Government of the This project is Democratic Socialist supported by the Republic of Sri Lanka European Union
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agricultural Programme in Sri Lanka (TAMAP)
PROGRESS REPORT No. 5 (FINAL) Covering the period 1 January – 30 June 2020 HALF YEAR REPORT
July 2020
Progress report No. 5
Project title: Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Project number: ACA/2017/389-911 Country: Sri Lanka Address: Ecorys Nederland B.V Watermanweg 44 3067 GG Rotterdam The Netherlands
Tel. number: T: +31 10 453 86 76 Fax number: F : +31 10 453 87 55 Contact person: Nick Smart [email protected]
Date of report: 29 July 2020 Reporting period: 1 January – 30 June 2020 Author of report: Dr. Christof Batzlen, Team Leader
This project is implemented by a Consortium led by Ecorys Nederland , B.V
Disclaimer. This report has been prepared with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein are those of the contractor, and therefore, in no way reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
PROJECT SYNOPSIS
Project Title: Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Project Details: Project EuropeAid/138- Programme Dr Olaf Heidelbach Ref. No: 539/DH/SER/LK Manager
Date of 8 January 2018 Contracting Delegation of the European Union project Authority to Sri Lanka and the Maldives start: 389 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka Contract 36 months Name of Project Director: Nick Smart Duration: contact person (Contractor): Contract ACA/2017/389-911 Contractor’s Ecorys Nederland B.V No: name, Watermanweg 44 address, 3067 GG Rotterdam telephone The Netherlands numbers T +31 (0)10 453 88 00 and e-mail [email protected] address: Total EUR 4, 167, 000 Team Leader Dr. Christof Batzlen contracted [email protected] amount: Postal Address: Ministry of Finance, Economy and Policy Development Treasury Building, Lotus Road, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka.
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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...... 1 2 INTRODUCTION ...... 9 2.1 Problem Analysis ...... 9 2.2 EU Support to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme ...... 9 2.3 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka ...... 10 2.4 Objective of the TA contract ...... 10 2.5 Results to be accomplished by TAMAP ...... 11 2.6 TAMAP understanding of how to implement the project ...... 11 3 RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE REPORTING PERIOD ...... 13 3.1 Preliminary remarks ...... 13 3.2 COVID-19 crisis and its implications on TAMAP ...... 13 3.3 R 1: An overarching Agriculture Policy in line with the Government Development Goals is developed ...... 14 3.3.1 A 1.1: Provide expertise and support to the preparation of an overarching Agriculture Policy that covers all sub-sectors...... 14 3.3.2 A 1.2: Support the design of a strategy, action plan and roadmap to implement the policy together with the institutional framework for its implementation ...... 18 3.3.3 A 1.3: Share all relevant budget processes and analyses...... 19 3.3.4 A 1.4: Support the Government to acquire international best practices in agricultural development and knowledge that can be replicated in the Sri Lankan context ...... 20 3.3.5 A1.5: Support the Government and the EU Delegation (EUD) to prepare the future sector reform contract in agriculture and options for interventions not related to budget support ...... 21 3.3.6 A1.6: Support the development of a communication strategy to promote TAMAP...... 27 3.3.7 A1.7: Support the Government to coordinate the sectors, including development partners ...... 28 3.4 R 2: An enabling environment is created, reforms and policies for the modernisation and diversification of agriculture implemented and exports promoted ...... 29 3.4.1 A 2.1: Assist the Government to improve its market intelligence...... 29 3.4.2 A 2.2: Strengthening value chain development & promotion of new technologies ...... 32 3.4.3 Assist the Government to promote sustainable green production practices among agri-businesses ...... 39 3.4.4 A 2.5: Help the Government to improve its support to farmers and farmer organisations, including support to the extension service ...... 41 3.5 R 3: The existing systems for planning, budgeting and implementation of sectoral and sub-sectoral policies are improved ...... 42 3.5.1 A 3.1: Review the Government’s planning, budgeting, resource allocation,
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implementation and coordination system on all levels related to agriculture development...... 42 3.5.2 A 3.2: Develop capacity building programme for planning, budgeting, resource allocation at central, provincial and district level based on needs assessment and its implementation ...... 43 3.6 R 4: The impact of implementing Government's overarching Agriculture Policy through an improved statistical and data analysis system is monitored and assessed ...... 46 3.6.1 A 4.1: Design an overall M&E framework and development of guidelines for carrying out impact assessment studies ...... 46 3.6.2 A 4.5: Review the statistical system in agriculture and all agriculture related subsectors, and provide ad hoc support where necessary ...... 46 4 MANAGEMENT OF THE SERVICE CONTRACT ...... 49 4.1 Stakeholder liaison and major workshops organised by TAMAP ...... 49 4.1.1 Launch of the Govipola market platform on 28th January 2020 ...... 49 4.1.2 Symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion ...... 49 4.1.3 TAMAP organised e-Agriculture Workshop on 25 June 2020 ...... 51 4.2 Workshops / seminars / meetings attended by the TAMAP team ...... 52 4.2.1 Programme Steering Committee (PSC) 13th February 2020 ...... 52 4.2.2 EU, TAMAP and NPD meeting on 16 April 2020 ...... 53 4.2.3 Online meeting between TAMAP, EU and Govipola on 14th May 2020 ...... 53 4.2.4 Current and future support of the EU in the field of IT based agricultural trading platforms at Temple Trees on 3rd June 2020...... 54 4.2.5 Assignments conducted in the reporting period ...... 54 4.3 Contractual and procedural issues ...... 55 4.4 Reporting ...... 56 5 CURRENT STATUS OF THE TAMAP SERVICE CONTRACT ...... 57 5.1 Overview of inputs of experts since commencement and in 2019 ...... 57 5.2 Overview of the financial status of the TAMAP ...... 58 6 PROGRESS REPORT AND FUTURE WORK PROGRAMME BY RESULTS ...... 59
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List of Annexes
Annex Name Annex 1 Updated TAMAP work plan Annex 2 TAMAP Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020 Annex 3 TAMAP Position Paper on medium-term National Food Production Programme Annex 4 Briefing note for the President on the NFP aligned OAP developed by the Department of National Planning Annex 5 Overview on recent value chain studies carried out in Sri Lanka Annex 6 Summary of the study on sustainable and organic agriculture in Sri Lanka Annex 7 Minutes for Programme Steering Committee No. 5 for the Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme (TAMAP) in Sri Lanka Annex 8 Symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion Annex 9 TAMAP strategy note for conventional training under social distancing conditions and online training Annex 10 Logframe training (main) report Annex 11 TAMAP Govipola Launch Event compiled by Ngage Annex 12 Summarised outcome of the E-Agriculture workshop organised on 25th June 2020 Annex 13 Monitoring experts, work plan, outcome according to results Annex 14 TAMAP Visibility & Communications Strategy
