The CSIAP plans to install 261 mobile elephant electric fencing at a cost of Rs 475m

The Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) funded by the World Bank has teamed up with the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR) to install 261 mobile elephant electric fencing or seasonal electric fencing, which could be deployed by farmers at the start of cultivation and removed and stored after harvest, at a cost of Rs 475 million to mitigate the human-elephant conflict in the project area where the CSIAP is being implemented.

In order to reduce the human-elephant-conflict in the project areas,  theses electric fences are installed in the area before starting the cultivation and it will be uninstalled  again after harvesting. The Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project emphasizes that the use of community-based seasonal electric fencing has been shown to be very effective in safeguarding paddy cultivations from elephant depredation. The human-elephant conflict is significant in all the CSIAP’s hotspot areas because the cultivation in the hotspot area is often threatened by wild animals, especially elephants. 

This programme is being implemented in 08 districts of Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Monaragala and Hambantota where the CSIAP is being implemented. Under this project, 261 fences for 1109.3 km covering 77854.8 ha paddy fields in  128 Grama Niladhari Division areas of  34 Agrarian Service Divisions. The estimated budget for this is Rs. 475 million and 18905 farming families will benefit.

On behalf of the CSIAP, the Department of Agrarian Department (DAD) will implement an erecting electric fencing programme and for this purpose, DAD has issued a circular to establish an institutional mechanism.  The fences will be entirely powered by solar energy. This project strives to assist farmers in the project area to protect their crops from wild elephants that frequent the area – often causing heavy damage to paddy and other crops. The Versatile Field Fences are easy to erect and the farmers are taught how to make these by the CCR.

The fences stay up until the harvest is taken. Hen farmers remove them afterwards and free up land for wild animals to eat. Again, erect fences for the next crop season. The massive human-elephant conflict has now climbed to a high level, taking many human lives and elephant deaths annually making Sri Lanka the highest annual elephant deaths and second-highest human deaths due to HEC. In 2019, the human-elephant conflict reached record heights in Sri Lanka with the death of 121 people and 405 elephants.

 With this project, the CSIAP hopes to minimize the destruction of crops by a significant percentage and also diversify crops by the use of abandoned farmland due to elephant crop raiding. The project will be implemented under the guidance of Dr. Prithviraj Fernando and his team at the Centre for Conservation and Research.

The forthcoming visit of the Managing Director of the World Bank being discussed

 A high-level delegation of the World Bank led by Mr. Faris. H. Hadad-Zervos, Country Director, and including Ms. Chiyo Kanda, Country Manager, Sara Gustafson, Senior Country Officer,  Mr. Asela Dissanayake, Senior Operations Officer and  Dr. Athula Senaratne, Senior Agriculture Specialist, visited the Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane last Friday (22nd) to discuss the forthcoming official visit of Ms. Anna Bjerde, Managing Director for Operations of the World Bank to the FTS. On behalf of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP), Project Director Eng. R.M.B. Rajakaruna, Deputy Project Director (PMU and NCP) Mr. H.M.P. Bandara and other senior officials of the CSIAP attended this discussion.

The World Bank Country Director inspects agricultural machinery at the FTS

Mr. Faris. H. Hadad-Zervos, Country Director of the World Bank inspected the agricultural machinery used for training purposes of farmers who are on three-day residential programmes at the Farmer Training School (FTS) at Thirappane last Friday (22nd). Mr. Hadad-Zervos laid the foundation stone for the FTS on 22^nd December 2021.

Launching the 'AgroBizz App' to sell farmers's products without middlemen

The Climate Smart Irrigation Agriculture Project (CSIAP) introduces a software application called 'Agro Bizz' to around 70,000 farming families belonging to 47 agricultural service division areas affected by climate change in 11 districts located in 06 provinces, where the CSIAP is being implemented, to sell their agricultural products at a fair price by avoiding middlemen.

The absence of a market to sell agricultural products at a fair price by avoiding middlemen is a major problem faced by the farmers in the CSIAP area, and as a solution to this, the project expects to sell agricultural products through an online application called 'Agro Bizz'. When selling farm produce online, payments will also be credited to farmers' accounts via 'Agro Bizz'. A leading software company  'Celata Tech' has invented this 'Agro Bizz' application which can be downloaded onto Android smartphones.

In a discussion held between World Bank officials, CSIAP officials and 'Celata Tech' company officials, it has been agreed to provide this application for free to about 70,000 project beneficiary farmers. Accordingly, a series of training programmes for selected representatives from the 11 districts under the project area as trainers have been started. The CSIAP aims to popularize this application among the farmers by training and appointing the Agricultural Business and Marketing Relations Officers and agricultural Facilitators working in the Provincial Deputy Project Director Offices of the CSAIP and office bearers of  Producer Associations and Producer Societies as representatives.

Selected representatives from Hambantota, Monaragala, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee Batticaloa and Ampara have been trained and the 'Agro Bizz' application will be introduced to the farmers by those representatives. Farmers are able to enter the image of their products on this application and information such as the quantity of the products, the time when they can be offered for sale, and the prices expected by the farmers can also be mentioned on this application. Farmers' information, farm information, cultivation information and product information are entered into the 'Agro Bizz' application. The 'Celata Tech' company has already registered product buyers, processing agencies, freight forwarders, consultants, Banks and service providers on 'Agro Bizz' to support CSIAP farmers.

Introducing AgroBizz to sell agro-products online at a fair price by the CSIAP

 

A Climate Smart Agriculture Field Day in Kilinochchi & Mullaitivu by the CSIAP

 The Agricultural Field Day organized by the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is more than a one-day event; it's a testament to the resilience and dedication of the agricultural community of the area where the CSIAP is being implemented. It is a highly useful event that serves as a nexus for education, innovation, community building, and economic development within the agricultural field of CSIAP farmers who play a crucial role in promoting sustainable agriculture. It connects farmers with their cultivation skills and fosters a profound appreciation for the agricultural sector. Organizing such an event will be an excellent way to bring together farmers, agricultural professionals, and the broader community to share knowledge, showcase innovations, and promote sustainable farming practices.  

Mr. S.M. Saman Bandulasena, Chief Secretary, Northern Province along with Ms. S.Suganthini, Provincial Director (Agricultura), Agriculture Instructors of the respective areas,  Mr. Geroge Babu, Deputy Project Director (Northern Province) , Subject Specialists and Officers of the CSIAP attended this Agricultural Field Day, which is a journey of enlightenment and enrichment in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. All officials visited.     

• Thelikarai Village of Poonakary ASC division for Watermelon Field, Thelikarai Tank Rehabilitation, Groundnut Seed Poduction and Harvesting
• Udaiyarkattu village division for MICHY 1 Chilie Cultivation
• Jeyapuram of Mulankavil ASC for Groundnut Cultivation with Sprinkler Irrigation   
• Iyankan Kulam of Thunukai ASC division  for Crop Diversification in Paddy field
• Karuvelankandal of Oddusuddan ASC division for Parachute and mechanical transplanted paddy field 

This Field Day not only educates and inspires but also underscores the pivotal role that agriculture plays in sustaining our CSIAP farming community and preserving the cultivated land for generations to come. 

Contributions made to the Two-Day Workshop on Preparation of CMPs - Day 02

Mr. Sarath Wickramaratne, Consultant of the Worl Bank, conducted the Second Day of the two-day workshop on preparing Cascade Management Plans (CMPs)held at the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM), Athurugiriya. Mr. Samanatha Mallawaarachchi, IEC & ICT Specialist and  Mr. Nalaka Attanayake, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project made participants aware of their subjects’ contribution to CMPs.