The 07th National Project Steering Committee of the CSIAP

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. 

A Ratification meeting of Tank Rehabilitation at Sangappalaya, Kurunegala District

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

Over 1200 farmers attended Home Garden Upscaling and Agro Well Progs in NCP

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

The CSIAP scales up home gardens across the North Western Province

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

Government Officers’ awareness programme on Home Gardening in Ehetuwewa

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

An Emergency Home Gardening Programme of the CSIAP in Bulnewa, Galgamuwa

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

The World Bank supports digitalizing ASCs in the CSIAP areas

The CSIAP supports to mitigate the human-elephant conflict in the Anuradhapura