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List of Tables Table 1: Government budget and public debt 2019-2020 (percentage of GDP) ...... 22 Table 2: Comparison between entry and post training test ...... 44 Table 3: Table of content of Policy Analysis Textbook...... 44 Table 4: Overview on the assignments being performed in the reporting period...... 54 Table 5: Reports produced by TAMAP and their submission dates ...... 56
List of Figures Figure 1: Steps in TAMAP implementation ...... 12
List of Photos Photo 1: Panel discussion at the Govipola launch ...... 30 Photo 2: Temperate zone floriculture products ...... 32 Photo 3: Cinnamon bark ...... 34 Photo 4: Group work at Kandy workshop...... 36 Photo 5: Presentation of results ...... 37 Photo 6: Organic farm in Sri Lanka ...... 39 Photo 7: Suren Kohombange founder of Govipola ...... 49 Photo 8: Eng. Badra Kamaladasa making a presentation on gender ...... 50 Photo 9: Panel discussion at e-Agriculture workshop ...... 51 Photo 10: Organisation of PSC No. 5 on 13 February 2020 ...... 52
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ACRONYMS
€ Euro AEO Agricultural Extension Officers ASC Agrarian Service Centre AsDB Asian Development Bank CARP Council for Agricultural Research Policy CBC Ceylon Business Council CBO Community Based Organisation CRI Coconut Research Institute CSA Climate Smart Agriculture CSO Civil Society Organisation DEA Department of Export Agriculture DoA Department of Agriculture EC European Commission EDB Export Development Board EDF/BUDGET European Development Fund EU European Union EUD European Delegation FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FIRST Food and Nutrition Security Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation FO Farmer Organisation GAP Good Agricultural Practices GDP Gross Domestic Product GMPs Good Manufacturing Practices GoSL Government of Sri Lanka ha Hectare (10,000 m2) HKARTI Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute HR Human Resources HRM Human Resource Management ICT Information Communication Technology IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute JICA Japanese International Cooperation Agency JPAs Job Performance Aids KE Key Expert
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KPI Key Performance Indicator M&E Monitoring & Evaluation MOA Ministry of Agriculture MOF Ministry of Finance and Mass Media MONPEA Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs MoPI Ministry of Primary Industries MTEF Medium Term Expenditure Framework NAO National Authorising Officer NAP New Agriculture Policy NFPP National Food Production Programme NGO Non-Government Organisation NKE Non Key Expert NLDB National Livestock Development Board NPD National Planning Department OAP Overarching Agriculture Policy OECD Overseas Economic Council for Development OFCs Other field crops PAF Performance Assessment Framework PEP Performance Enhancement Programme PET Public Expenditure Tracking PFM Public Finance Management PIP Public Investment Programme PMU Project Management Units PPP Public Private Partnerships PSC Project Steering Committee R&D Research & Development SACCOs Savings And Credit Cooperative Organisations SRC Sector Reform Contract SDDP Support to District Development Programme SL Sri Lanka SLCARP Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy SMART Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, Timebound SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats T&V Training and Visit TAT Technical Assistance Team
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TAMAP Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka TNA Training Needs Assessment ToR Terms of Reference TOT Training of Trainers TRI Tea Research Institute USAID United States Agency for International Development WB World Bank WUAs Water Users Associations
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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction The Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka (TAMAP) service contract is implemented by a consortium led by ECORYS and started with the mobilisation of the Technical Assistance Team (TAT) on 8th January 2018. The project has an operational phase of 36 months and will end on 7th January 2021. This fifth Progress Report highlights the progress of TAMAP from 1 January to 30 June 2020 according to the four results to be achieved as laid down in the Terms of Reference. This report not only captures the progress made, but also highlights problems encountered, possible solutions, planned activities for the next reporting period and urgent activities to be undertaken. Annexed to this report are an updated timetable of activities until project end, an overview of accomplishments in accordance with the TAMAP logframe, minutes of the Programme Steering Committee (PSC) meeting and summaries of major events organised by TAMAP in the reporting period. It should be noted that due to the worldwide COVID-19 crisis a lot of activities and particularly stakeholder consultation could not be accomplished as planned and significant delays have occurred. Nonetheless, throughout the 7-week strict curfew starting on19th March 2020 and ending on 11th May 2020 in Colombo, the TAMAP core team consisting of the team leader, KE 3 and the TAMAP office staff members remained in Colombo and were continuously working. In parallel, other experts were working from home offices in their countries of residence. The objective of the service contract is to contribute to a more productive, sustainable, diversified, climate-resilient, market-oriented and inclusive agriculture in Sri Lanka. The following four (4) results to be accomplished within this service contract are: Result 1: An overall (overarching) Agricultural Policy in line with the Government Development Goals is developed. Result 2: An enabling environment is created and relevant policies for the modernisation and diversification of agricultural production, as well as the promotion of agricultural exports, are implemented. Result 3: Existing systems and practices used by central and provincial agricultural ministries for planning, budgeting and policy implementation are improved. Result 4: The statistical and analysis systems to monitor and assess the impact of implementing the overall agricultural policy are improved. The TA team works as a catalyst to facilitate and bring about the necessary changes to the structure and operations of the industry following in-depth analyses of the current issues impacting the sector which forms the basis for informed scientific decision making. The TA team helps facilitate the establishment of multi-stakeholder working groups for the corresponding results to be achieved by the project (policy, strategy and action plan with resource allocation). The working groups elaborate concepts which are then tabled to the TAMAP Programme Steering Committee for endorsement. This approach has a strong participatory character whereby each participating agency appoints representatives as active members of the WGs which meet regularly.
