On the 27th of January 2022, Sanasa International held a multi-stakeholder workshop at the Renuka Hotel, in Kollupitiya, to design a 5-year strategic plan to promote the traditional rice production in Sri Lanka. The workshop was attended by farmers who have been engaged with traditional rice for many years, researchers, innovators, input suppliers, service providers from the SANASA group, and the commissioner (services) of the Department of Agrarian Services.
The workshop deliberated on the issues and solutions identified by the Canadian government-sponsored EFFECS project implemented by DID in partnership with SANASA International. SANASA International hopes to improve the work started by the EFFECS project on the ground with better coordination and strategic engagement with the national policymakers in the agrarian sector. The ideas of the workshop and the follow-up activities will be leading to the formulation of a national policy to promote traditional rice farming in Sri Lanka. The leader of SANASA programme, Dr. P.A.Kiriwandeniya, and the Commissioner of services of the Agrarian Services Department pledged their support to the farmers to implement the solutions that were presented by the farmers. SANASA International will facilitate continuity of the dialogue as well as collaborative action plans in the field, in order to develop better leadership amongst the farmers to implement a national programme to promote traditional rice production.
The workshop was held under the Asia Pacific Farmers Program (APFP) project which SANASA International implements in partnership with the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development and La Via Campesina.
Comments are closed