Sri Lankan government focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage has reportedly pointed out the importance of promoting sustainable agriculture through innovation including digital agriculture solutions.
He has made this observation addressing the 35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) recently.
The Minister has noted that the access to and dissemination of the latest technologies and innovations are imperative to improve the productivity of the agriculture sector while building resilient food systems, and increasing the adaptation capacity in the agriculture sector towards climate change as well as promoting the wise use of natural resources are also essential.
Aluthgamage, who is heading the Sri Lankan delegation participating in the APRC, had welcomed the strong partnership between Sri Lanka and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), ever since the country became an FAO member nation in 1948.
He has stated that FAO’s technical and advisory support has helped the country immensely, to transform the agriculture sector from a livelihood sector to a dynamic income-earning production sector, a vital pillar of the national economy.
The Sri Lankan delegation had drawn attention to the present concerns in the agriculture sector such as poor profit margin for smallholder farmers, non-availability of a proper insurance scheme for growers, the lack of improved agrochemical management and the inability to predict seasonal forecasts.
The FAO’s continuous technical, policy and programmatic assistance in these areas were anticipated.
Addressing the APRC, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu has stated that it is time to take full advantage of the digital age through innovative partnerships with national governments, farmers, the private sector, academia, NGOs and many others.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector is fast becoming a hotspot for business/investment opportunities. The government of Sri Lanka is focussed on introducing the latest developments and technologies to the country’s agriculture industry. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore explore opportunities in Sri Lanka’s agriculture industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20102020/Z_4 |