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R 1: An overarching Agriculture Policy in line with the Government Development Goals is developed Stakeholder consultation The first quarter of 2020 was characterised by intensive stakeholder consultation between the OAIS team and the relevant ministries, departments and organisations with a view to discuss on a bilateral basis the issues and proposals of the various sub-strategies and to collect data on costs. With the strict lockdown and curfew due to the COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent aftermath, stakeholder consultation was significantly reduced and did not make up lost time in the reporting period apart from some exceptions. A highlight was the 3rd June 2020 when, EU & TAMAP were invited to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat at Temple Trees to make a presentation to the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation on current and future support from the EU in the field of Agricultural Trading Platforms. It was agreed that another presentation at Temple Trees would be made to introduce the OAP and OAIS, which however did not take place in the reporting period.
Drawing up an overarching agriculture policy (OAP) TAMAP started aligning the OAP with the National Policy Framework: Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour (in short NPF) which entails a relatively detailed action plan for the agriculture sector. The need for alignment was confirmed in PSC # 5 organised on 13 February 2020. This process continued with the organisation of several core stakeholder meetings with NPD, MoA and TAMAP but could not be finalised due to the curfew and lockdown. The Department of National Planning developed an OAP briefing note which was submitted to the Secretary of the President on 5th April. It was at the Secretary’s request. This briefing note had been synchronised with the NPF and is using its exact terminology. TAMAP resumed working on the improvement of the OAP document at the beginning of June on an intermittent basis in close collaboration with NPD. A final version of the OAP could not be agreed with the MoA since i) the new secretary of the MoA needed time to become familiar with the OAP and its process before making commitments and decisions, and ii) a draft National Food Security Policy was developed and circulated among stakeholders. How the OAP can be aligned with this Food Security Policy needs to be considered in the OAP finalisation process. With the Covid-19 crisis, this document has attracted a lot of attention but at the end of the reporting period it was not clear how to pursue these two policy documents in the future: merging or dovetailing one policy into the other. This needs to be clarified in the next reporting period. The EUD SL requested that TAMAP prepare a position paper as a response to the 3-year Food Production National Programme (FPNP) with a view to initiate the discussion on potential benefits, strengths, risks and any weaknesses of the FPNP. On 12 May 2020 this position paper was disseminated to GoSL departments and major stakeholders, however no discussion with those for whom it was meant took place in the reporting period. Nonetheless, TAMAP can take it up at the follow-up discussion with NPD and MoA with a view to reviewing the performance of the FPNP, particularly after the Yala 2020 or Maha 2020/21 seasons.
Developing an overarching agriculture implementation strategy (OAIS) A team of 9 experts developed 10 sub-strategies following the Thrust Areas outlined in the “old” OAP and later on in the “new” aligned OAP. In developing the sub-sector strategies and the entire OAIS, the TAMAP team had to attend to a deadline stipulated by the EUD SL of 31
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March 2020 by when the OAIS needed to be developed and approved by stakeholders. This deadline however was extended after it became clear that Sri Lanka will not fulfil three of the four eligibility criteria for budget support. This was communicated to NPD towards the end of March 2020. Preliminary final draft versions of the corresponding sub-strategies (aligned with the NPF) were delivered to the TAMAP policy & strategy expert who took the lead in coordinating and compiling the OAIS by mid May 2020. This was to ensure compilation and rewriting into one consistent and coherent document. A first comprehensive draft of the OAIS was not available at the end of the reporting period. It is planned that a first draft of the OAIS will be ready by 31 July 2020 which then can be commented on by EUD SL and other important stakeholders. It is hoped that stakeholder consultation can continue so that the OAIS will get endorsement by the end of 2020.
Support the Government and the EUD to prepare the future sector reform contract in agriculture As indicated above, as of the the third quarter of 2019 , apart the lack of an agriculture sector policy, Sri Lanka was eligible for Budget Support. The country complied in terms of i) macro- economic stability, ii) having a comprehensive PFM system in place and iii) a transparent budget. The situation changed significantly in the first quarter of 2020 at which time Sri Lanka only complied with the criterion adhering to a transparent budget. With Sri Lanka’s non- eligibility for Budget Support all activities centred around developing a sector reform contract for AAP 2020 stopped (for details see Section 3.3). This included introducing methods on Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys, developing Budget Support compliant SMART indicators, developing a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (however not the costing of the OAIS) and developing a road map and the institutional set up for implementation of Budget Support. Instead, TAMAP assisted the EUD SL in providing inputs for the Action Document for AAP 2020, namely developing several options for future Technical Assistance.
Implementing a communication strategy for TAMAP Ngage succeeded in tabling a communication strategy for TAMAP on 30th June 2020. In spite of this delay, numerous communication and visibility activities were carried out in the reporting period such as production and printing of TAMAP diaries, adequate media coverage for the Govipola launch, developing & finalisation of two videos (one on challenges to agriculture in Sri Lanka and one on the OAP), production and dissemination of two press releases, continuous administration of the website and TAMAP Facebook page with 10 posts per month. All material can be downloaded from https://www.eusl-ruraldevelopment.org/).
R 2: An enabling environment is created, reforms and policies for the modernisation and diversification of agriculture implemented and exports promoted Development of a market intelligence system TAMAP has supported the development of an electronic market place in agriculture in line with the Government's e-Agriculture strategy. As a result of this work “Govipola”, an agricultural trading platform and improved market information system was officially launched on 28 January 2020 at the “Improved Market Information System for Agriculture in Sri Lanka” workshop held at the Mövenpick Hotel in Colombo. Today the app, with over 45,000 generic downloads across the country, helps farmers in marketing their goods on a digital platform with easy access to real time market data. The app also offers convenience to buyers by providing options such as search filtering and notifications, and thereby shortening the otherwise lengthy
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process of finding goods. The Govipola launch was attended by more than 100 participants and was very well covered by the print media, TV and social media platforms. In order to pursue supporting e-Agriculture solutions in Sri Lanka, TAMAP in collaboration with HARTI organised a workshop on the same topic on 25th June 2020 in Colombo. The purpose of this workshop was to bring existing e-Agriculture and Digital Market Platform providers, as well as interested parties and users of these e-Agriculture systems, together to do stocktaking on who is doing what and how. At the same time important stakeholders such as FAO and GoSL gave a feedback on plans they have with a view to develop e-Agriculture systems in Sri Lanka in the future. The workshop was physically attended by 45 participants and joined by 95 people on ZOOM and Facebook. Towards end of June TAMAP launched an assignment to further contribute to the development and sustainability of e-Agriculture solutions in Sri Lanka by assessing supply and demand for, developing sustainable business plans for digital market platforms and training users in the various online trading platforms in Sri Lanka. This assignment is expected to come to an end in December 2020.
