By: Staff Writer
January 25, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s latest digital agriculture initiative marks a shift from traditional governance toward a technology-enabled, farmer-centric ecosystem designed to improve productivity, resilience, and innovation across the sector. The launch of CROPIX alongside national data frameworks signals a move to place accurate, near real-time data at the heart of agricultural planning and service delivery.
Unveiled at a high-level event hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation and the FAO, with funding from the Gates Foundation, the initiative introduces a unified digital foundation for agriculture. It brings together enterprise architecture, interoperability standards, and data-sharing policies to overcome years of fragmented systems and disconnected databases.
For farmers, the most visible outcome of this transformation is CROPIX, a national digital platform that consolidates crop, land, and production data while linking farmers directly to extension services, forecasts, and market-relevant information. Accessible through web and mobile platforms, CROPIX is expected to improve access to timely advice, reduce information gaps, and support more responsive government services.
Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne said the lack of reliable data has long limited innovation in agriculture. He noted that the unified, API-based platform now enables precision farming, agritech solutions, and digital marketplaces creating opportunities for entrepreneurs while delivering tangible value to farmers.
Agriculture Minister K. D. Lalkantha said the initiative represents a strategic shift from isolated data collection to coordinated, evidence-based decision-making. He emphasised that the new systems will help policymakers respond faster to emerging challenges such as climate variability, input shortages, and food security risks.
The Agriculture Enterprise Architecture Framework ensures that future digital investments across the sector follow a common structure, preventing duplication and enabling scalability. Meanwhile, the Interoperability Framework and Data Sharing Policies establish trust, security, and accountability in how agricultural data is exchanged between institutions.
Chief Adviser to the President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya said extending digital public infrastructure to agriculture ensures that transformation delivers results on the ground. He explained that connecting farmers to institutions and data to decisions creates an ecosystem where policy intent translates into measurable outcomes.
FAO Representative Vimlendra Sharan highlighted that the initiative strengthens Sri Lanka’s capacity to manage climate risks and meet dynamic market demands. He said FAO’s partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that no farmer is left behind as the sector modernises.
As institutions adopt these tools, near real-time data is expected to guide planning, investment, and policy formulation placing farmers at the centre of Sri Lanka’s digital agriculture future.
