Sri Lanka has launched a AUD 2 million (approximately $1.4 million) recovery initiative aimed at restoring and transforming vegetable production systems in the cyclone-affected districts of Nuwara Eliya and Badulla.
The project is supported by the Government of Australia and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The official launch was marked by the signing of a grant agreement between Matthew Duckworth, Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, and Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
This initiative follows the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025, which severely disrupted agricultural production and livelihoods across Sri Lanka.
The highland districts of Nuwara Eliya and Badulla, known for their vegetable crops such as beans, carrots, leeks, cabbage, tomatoes, and potatoes, were among the hardest hit. Thousands of smallholder farmers in these areas lost crops, seed stocks, and productive assets.
Designed as a 12-month intervention, the project aims to restore and strengthen climate-resilient vegetable farming, with a particular focus on empowering women farmers and supporting persons with disabilities.
Over 2,400 smallholder farmers will benefit directly through improved seed and seedling production, access to small machinery, training, and enhanced market linkages. Indirect benefits are expected to reach thousands more.
Key components of the initiative include restoring farmer-led seed systems for beans and potatoes, supporting both open-field and protected cultivation systems, and establishing six accessible and inclusive nurseries in Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. These nurseries will operate as sustainable agri-based enterprises, producing high-quality vegetable seedlings, creating new income opportunities, and strengthening local input supply chains.
The project emphasizes climate-smart agricultural practices (CSGAP), the development of women-led seedling nurseries, and small-scale machinery and input support. By combining immediate recovery efforts with long-term resilience strategies, the initiative aims to stabilize vegetable production, improve household food security and nutrition, and reduce reliance on imported seeds.
Addressing structural vulnerabilities in seed supply, production systems, and market linkages, the project also seeks to enhance the capacity of farmers and agricultural extension services to adapt to future climate risks.
It aligns with Sri Lanka’s national priorities on food security, climate resilience, and inclusive rural development, and will be implemented in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and provincial agencies.