Strengthening value chain development and capacity building Based on the comments received by the EUD SL, TAMAP finalised the value chain studies on floriculture and essential oils. Furthermore, one overview value chain report was produced and approved summarising major findings of all 8 value chain studies. Two one-day value chain trainings were organised in Kandy on 25th February with 44 participants and on 27th February in Colombo with 43 participants. Both events were successful and results of the value chain studies were presented with the methodologies for doing calculations and mapping on selected commodities. Activities were performed in group work and met with strong interest by the participants.
Promotion of green production practices among agri-businesses The assignment Support to Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture came to a preliminary end with the submission of the draft report on 7 April 2020. Comments from the EUD SL were received on 17th June and from GIZ on 23rd June 2020. The final report was not submitted in the reporting period. The workshop scheduled for the 17th March 2020 had to be cancelled (postponed) due to the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown. It is anticipated that later in the course of the year when travelling is possible, the postponed organic workshop can be arranged.
Improvement of agriculture extension service and support to farmers and farmer organisations The good response & feedback and high attendance at the two trainings in Vavuniya and Kandy on commercial agriculture business models, the two value chain trainings and the general inadequate business behaviour of farmers and small processors during the COVID-19 crisis encouraged TAMAP to develop and organise additional trainings for farmers and also food processing SMEs in Sri Lanka with the following objectives: i) Support farming as a business via training of lead farmers and extension workers in the basics of farming economics and finance; and ii) Support food processing SMEs to improve their business by introducing them to the basics of small and micro business economics and finance. Terms of Reference for this assignment were developed, experts identified and the assignment started with developing training material at the end of June 2020.
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R 3: The existing systems for planning, budgeting and implementation of sectoral and sub-sectoral policies are improved Developing a capacity building programme TAMAP in collaboration with the Post graduate Institute for Agriculture (PGIA) of the University of Peradeniya started developing the draft training programme on policy analysis at the end of 2019 and a first draft was developed at the beginning of May 2020. The draft programme was circulated among some of the TAMAP members for comments which were incorporated at the beginning of June. Given the COVID-19 crisis and the emanating discussions on food security versus cash crop production, the authors of the training book decided to include some additional chapters on economics and opportunity costs related to food and cash crop production. The training manual could not be finalised in the reporting period, and hence, no training conducted. It is envisaged that the handbook will be published by Springer Nature. First discussions with Springer were held and a principle agreement made. In March two logframe trainings were organised in Colombo (31 participants) and in Polonnaruwa (21 participants). A third training to be organised in Hambantota had to be cancelled (postponed) due to the curfew restrictions.
R 4: The impact of implementing Government's overarching Agriculture Policy through an improved statistical and data analysis system is monitored and assessed Review of the current M&E framework on national policies In drawing up the OAIS, the TAMAP team also developed indicators for the various targets which will allow the stakeholders to monitor & evaluate the progress made on the OAP and OAIS implementation. However, it should be noted that these are “normal SMART“ indicators and dissimilar to those developed for EU Budget Support operations.
Review the statistical system in agriculture and all agriculture related subsectors TAMAP met DCS on 29th January 2020 and discussed the concept paper (proposing areas for support) which was submitted on 5th December 2019. This meeting was very fruitful and a number of proposals were made. Some were not realistic for implementation and funding using the TAMAP budget which is far too low. Realistic recommendations and the way forward were picked up and conveyed to the EUD SL which agreed with the following: • TAMAP and DCS will jointly develop a curriculum for a five-day training on statistics and agriculture with a view to collect and process higher quality data; • Conducting a pre-test of the training and training of trainers; • Conducting a few trainings (5) in districts where agriculture plays an important role. This means that apart from the training of trainers we could train maximum 150 people out of approx. 1,350 people; • Organising a meeting with DCS and DoAD to discuss and agree upon our proposal; and • Developing budgets and cost for the trainings. From mid March onwards, the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath made it very difficult to have face to face meetings and discussions with DCS and the DoAD to discuss the exact scope for the TAMAP capacity building activities related to the improvement of agricultural statistics. TAMAP will resume the discussions in the next reporting period after the elections and will organise a meeting between DCS, DoAD, DoA and TAMAP in which details of the above proposals will be discussed, agreed upon and a timetable, including milestones, developed.
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Management of the service contract Stakeholder liaison One Programme Steering Committee (#5) was organised on 13th February. Main outcome of the PSC was that the OAP had to be aligned with the National Policy Framework (NPF): Vistas of Prosperity and for Splendour. Apart from the Govipola Launch on 28th January and the e-Agriculture workshop on 25th June 2020, TAMAP, in collaboration with the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR), organised a symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion. This was in support of the International Women’s Day 2020. This workshop was attended by 66 participants.
Assignments conducted Two new assignments began in the reporting period, namely the Business Training for Farmers and Food Processing SMEs in Sri Lanka and the Development and Operationalisation of e- Agriculture in Sri Lanka including sustainability plans for online market platforms, both under Result 2.
Staffing and the TAMAP extension The TAMAP Team Leader (KE 1) has resigned effectively from 31 July 2020 and KE 3 has resigned effectively from 31 August 2020. A principle agreement was made between EUD SL and Ecorys that a 6-month extension of the TAMAP contract will be granted starting from 8th January 2021 to catch up with delays related to Covid-19 and the presidential and parliamentary elections. Currently an addendum is being developed capturing the extension as well as changes in personnel and reallocation of work days. The draft addendum is expected to be submitted and discussed at the beginning of July 2020.
