice and needs of the socially excluded communities. These communities include women farmers, women farmer origination, women headed farm families physically challenge farmers poor smallholder farmers, farmers who are living under the poverty line, women who are living in the resettled areas or relocated communities, non-titleholders, ethnic minorities in the hotspot areas. Therefore, it is essential that the participation of these excluded communities in the PRA exercise and to count their voice and concerns.”

“Based on the HSAADP, sub projects will be identified taking into consideration of the important issues identified and the priorities placed by the communities we are going to identify the subprojects in terms of priority basis in the hotspot area. Therefore, the success of the project intervention and implementation definitely depends on the success of the HSAADP.”

World Bank officials, Staff representing PMU (Project Management Unit) and Provincial Deputy Project Director offices of the CSIAP and experts from selected PRA firms were also present on the occasion.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-18

PMU staff are having a open discussion with participants

Senior Officials representing the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the Climate Smart Agriculture Irrigated Project (CSIAP) introduced Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) manual to government officers, who participated from Provincial and Interprovincial Agriculture departments, on 04th this month at the National Training Center of the Department of Agrarian Development, Pothuhara, Kurunagala. Government officers were given an opportunity for open discussion about CSA Manual with PMU officials at the event.

Representing PMU of CSIAP Mr. Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture Extension specialist, Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director (Irrigation), Mr. Amal Arunapriya, Institutional Development and Capacity Building Specialist and Mr.V.Mohamed Ameen, Consultant (Financial Management), the World Bank, were at the head table.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-11

Dr. V. K. Ravichandran is addressing the audience in the workshop

The CSA manual provides good information regarding the adaptation of CSA Techniques said Dr. V.K. Ravichandran, a World Bank Consultant in the workshop on obtaining comments on the CSA manual of CSIAP for improvement held on 04th this month at the National Training Center of the Department of Agrarian Development, Pothuhara, Kurunagala.

Expressing his idea on the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Dr. Ravichandran further added “The adaptation of climate smart agriculture is essentially required in the present-day scenario of climate change in agriculture. CSIAP (Climate Smart irrigated Agriculture Project), a world bank funded project in Sri Lanka is started implementing the CSA techniques in agriculture. In this context, a CSA manual has been prepared by the project for the use of implementing officials in six provinces in Sri Lanka.”
“The CSA manual provides good information regarding the adaptation of CSA Techniques which resolve around ( i). increasing the resources to use efficiently (ii). adaptation techniques to withstand the extremes of climate change events and findings (iii). climate change mitigation effects in the agriculture sector to reduce greenhouse gas emission to enable to bring out the climate resilient techniques”
“I hope that this workshop is highly useful to finetune the location specific farmers needed CSA techniques for the six provinces.”
Top officials representing Department of Agriculture in provincial and district levels, and staff of the CSIAP were also present on the occasion.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-08

The World Bank Board of Directors approved a $140 million credit for Sri Lanka to improve the resilience and productivity of agriculture for more than 470,000 small farmers in 6 provinces in the dry zone of the country under the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). The provinces selected are those that are most exposed to climate impacts. The new CSIAP will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries & Aquatic Resources along with the six Provincial Councils (Northern, North Central, North Western, Eastern, Uva and Southern) in the dry zone.

The total project cost is $140 million, including a $125 million credit from the International Development Association, with a $10 million contribution from the Government of Sri Lanka and a $5 million contribution from the project beneficiaries. Lanka is particularly vulnerable to climate-related natural disasters such as floods and droughts. The agriculture sector, which contributes approximately 7.7 percent to the country’s economy and employs 27 percent of the population, more than 38 percent of whom are women; is especially
The objective of CSIAP for Sri Lanka is to improve the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture in selected hotspot areas. The project has four components.(1) Agriculture Production and Marketing component will improve agriculture productivity and diversification through the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and improved on-farm water management.(2) Water for Agriculture component will facilitate (a) planning for water and other infrastructure necessary to support climate-resilient irrigated agriculture, (b) construction of the planned infrastructure, and (c) co-management of this infrastructure by central/provincial governments and the local community.(3) Project Management component will ensure the quality of overall project management, while ensuring smooth coordination of activity implementation by various agencies and strategic partners at national and subnational levels. This component will finance:(a) the consultancy and operating costs of the Project Management Unit (PMU) and Deputy Project Director (DPD) Offices and of different project executing agencies, including for fiduciary and safeguard aspects; (b) the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of project activities at baseline, midterm, and end of project, including geotagging of the assets created; and (c) information, education, and communication campaigns to make all stakeholders aware of the project.(4) Contingent Emergency Response component will allow for rapid reallocation of project proceeds in the event of a natural disaster or crisis that has caused or is likely to imminently cause a major adverse economic and social impact.

