CSIAP on Sooriya Wimana, a live TV programme telecasted by ITN

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

CSIAP to improve the productivity and climate resilience is underway in Sri Lanka

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). 

Introduced how to prepare a nursery for seedlings broadcasting

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.

A technical session of the 50th ISSSM conducted by CSIAP DPD Dr. Weerasinghe

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.

The Cono Weeder is introduced to farmers in Anuradhapura by CSIAP

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 CSIAP and Department of Agriculture are behind this programme. 

Parachute Method was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas by CSIAP

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.

World Bank specialists conduct a workshop on Social Safeguards

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.

The Environment Screening Checklist and Environment Management Plan

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.

Why cascade system is important for the hotspot area management

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.

Demonstrating a Drum Seeder in Ranorawa and Mahanikawewa, Anuradhapura

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.

The Hot-Spot area development model aims to enhance resilience

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.

Inspecting key facilitators for the PRA activity in Trincomalee

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.

CSIAP improves the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture

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.

PMU Officials of CSIAP make government officials aware of the CSA Manual

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.

The CSA manual introduced comes with adaptation of CSA techniques

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.

Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project is now underway in Sri Lanka

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.