Reporting In the reporting period, the following reports were developed and submitted:
REPORT Submission Draft Submission Final TAMAP Progress Report No. 4 31 December 2019 21 February 2020 Value Chain study on floriculture 1 November 29 February 2020 Value Chain study on essential oils 3 December 30 March 2020 Overview Report on Value Chain Analysis 31 March 2020 29 June 2020 Organic Farming and Sustainable 6 April 2020 Agriculture in Sri Lanka
Contractual issues 85 % of the work days of KE 1, 100 % of KE 2 and 74 % of KE 3 have been consumed since commencement of the service contract. 14 assignments have been carried out and 1,189.5
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SNKE WDs and 944 JNKE WDs consumed. 74.5 SNKE WDs and 566 JNKE WDs remain uncommitted. Out of the total contract value of € 4.167 million, approximately € 2,883,479 was spent as of 30 June 2020 with € 2,586,150 on fees, € 283,529 for incidental expenditures and € 13,800 for expenditure verification.
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2 INTRODUCTION
2 . 1 P roblem Analysis
Over the past 15 years, Sri Lanka has shifted its economic structure from agriculture to industry and services. The contribution of the agriculture sector to GDP remains at 11%, but still about one-third of the population is engaged in, and dependent on, agricultural employment. Agriculture has been the key to reducing the level of poverty, accounting for about one third of the overall decline in poverty over the past decade. Conversely, characteristics of the poor reveal that 49% of the poor are still from the agriculture sector compared to 24% and 27% in the industry and services sectors, respectively. Small-holders account for a significant portion of the rural poor, and are mainly engaged in subsistence farming which revolves around traditional knowledge and practices with weak market linkages. In paddy rice which is the main staple food in Sri Lanka and which is mainly grown by smallholder farmers, Sri Lanka has become self-sufficient and yields of paddy rice are relatively high with an average of about 4.5 tons per ha. In view of that, the large majority of Sri Lankan farm householders are not affected by food insecurity, however the strong emphasis on rice with the majority of the rural communities having three rice meals per day, has led to strong nutrition insecurity and there is a significant lack of valuable nutrients in the Sri Lankan diet. Furthermore, subsistence and also semi commercial farms have little understanding on the principles of farming as a business and as such, farm households generate much less revenue and benefits compared to their potential. In parallel, the commercial crop sector, predominantly under plantations such as rubber, coconut and tea, as well as spices such as pepper and cinnamon, have been principally characterised by a good quality but lack of productivity attributed to labour shortages, lacking reinvestments on plantations for planting material and also equipment as a consequence of a frequently changing government policy environment, less motivated labour, low mechanisation endowment, and old plantations where most of the trees have exceeded the economic life span. Over and above all, the agricultural extension services, in traditionally managed smallholder as well as commercially run enterprises, have been performing poorly, partly due to lack of qualified extension workers and also to the fragmentation of the organisations which are dealing with agriculture’s sub-sectors. This has led to poorly coordinated extension services in conjunction with duplication and also omission of services. Currently, up to 19 ministries and numerous departments and parastatals oversee agriculture so that in the end farmers do not know who to approach to resolve their numerous problems. This situation has been exacerbated in recent years where climate change effects have had detrimental impacts on Sri Lanka agriculture due to erratic rainfall leading to floods and extended dry spells.
2 . 2 EU Support to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme
The Government of Sri Lanka, supported by several development partners, has become aware of these structural problems and has started embarking on the modernisation of the agriculture sector to overcome these challenges. Modernisation means amongst others, mainstreaming farming as a business, modernising agriculture by the replacement of old trees by new, more climate resilient varieties, reinvestment in plantation processing plant and equipment,
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promotion of mixed diversified farming systems among smallholder farmers to reduce the risks of loss of harvests, promotion of climate smart agriculture, to revamp and restructure the agricultural extension service and, if possible, to reduce the fragmentation at the institutional level. In particular, the last aspect is expected to be a major challenge since the required change will not only generate increases in effectiveness and efficiency, but it may also lead to losses of responsibility and control of some of the entities currently involved. In order to bring about this change in a consultative and mitigative manner, the EU has been funding the implementation of the Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme. The financing agreement between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the European Union on "Support to the modernisation of the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka" was signed on 6 April 2017. The 30 million Euro grant programme's objective is to contribute to a more productive, diversified, climate resilient, market oriented and equitable agriculture in Sri Lanka. The specific objective is to contribute to the creation of the enabling conditions for small holder farmers in poverty stricken districts to move towards a more sustainable, resilient and productive agriculture. The intervention is structured around two components: • One component is being implemented through the World Bank (WB) and operates at provincial and district level with the final beneficiaries. This component assesses constraints and needs of small holder farmers and designs and implements together with competent provincial institutions and private sector, measures (such as advisory services, farmer organisations, technology, infrastructure etc.) to enable small holder farmers, their families and communities to benefit from a more sustainable, productive and competitive agriculture. The administration agreement between the WB and the EU was finalised in December 2017. The EU contribution is € 25 million covering four districts, i.e. Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Badulla and Ampara.
• One component (€ 4.2 million) is being implemented directly through a service contract. The technical assistance operates mainly, but not exclusively, at the national level and provides support to the main stakeholders in identifying and addressing the needs/gaps in capacities, policy, fiscal, legislative or regulatory frameworks needed to enable small holder farmers to move towards a more sustainable, resilient and productive agriculture. Project implementation started in January 2018.
2 . 3 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
In a competitive tender launched mid 2017, a consortium led by Ecorys BV was awarded this service contract with a team of three key experts and the provision of a large number of non key experts. The service contract started on 8 January 2018 and will come to an end on 7 January 2021. There will be a high probability that TAMAP will be extended until end of June 2021.
2 . 4 Objective of the TA contract
The objective of the service contract is to contribute to a more productive, sustainable, diversified, climate-resilient, market-oriented and inclusive agriculture in Sri Lanka.
