ECONOMYNEXT – Farmers in a number of districts in Sri Lanka who modified cultivation observe with Chinese language recommendation have boosted pineapple output 300 p.c and export grade mangoes 90 p.c, the Meals and Agricultural Group stated.
Pineapple yields had tripled to 55 tones a hectare with excessive density planting, with 25,000 to 32,000 crops per acre towards 4,000 historically.
Superior pruning and fruit bagging methods elevated export-grade mango manufacturing to 90 p.c.
Technical assist got here from the Chinese language Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) in a mission between Ministry of Agriculture of Sri Lanka, the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of China.
The 2-year mission supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of China, which ended this 12 months, achieved important productiveness, high quality, and capability good points for banana, mango, and pineapple manufacturing throughout 10 mannequin farms in Colombo, Kurunegala and Anuradhapura districts.
In one other mission tissue cultured seedling manufacturing doubled, with prices diminished by 30-40 p.c.
The institution of a state-of-the-art Banana Tissue Tradition Laboratory equipped disease-free, high-yielding planting supplies to farmers throughout three provinces.
“By sharing information and expertise, we’re serving to farmers obtain greater yields, higher high quality, and stronger livelihoods,” stated H E Qi Zhenhong, Ambassador of the Individuals’s Republic of China to Sri Lanka.
“The success achieved in Sri Lanka is just not solely bettering the lives of farmers as we speak however can also be shaping a stronger, extra resilient fruit worth chain for the longer term,” stated Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Consultant for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
19 February 2025. Makandura, Sri Lanka. (L-R) Dr Darshani Jayamanne, an agronomist, and Extra Director of the pineapple Analysis Centre, Krishan Poorna, a pineapple farmer, Zengxian Zhao, a Chinese language crop cultivation professional, and Poorna’s 13-year-old son, Thuhan, examine the household fields. Poorna has simply begun receiving Chinese language agricultural experience and technological assist to enhance his farm’s yields.
18 February 2025. Horana, Sri Lanka. BHS Lakmal (L), a pineapple farmer, and Jifeng Li (R), a Chinese language agriculture professional advisor, cowl pineapples with paper safety towards pests and the weather, because the fruit method harvest time.
19 February 2025. Makandura, Sri Lanka. Nimali Wijesooriya works on her banana farm. Nimali is receiving Chinese language agricultural experience and technological assist to enhance her plantation’s yields.
20 February 2025. Nochchiyagama, Sri Lanka. LSM Dissanayake, a mango farmer, prunes certainly one of his timber, beneath the supervision of Zengxian Zhao, a Chinese language professional advisor on crop cultivation. Dissanayake is receiving Chinese language agricultural experience and technological assist to enhance his harvests.
“FAO appears ahead to constructing upon these successes in shut partnership with the Authorities and personal sector stakeholders, together with the nation’s fruit farmers, to make sure sustainable progress and resilience within the sector.”
In Sri Lanka farmers backed by politicians normally ask for import taxes, resulting in a number of the world’s highest costs for low high quality rice, low high quality onions, onions and potatoes, as a substitute of boosting productiveness and malnutrition of kids, observers say.
(Colombo/Nov27/2025)
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