A cluster village programme will be launched in 11 districts to develop villages

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.