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2 . 5 Results to be ac c omplished by TAMAP
Four results are to be accomplished within this service contract. They are: Result 1: An overall (overarching) Agricultural Policy in line with the Government Development Goals is developed. Result 2: An enabling environment is created and relevant policies for the modernisation and diversification of agricultural production, as well as the promotion of agricultural exports, are implemented. Result 3: Existing systems and practices used by central and provincial agricultural ministries for planning, budgeting and policy implementation are improved. Result 4: The statistical and analysis systems to monitor and assess the impact of implementing the overall agricultural policy are improved.
2 . 6 T A M A P u n derstanding of how to implement t h e p r o j e c t
According to the TAMAP team the project can be summarized as outlined in Figure 1 overleaf. The threads running through these five critical elements are the coordination, facilitation, training, mentoring and mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues such as climate change, gender, youth and smart nutrition. The TA team works as a catalyst to facilitate and bring about the necessary change on the one hand, but generates sufficient evidence for concrete concepts and activities fostering this change management process by conducting studies which are expected to form the basis for informed decision making. The TA team facilitates the establishment of multi-stakeholder working groups for the corresponding results to be achieved by the project (policy, strategy, action plan with resource allocation, and a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)). The working groups elaborate concepts which are then tabled to the TAMAP Programme Steering Committee for endorsement. This approach has a strong participative character whereby each participating agency appoints active representatives to the various WGs which meet regularly.
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Figure 1: Steps in TAMAP implementation
• Based on a sector needs assessment, help identify and assess issues and challenges facing the process of modernising the agriculture sector. The identification of champions is critical and Step 1 central to this process.
• Development of an overarching Agriculture Policy with a view to Step 2 enhance agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability
• Development of a coherent Implementation Strategy for the Step 3 Agricultural Policy
• Assist develop an action plan along with resource and financial budgets to provide a MTEF, along with a robust and pertinent M&E Step 4 system
• Help develop an agriculture sector reform contract to accommodate Step 5 EU budget support.
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3 RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE REPORTING PERIOD
3 . 1 Preliminary remarks
According to the Terms of Reference four results have to be accomplished. The reporting on progress accomplished, challenges, solutions and activities in the next reporting period follows the logical framework for TAMAP as outlined in Annex 1 of Progress Report No. 1 which was adjusted at the end of 2019. However, in this Section 3 we report only on activities which have actually taken place. Activities which have not started yet will not be presented in this Section 3. A comprehensive overview on all planned activities and accomplishments for the (1 January – 30 June 2020) reporting period, and planned activities for the next reporting period (1 July – 31 December 2020) strictly follow the logframe. Activities which have not started in the reporting period are presented in Section 6 of this report. Section 6 can serve as basis for the monitoring of TAMAP performance. As an example, since no activities were carried out under Result 4.2.2 in the first half of 2020, elaborations on activities related to Result 4.2.2 are not presented in Section 3 but will be outlined in Section 6, particularly under the column of activities planned for the next (half-year) reporting period.
3 . 2 COVID - 19 crisis and i t s implications on TAMAP
Like for all activities worldwide, the COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on TAMAP. The last workshop which could be organised before the countrywide lockdown and curfew was the gender symposium which took place on 13th March 2020. After this date it was not possible to organise further meetings. GoSL announced that from 16th March onwards work from the home office should be pursued. A strict countrywide curfew was imposed starting on 19th March 2020. The strict curfew ended in Colombo and adjacent areas on the 11 May 2020, followed by a less strict curfew where supermarkets opened and some people were allowed to go to work. In the other parts of the country, the curfew was lifted on 1 May 2020, however occasionally being reintroduced for particular weekends to avoid excessive traveling and movement. All short-term experts left the country by 18th March, the two policy advisers left the country on 16th March 18th March 2020 respectively. KE 1 and KE 3 remained in the country. The two key experts and the two policy advisers had regular skype meetings during the curfew period, developing the Position Paper on the medium-term National Food Production Programme. As a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis in conjunctions with the delayed general elections, an approximate delay of 4-5 months can be anticipated. No workshops could be organised in the country before 1 May 2020 or in Colombo before 1 June 2020 as the latter was considered as a high- risk area. The strict curfew time in Colombo was mainly used by the various experts working from home offices for developing the Implementation Strategy for the OAP, planning assignments and writing detailed terms of reference, developing a position paper on the TAMAP/ EU response on the GoSL’s Food Production National Programme and the subsequent 3-year action plan. TAMAP participated in a number of online meetings and developed a strategy note (Annex 9) for future trainings catering for online (remote) trainings and conventional trainings under social distancing conditions. Since the majority of trainings were planned outside of Colombo, TAMAP recommended conducting the upcoming trainings (logframe, policy analysis and
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farmer/SME training) as conventional trainings applying social distancing conditions (e.g. maximum 20 people at one event). None of the three trainings started in the reporting period. TAMAP managed to organise a workshop on e-Agriculture with 45 participants in the Mövenpick Hotel using strict social distancing conditions and 95 stakeholders attending the event in parallel via online transmission (ZOOM and Facebook). However, normality had not returned to Colombo and adjacent areas by the end of the reporting period. The TAMAP work plan was adjusted to cater for COVID-19 and other delays.
3 . 3 R 1 : An overarching Agriculture Policy in line w i t h t h e G o v e r nment Development Goals is d e v e l o p e d
3 . 3 . 1 A 1 . 1 : Provide expertise and support to the preparation of an overarching Agriculture Policy that covers all sub - s e c t o r s
3.3.1.1 Stakeholder consultation, needs assessment and sector review
Progress achieved The first quarter of 2020 was characterised by intensive stakeholder consultation between the OAIS team and the relevant ministries, departments and organisations with a view to discuss on a bilateral basis issues and proposals of the various sub-strategies and to collect data on costs. With the strict lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent aftermath stakeholder consultation was significantly reduced and did not catch up in the reporting period apart from a few exceptions. Major discussions and approvals with the stakeholders need to be pursued in the next reporting period. Training and workshops were organised which are reported on in other sections of this report. On 3rd June 2020, EU & TAMAP were invited to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat at Temple Trees to make a presentation to the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation on current and future support from the EU in the field of Agricultural Trading Platforms. Details on this meeting are outlined in Section 4.2.
