Sri Lanka E-agriculture Strategy.

The Sri Lanka E-agriculture Strategy lays down a roadmap by which Information Communication Technology (ICT) developments can significantly contribute towards achievement of the country’s agricultural vision and development objectives. It integrates ICT experiments under a collaborative and inclusive framework while prioritizing solutions that can be scaled up and supported through the required ecosystem. This document provides an analysis and evaluation of current and prospective roles of ICT in agriculture in Sri Lanka, lays down a vision for e-agriculture in the country and recommends specific actions plans. The strategy document has been prepared based on the framework proposed by the FAO and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) The strategy has been prepared through extensive research and stakeholder consultation from multiple sectors and has taken into consideration the fact that ICT would influence peoples life from many different aspects, not only agriculture, and will act as an efficiency multiplier that enables people and processes to achieve higher level of efficiency, efficacy and enhance the overall quality of life. It leverages on the existing ICT developments that impact agriculture in Sri Lanka and aims to mainstream it.
Innovations in ICT is happening at a very fast pace and this document has captured the effects of future disruptive technologies and recommends roadmap for adoption and evolution of current ICT initiatives, to be relevant and useful in future. The cross-sectoral nature of agriculture as well as ICTs requires formal mechanisms for collaboration amongst critical stakeholders. A leadership committee, steering committee and task force structure has been proposed to guide the implementation (Section 3.1). The strategy is guided by the Agriculture Policy Framework and National Agriculture Policy framework and National Food Production Programme (2016-18) documents published by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Sri Lanka, which identifies the following priority objectives for the agriculture sector: Achieve self-sufficiency in food crops, which may grow locally and save foreign exchange on imports of those food items; Increase availability of safe food by promoting eco-friendly practices and minimizing agro chemicals and pesticides in food crop production; Ensure food security through appropriate management of buffer stocks; Introducing and implementing agro-ecological region based food crop cultivation programs; Increase the productivity of crop production through appropriate technologies; Establish proper coordination among all agricultural stakeholders in the local food production process and connect all schools, civil organizations and general public to the program; Provide quality inputs for production and establish proper marketing mechanism for their products; Ensure building a healthy nation.
The strategy aims to address these challenges and in doing so envision achieving excellence in adopting e-solutions to transform agriculture for national prosperity. It specifies a set of e-agriculture outcomes (Section 7.1) and makes the following Strategic Recommendations. 1: Increase the availability and accuracy of agricultural information by creating, updating, analyzing and linking critical databases. 2: Develop accessible, affordable and secure ICT platforms, networks and devices with enhanced sensing, hosting, analytical, identification, tracking and communicating features. 3: Improve the awareness, education and skills of farmers, extension staff, livestock herders and other sector end-users by creating and disseminating credible agricultural knowledge remotely. 4: Reduce the demand-supply gap, and enhance outreach and profitability of Sri Lankan products and services through vibrant e-agriculture market places and efficient logistics. 5: Improve the research capability, quality, credibility and reach of extension advisory using ICTs. 6: Promote innovation in e-agriculture services. 7: Reduce the individual risks of agriculture sector stakeholders (creating early warning systems and agricultural disaster alerts). 8: Improve the financing, investing and banking outreach to agriculture sector leveraging on electronic and mobile technologies. 9: Improve the existing framework of policies, legislation, regulations and guidelines critical for e-agriculture and ensure its effectiveness implementation.
The strategy is guided by the Agriculture Policy Framework and National Agriculture Policy framework and National Food Production Programme (2016-18) documents published by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Sri Lanka, which identifies the following priority objectives for the agriculture sector: Achieve self-sufficiency in food crops, which may grow locally and save foreign exchange on imports of those food items; Increase availability of safe food by promoting eco-friendly practices and minimizing agro chemicals and pesticides in food crop production; Ensure food security through appropriate management of buffer stocks; Introducing and implementing agro-ecological region based food crop cultivation programs; Increase the productivity of crop production through appropriate technologies; Establish proper coordination among all agricultural stakeholders in the local food production process and connect all schools, civil organizations and general public to the program; Provide quality inputs for production and establish proper marketing mechanism for their products; Ensure a healthy nation.