This special meeting was held at the Project Management unit, CSIAP, Colombo today (30th). Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, CSIAP, Senior Officials of the World Bank and CSIAP were present at the meeting. The CSIAP is a World Bank funded project implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture.
The CSIAP came to this decision at a special meeting with Mr. P.B.M. Sirisena, Chief Secretary, North Western Province (NWP) held at the Chief Secretary Office, NWP recently. The CSIAP is moving forward in the NWP with the fullest cooperation of government officials.
Mr. J. S. Jayatissa, Director, Provincial Department of Irrigation, Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Project Director, Mr. O. P. Kithsiri, Deputy Project Director (NWP) and senior officials of the CSIAP attended this meeting.
The
Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) has introduced a new
web-based application, the “Climate-Smart Online Market Place,” designed to
help farmers sell or buy agricultural produce directly—eliminating the need for
middlemen or brokers. This innovative digital platform marks a significant step
toward improving market access and income opportunities for smallholder farmers
in the project areas.
The Smart Market is exclusively available to CSIAP beneficiary farmers cultivating in provinces where the project is being implemented. By enabling direct interactions between producers and buyers, the initiative aims to ensure fair prices, transparency, and greater efficiency within the agricultural value chain.
How
the Climate-Smart Online Marketplace Works
Once registered, both farmers and buyers can easily connect,
negotiate, and transact without intermediaries.
Key
Features of the Platform
This new digital solution highlights CSIAP’s commitment to empowering farmers with modern tools that enhance market competitiveness and promote climate-smart, inclusive agricultural development.
The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project
(CSIAP) reviewed its activities in the North Western Province (NWP) and
determined to accelerate them with the Department of Agrarian Development
(DAD). The top officials of the CSIAP and DAD came to this decision on a
special workshop held at the National Agrarian Training
Center, Pothuhera, recently. The
DAD closely associates with the CSIAP to implement CSIAP’s activities at the Agrarian
Service Center level (ASC). On behalf of CSIAP, Project Director R.M.B.
Rajakaruna , Deputy Project Director (NWP) Mr. O. P. Kithsiri, Consultant
Engineer U.N. Walisundara and senior officials of the CSIAP, and Mr.
A. H. M. L. Abeyrathne, Commissioner General and senior officials of DAD
attended this workshop.
The CSIAP's new Project Director Engineer R.M.B. Rajakaruna addresses the audience
The
above event and commencing with rehabilitating the Palapathwala tank in
Kurunegala took place simultaneously under the patronage of under the patronage
of Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Minister of Agriculture.
This
programme was organized by the CSIAP's Deputy Project Director in the North
Western Province (NWP) Mr. O.P. Kithsiri and his staff. The Governor of NWP
Hon. Raja Kollure, Hon state Ministers D.B Hearth, reginal politicians and government officials,
officials of CSIAP, farmers from Palapathwala cascade and Dathava cascade attended
this event.
The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) takes initiatives to promote Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices to avoid
using weedicides and pesticides in Kurunegala Districts with the support of the provincial Department of Agriculture.
The CSA practices were demonstrated at the Medagama farm, Galgamuw
on 13th this month. The Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage
and top politicians and government officials observed this demonstration. This
programme was organized by the CSIAP's Deputy Project Director in the North
Western Province (NWP) Mr. O.P. Kithsiri and his staff.
This programme was organized by the CSIAP's Deputy Project Director in the North Western Province (NWP) Mr. O.P. Kithsiri and his staff.
This programme was organized by the CSIAP's Deputy Project
Director in the North Western Province (NWP) Mr. O.P. Kithsiri and his staff.
The Governor of NWP Hon. Raja Kollure, Hon state Ministers D.B Hearth,
Hon. MP Asanka Nawarathna, Hon MP Manjula Dissanayake, top level politicians
and government officials, officials of CSIAP, farmers from Palapathwala
cascade, Rajanganaya area attended this event.
The fertilizer store built by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project
(CSIAP) was open by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage on 13th this week. The CSIAP spent over Rs 7
million to renovate Rajanganaya ASC, fertilizer store and and improve saniter
facilities.
This programme was organized by the CSIAP's Deputy Project Director in the North Western Province (NWP) Mr. O.P. Kithsiri and his staff. The Governor of NWP Hon. Raja Kollure, Hon state Ministers D.B Hearth, Hon. MP Asanka Nawarathna, Hon MP Manjula Dissanayake, top level politicians and government officials, officials of CSIAP, farmers from Palapathwala cascade, Rajanganaya area attended this event.
A special discussion
about the current status and future plans of the CSIAP was held under
the patronage of Hon. Mahindananda
Aluthgamage, Minister of Agriculture, yesterday (07th) at the Ministry of
Agriculture.
A special discussion about the modernization of Agrarian Sevice Centers (ASCs) in the CSIAP command area was held between top officials of the Department of Agrarian Development (DAD) and the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) was held at DAD Head Office Colombo Yesterday (08th).
Under
the modernization, the CSIAP is involved in 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 to overcome the issues
hinder their productivity. The major interventions are;
· Establishing full pledged ICT unit within each of the 47 ASC with trained officials and the necessary equipment to provide required data related to weather forecast, market, new technology for farmers under digitalization of ASC. The estimated total cost of this to pilot in 02 ASCs (Parangiyawadiya of Anuradhapura District and Weerawila of Hambantota District) out of 47 ASCs is Rs 8,159,333.00. The CSIAP will contribute Rs: 6.68M. while the DAD will provide Rs 1,47M. It is expected to extend the implementation of this in rest of the 45 ASCs in the next year
· Establishing a Farm Machinery Hub (FMU) in each of the 47 ASC managed by the Agrarian Development Committee (ADC) of the ASC to prevent exploitation of farmers from the middlemen and also to provide an opportunity for the Agrarian Committee to develop the Agrarian Fund.The total estimated cost of this to pilot in 02 ASCs (Parangiyawadiya of Anuradhapura District and Weerawila of Hambantota District) out of 47 ASCs is approximately Rs 240M. It is expected to extend the implementation of this in rest of the 45 ASCs in the next year.
Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Acting Project Director
and Provincial Deputy Project Directors, CSIAP, Mr. A. H. M. L. Abeyrathna,
Commissioner General and senior officials, DAD were present in this discussion.
 |
| An AI receive a soil testing kit from the Chief Guset Mr. AnuraWijeyathunga |
On
behalf of the CSIAP, Mr. Anura Wijeyathunga, Mr. M.F.A. Zaneer, Deputy Director of
Agriculture (Inter Provincial), DoA, Ampara and Mr. Jude Chrishanta, Agriculture Specialist, CSIAP
handed soil testing kits over to AIs.
Mrs. Renuka De Silva, Soil Scientist, Horticulture Research and Development Institute (HORDI), DoA, Gannoruwa, conducted a training program on the use of Soil Testing kits for AIs. The goal of soil testing is to provide an accurate assessment of the soil's fertility to make fertilizer recommendations for farmers in the CSIAP command area. The first sets of 10 soil testing kits valued at 1 million were given to AIs in Batticaloa district recently by the Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Minister of Agriculture. Officials at HORDI and Department of Agriculture and Technical Assistants were present at the ceremony.
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| AIs obtain soil testing kists from Mr. M.F.A. Zaneer and Mr. Jude Chrishanta, and Mrs. Renuka De Silva conducts the training programme on the use of soil testing kits |