Problems encountered and possible solutions Apart from the problems attributed to the COVID-19 crisis, no other major obstacles were faced in the reporting period. However, it should be noted that stakeholder consultation was at its peak at the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019. Since then the OAP document has been restructured followed later by the alignment process with the National Policy Framework: Vistas for Prosperity and Splendour, and stakeholder consultation has become considerably less. The momentum we had at the end of 2018 and beginning 2019 has therefore been lost and it will be challenging to reverse this. With a one-year absence of stakeholder consultation on the OAP, many stakeholders might have lost interest and have turned their attention towards other issues culminating with coping strategies as a response to the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath. There are also other issues that now occupy attention in this space including the reorientation of GoSL towards food security and food sovereignty, the strong focus on home garden development, the 3-year action plan on selected crops / commodities with a view to import substitution, the recently preliminary drafted Food Security Policy and the elections which are scheduled for 5th August 2020.
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Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period There are no particular recommendations for the next reporting period apart from trying to catch up with stakeholder consultation on a similar level as before the COVID-19 crisis.
3.3.1.2 Identification, formation and organisation of working groups
Progress achieved Due to the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath, no working group could be organised to discuss and endorse the OAP document which has significantly changed However, it should be noted that until end of the reporting period, neither the OAP nor OAIS was ready to be disseminated for stakeholder discussion.
Problems encountered and possible solutions Stakeholder involvement in OAP and OAIS is at crossroads. Details are mentioned under section 1.1.1. There is no immediate fix to resolve limited interest in the OAP and OAIS.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period A working group to inform the stakeholders on the changes made in the OAP document and to discuss thoroughly the content of the OAIS should be convened, shortly after the elections sometime in late August or beginning of September 2020. It is envisaged that the OAIS will be endorsed by the stakeholders by the end of 2020.
3.3.1.3 Drawing up an overarching agricultural policy
Progress achieved With the publication of the National Policy Framework: Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour (in short NPF) on 17 December, GoSL is embarking on 10 key policies which among others also affect agriculture. The NPF is relatively detailed with regard to agriculture and shows how prominent agriculture will be in the future. Though the section on agriculture does not contradict the OAP, it has become necessary to align the OAP document with the NPF and use similar terminology with a view to increase the likelihood of getting the OAP approved. The need for alignment was confirmed in the PSC # 5 organised on 13 February 2020. TAMAP started aligning and adjusting the OAP with the activities and actions proposed in the NPF. This process continued with the organisation of several core stakeholder meetings with NPD, MoA, TAMAP, and some others in Colombo on 20th January at NPD, on 28th and 29th February at Mövenpick Hotel and on 10th March at Mövenpick Hotel. A final meeting scheduled for 16th March had to be cancelled due to COVID- 19 crisis. TAMAP made contributions to the aligned OAP document up until 31 March 2020. At the request of the Secretary of the President on 5th April the Department of National Planning developed and submitted an OAP briefing note (see Annex 4). This briefing note has been synchronised with the NPF and is using the same terminology. TAMAP resumed working on the improvement of the OAP document at the beginning of June on an intermittent basis in close collaboration with NPD. A final version of the OAP could not be agreed with the MoA since the new secretary needed time to become familiar with the OAP
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and its process before making commitments and decisions. Furthermore, the Ministry of Internal Trade, Food Security and Consumer Welfare, supported by a task team developed a draft National Food Security Policy which, though incomplete, followed sections of the OAP. This draft food security policy was circulated among some stakeholders at the beginning of June 2020. Interestingly, none of the authors of this food security policy has been a stakeholder of the OAP and the Department of National Planning has not been involved at all in its development. However, since the COVID-19 crisis has very important implications for GoSL to enhance food security and to increase agriculture production of food crops within the country, the draft Food Security Policy will garner attention, probably more than the OAP so the two policies need to be merged or integrated, or one policy dovetailed into the other. At the time of writing of this report, it was not clear how to pursue this issue.
Problems encountered and possible solutions For the new government under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the manifesto of the political party has become a National Policy Framework which is a reasonable document. However, with the occurrence of the COVID-19 crisis the focus has shifted to the notion that international markets and supply chains might collapse and Sri Lanka might not be in the position to feed its nation. During the curfew imposed from 19 March onwards markets and supply chains became disrupted and, GoSL instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to put its focus on the promotion of 16 crops / commodities which were considered important for food security and import substitution. As a result of the above, GoSL developed an action programme to boost domestic agriculture, particularly for those 16 crops which were detailed in a concept paper jointly developed by the Department of National Planning and the Ministry of Agriculture and circulated among some development partners and stakeholders. This action programme is aiming to improve self- reliance by increasing domestic food production and responding to possible shortfalls in import supplies due to the COVID-19 crisis. This action programme, entitled the medium-term Food Production National Programme (FPNP) was presented to major stakeholders at the Livelihoods Sector Coordination meeting on 22 April 2020. This change of policy towards food security and home gardening development is a short-sighted consideration since the production of a number of these crops constitute high opportunity costs for Sri Lanka. The EUD SL requested TAMAP to prepare a position paper as a response to this 3-year Food Production National Programme with a view to initiate the discussion on potential benefits, strengths, risks and any weaknesses of the FPNP. This would assist in identifying areas of collaboration both between TAMAP/EU and the GoSL, and other major stakeholders, on how to improve the success of the FPNP and mitigate potential challenges the agriculture sector might face in the implementation of this programme. Based on the experiences and lessons learned from various studies and stakeholder consultations conducted by TAMAP since January 2018, this position paper identified ways to strengthen and support the value chains of 16 crops (Other Food Crops or OFCs) earmarked for increasing production and exports over the medium term.1 The Position Paper is enclosed in Annex 3 It should be noted that with the OAP version from October 2019, a relatively liberal agriculture policy focusing on a livelihood approach in which it was proposed that Sri Lanka should produce those crops in which it has a comparative advantage and import those which are either
1 GoSL identified the following crops to be promoted within the mid-term Food Production National Programme: 1. Maize, 2. Finger millet, 3. Mung bean, 4. Cowpea, 5. Black gram, 6. Soybean, 7. Groundnut, 8. Sesame, 9. Horse gram or Kollu, 10. Green Chilli, 11. Turmeric, 12. Red onion, 13. Big onion, 14. Potato 15. Garlic, 16. Ginger
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financially and economically not viable or technically not feasible to grow them in Sri Lanka, was developed into a food sovereignty and food security policy. Over and above all, though the current (NFP aligned) version of the OAP might be approved sometime in the second half of 2020, the subsequent implementation strategy will not be the mid-to long-term document following the thrust areas and proposed intervention areas agreed by the various stakeholders at the beginning of 2019.