Posted by CSIAP Sri Lanka Read full blog article Read full web article Published Date : 2019-11-07

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The World Bank reviews the progress of the CSIAP in North Central Province

The World Bank reviews the progress of the CSIAP in Southern Province

The Pre-Mission Meeting discusses the CSIAP’s restructure and future programmes

A Workshop on Annual Work Plan and Budget 2024 in North Central Province

A Workshop on Annual Work Plan and Budget 2024 in Northern Province

Invest in Women to accelerate the development

The Final Day - The CSIAP's Highlights of " Agri Tech 24"

Day 03- The CSIAP's Highlights of " Agri Tech 24"

The CSIAP exhibits its new Agricultural Techniques in "Agri Tech 24"

Day 02- The CSIAP's Highlights of " Agri Tech 24"

“How I increased my income by 200%“ - A Farmer from Pemaduwa ASC, NCP

The implementation of 11 CMPs and the preparation of another 43 CMPs discussed

Regardless of gender, women also have a role in farming

I became an Agripreneur with the knowledge gained from Farmer Business School

A Workshop on Annual Work Plan and Budget 2024 in Uva Province

The ALRP of the CSIAP for Uva Province discussed at the UMDI

The World Bank delegation monitors the programmes implemented by CSIAP

The World Bank and Farmer Leaders at the FTS posed for a commemorative photo

A high-level delegation from the World Bank visits the Climate Smart FTS

A Community-Based Seasonal Solar- Electric Elephant Fence to mitigate the HEC

"The CSIAP interventions made my journey successful"- A Young Farmer from EP

The MIS Workshop on Environmental and Social Safeguard commenced at NIPM

The first-ever Progress Review Meeting of the CSIAP by MIS conducted

The CSIAP Youth Development Prog. made me a role model in my community

Workshop on Future of AB&MLD and ID&CB Activities commences at NIPM

The CSA training from CSIAP was a turning point in a Woman farmer's life in SP

The Rehabilitated Agro-well gave a farmer in Eastern Province a new lease of life

Changing in Cultivation Pattern with the Rehabilitation of a Tank in NWP

Systematic Inter-Season Cultivation introduced by CSIAP in Uva Province

The New Year 2024 celebration today at PMU, CSIAP, Sri Lanka

The Year-End National Project Steering Committee of the CSIAP held at MoA

The Year-End Progress Review Meeting of the CSIAP held with the World Bank

DAD receives Rs. 30.31 Mn worth ICT Devices from CSIAP to boost agro-economy

The World Bank MD and high level delegation visit the first ever FTS at Thirappane

Memories of the World Bank MD and high level delegation's visit to the FTS

The progress review meeting of the CSIAP held at the MoA

The instruction of 'Agro Bizz' to the CSIAP farming families in the project areas

The CSIAP plans to install 261 mobile elephant electric fencing at a cost of Rs 475m

The forthcoming visit of the Managing Director of the World Bank being discussed

The World Bank Country Director inspects agricultural machinery at the FTS

Launching the 'AgroBizz App' to sell farmers's products without middlemen

Introducing AgroBizz to sell agro-products online at a fair price by the CSIAP

A Climate Smart Agriculture Field Day in Kilinochchi & Mullaitivu by the CSIAP

Contributions made to the Two-Day Workshop on Preparation of CMPs - Day 02

Contributions made to the Two-Day Workshop on Preparation of CMPs - Day 01

A Two-Day Workshop to prepare Cascade Management Plans begins at NIPM

Recruitment of Staff for the PMU and Southern Province

A Field Day held in Pothuwapitiya, Koskotagolla and Amunukola in Kurunegala

The CSIAP takes the initiative to develop 53 Cascade Management Plans

Recruitment of 05 Agriculture Facilitators for Northern Province

A two-day refresher residential workshop to reinforce the skills and knowledge

The 10th NPSC meeting of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project held

A special meeting to discuss the progress of the CSIAP held at MoA

Recruitment of 08 Agriculture Facilitators for North Central Province

A scientific study on evaluating the cost-effectiveness of Paddy seedlings using mechanized transplanters climatically vulnerable hotspot areas in Sri Lanka

The two-day workshop on formulating the Cascade Management Plan

A workshop on Hydrological Studies Using Software Applications for Uva

A progress review meeting of the CSIAP between the World Bank and MoA

The World Bank reviews the progress of the CSIAP

World Bank Officials review the progress of the CSIAP in Eastern Province

The Progress Review Meeting of the CSIAP in Eastern Province by MIS

Visiting FTS and meeting members of CMC in NCP by World Bank Officials

The Progress Review Meeting of the CSIAP in the North Central Province held

Youth Agri Entrepreneurship Model Villages Programme in Southern by the CSIAP

The Transect Walk commenced in Southern Province

Workshop on Cascade Management Committee and strengthening of FO

The Provincial Progress Review Meeting of the CSIAP being held at MoA

Let us invest in our planet

The success story of a farmer on ‘Red Lady’ papaya air-layering techniques

புதிய தொழில்நுட்ப உத்திகளைக் கையாண்டு வெற்றிகரமான ‘Red Lady’ (றெட் லேடி) பப்பாசிச் செய்கை

A workshop on Agro-Ecological Landscape Resilience Plan in Hambantota

Addressing critical gender gaps including female labour force participation, providing an opportunity to boost incomes and stimulate growth through the Eco-Friendly Climate Smart Farmer Training School at Thirappane, Sri Lanka

Memoirs of the World Bank Vice President’s visit to the Farmer Training School

The World Bank Vice President receives a token of appreciation from MoA

"The FTS prepares SL farmers for climate change" Martin Raiser, RVP of the WB

The CSIAP continues forming Management Committees in Southern Province

“Today is International Mother Language Day”

A workshop on "Hydrological Studies Using Software Applications" in NCP

A training programme being conducted at the Farmer Field School in Thirappane