22 January 2026, Colombo – Sri Lanka right now took a significant step in direction of reworking its agriculture sector with the official launch of the Agriculture Enterprise Structure Framework, Agriculture Interoperability Framework, Knowledge Sharing Insurance policies, and CROPIX, a nationwide digital platform for crop information and decision-making.
The high-level launch occasion, co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation and the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations (FAO) with funding from the Gates Basis, marked the formal introduction of a unified digital basis designed to modernize agricultural governance, enhance service supply, and allow evidence-based decision-making throughout the sector.
Collectively, these initiatives type the spine of Sri Lanka’s rising Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture, addressing long-standing challenges associated to fragmented information methods, institutional silos, and restricted information sharing throughout authorities entities.
Talking on the occasion, Hon. Okay. D. Lalkantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation emphasised the strategic significance of the launch for the sector’s future.
“Right now marks a decisive shift in how Sri Lanka governs and helps its agriculture sector. By introducing a unified Enterprise Structure, Interoperability Framework, and clear Knowledge Sharing Insurance policies, we’re laying the muse for a very data-driven agriculture system that serves farmers, establishments, and decision-makers alike. CROPIX will allow us to maneuver from fragmented data to knowledgeable, well timed selections that strengthen meals safety and farmer livelihoods,” the Minister mentioned.
Highlighting the significance of interoperability and alignment with the nationwide digital agenda, Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economic system, underscored the function of agriculture in Sri Lanka’s wider digital transformation.
“For years, Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector lacked an entire, dependable registry of farmers, lands, and crops—fragmented throughout methods with duplication and gaps. The options launched right now change that, introducing a unified, API-driven platform for trusted data-sharing. This may allow smarter insurance policies, focused providers, and improvements like agritech, precision farming, and digital marketplaces—delivering actual digital worth to those that feed the nation and driving our digital financial system ahead,” he mentioned.
Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economic system, highlighted the importance of the initiative throughout the nation’s broader digital transformation agenda.
“What we’re witnessing right now is the extension of Sri Lanka’s Digital Public Infrastructure into considered one of our most important sectors. By making use of enterprise structure, interoperability, and trusted data-sharing rules to agriculture, we’re making certain that digital transformation delivers actual worth on the bottom. This method permits scalable, safe methods that join farmers to establishments, information to selections, and coverage to influence,” he mentioned.
The Agriculture Enterprise Structure Framework supplies a strategic blueprint to align individuals, processes, information, and know-how throughout agricultural establishments, making certain that digital investments are interoperable, scalable, and future-ready. Complementing this, the Agriculture Interoperability Framework and newly launched Knowledge Sharing Insurance policies allow safe, standardised, and trusted change of agricultural information throughout ministries, departments, and digital platforms.
On the centre of this digital ecosystem is CROPIX – Crop Assets, Optimizing operations, by way of Exact Info eXchange System. CROPIX operationalises the structure and interoperability frameworks by integrating nationwide crop registry, cultivation and manufacturing information, forecasting instruments, extension providers, close to real-time area reporting, APIs and Open Knowledge. By means of its net platform and cellular purposes, CROPIX connects farmers, extension officers, planners, and policymakers round a single, trusted supply of agricultural information.
Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Consultant for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, highlighted the broader significance of the initiative and FAO’s continued partnership with the Authorities of Sri Lanka.
“This launch represents greater than the introduction of digital methods; it marks a change in how information are ruled, shared, and used throughout the agriculture sector. By establishing sturdy digital public infrastructure for agriculture, Sri Lanka is positioning itself to reply extra successfully to local weather dangers, enhance service supply, cater to dynamic market calls for and make evidence-based selections that go away no farmer behind. FAO is proud to help this journey in direction of a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agriculture sector,” he mentioned.
The launch is predicted to speed up institutional adoption of digital instruments throughout the Division of Agriculture, promote accountable information sharing throughout authorities, and foster a tradition the place close to real-time information informs planning, coverage formulation, and funding selections – finally making certain that farmers are the first beneficiaries by way of improved providers, well timed data, and extra responsive, evidence-based help.
This milestone marks not simply the introduction of latest methods, however the starting of a collaborative nationwide journey in direction of a resilient, inclusive, and data-driven future for Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector.