Recommendations & activities for the coming reporting period If need arises TAMAP will assist in improving the aligned OAP, facilitate its translation into Sinhala and Tamil and will develop a multicolour document / brochure to be disseminated to stakeholders as well as to development partners. TAMAP is committed to assisting in the design and implementation of the medium-term Food Production National Programme. As such, TAMAP could start with: • Developing proposals towards a Triple A Economy (Agriculture-Animal Husbandry- Aquaculture) with integration for increased productivity and profitability; • Supporting the development and outreach of concepts on e-Agriculture and continue supporting online trading platforms (such as Govipola and LAPMC but also other service providers) to increase farmers’ access to these platforms to market their produce and thereby support supply chains; • Conducting value chain/sector studies in partnership with DoA on some of the 16 crops which are considered as high priority; • Conducting thorough and detailed sector studies in partnership with DoA on some of the crops and analyse Sri Lanka’s competitiveness, effectiveness and efficiency related to these crops; • Economic studies on import and export prices for all targeted crops; • Training of farmers in farming as a business and SMEs in sustainable business development (continuation of existing training with some new modules); • Supporting farmers in the formalisation and training of their commercial agriculture business models with emphasis on cooperative and contract farming development; and • Studying the benefits from investments in promoting export-oriented crops as the benefits of this have not been adequately demonstrated.
With regard to the “consideration” of the Food Security Policy, TAMAP has to await the directions GoSL and the stakeholders will give. If deemed necessary, TAMAP will be ready to support the integration or dovetailing of the Food Security Policy into the OAP.
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3 . 3 . 2 A 1 . 2 : Support the design of a strategy, action plan and roadmap to implement the poli cy t o g e t h e r with the institutional framework for its i m p l e m e n t a t i o n
3.3.2.1 Development of multi-sector OAIS and Action Plan for OAP and OAIS implementation
Progress achieved A team of 9 experts started developing the various sub-strategies at the end of 2019 on the basis of the “old” - not aligned OAP since it was not expected that major differences would exist between the old and aligned OAP. The OAIS team had to attend to the deadline that by 31 March the OAIS needed to be developed and approved by stakeholders. This deadline was extended after it became clear that Sri Lanka will not fulfil three of the four eligibility criteria for budget support. This was communicated to NPD end towards the end of March 2020. In parallel, the COVID-19 crisis made it challenging to organise stakeholder meetings to discuss the OAIS. Nonetheless, several online meetings were organised. By 25th March the individual sub-strategies were in a relatively advanced stage. The sub- strategy on agriculture water resources for instance was complete: write up, matrix and costs by 1 April. On 8th April 2020, the TAMAP policy & strategy expert who took the lead in coordinating and compiling the 10 sub strategies informed the OAIS team members that the sub strategies needed to be adjusted with the final aligned OAP as per the Cabinet briefing note. Whereas most of the sub-strategies required relatively little changes and adjustments, the sub strategy on water had to be significantly changed. This was because the institutional reform areas were not mentioned in the Cabinet Note. Preliminary final draft versions of the corresponding sub-strategies were delivered by mid May 2020 and the compilation and rewriting into one consistent and coherent document started. A first comprehensive draft of the OAIS was not finalised in the reporting period.
Problems encountered and possible solutions It should be noted that neither latest OAP nor the various sub-strategies for the OAIS have been endorsed by the stakeholders who approved the January 2019 version of the OAP. Both, OAP and OAIS have been adjusted to the NPF. The COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath directed all agriculture activities towards food security and food sovereignty and ignored to a large extent our efforts in private sector development, the focus on commodities where Sri Lanka has a competitive advantage and increasing the contribution of the private sector in agricultural development. Since MoA was instructed by the GoSL to develop a 3-year strategy on selected crops, TAMAP tried to integrate this 3 year action plan into the OAIS and to harmonise it with the 5-year strategy. However, it should be noted that GoSL’s curfew impacted negatively on supply chains and market structures, impoverishing a significant number of farmers and was criticised by a number of academic institutions and development partners whereby the former tabled alternative concepts for agricultural development for the immediate post-COVID-19 period. At the time of writing this report, TAMAP was not aware which concepts and approaches will be pursued in the mid to long term by GoSL as far as the agriculture sector is concerned.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period It is planned that a first comprehensive draft of the OAIS will be ready by 31 July 2020 which can then be commented on by EUD SL and some other important stakeholders. It is assumed
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that comments can be received within 4 weeks allowing TAMAP to submit a first improved draft of the OAIS to the OAP/OAIS working group members by mid-September 2020. It is hoped that stakeholder consultation can continue so that the OAIS will get their endorsement by the end of 2020.
3 . 3 . 3 A 1.3: Share all relevant b udget processes and a n a l y s e s
3.3.3.1 Medium Term Expenditure Framework & long-term budgets for NAP implementation
Progress achieved Part of the OAIS development was the costing and budgeting of the various sub-strategies / action plans. As the OAIS was planned to be ready by 31 March 2020 and approved by the stakeholders, it was agreed that only preliminary cost estimates would be derived for the various interventions and to concentrate more on the content of the various sub-strategies. Furthermore, it was not very realistic that the Project Submission Format (PSF) costing approach (meant for costing of individual projects) could be applied to an entire complex multi- sector strategy which would have resulted in a very long and complex process of costing. The COVID-19 crisis made the process of costing even more difficult since less stakeholders were available for data compilation and discussions. Nonetheless, indicative costs were compiled for the majority of the activities which however need to be validated and detailed once the activities are agreed upon and endorsed by the stakeholders.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No major problems encountered apart from the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period It is not likely that the entire OAIS will be costed in accordance with the PSF template. Some sub-strategies such as Governance might be in the position to apply PSF since the Thrust Area “Governance” for instance entails only a very few activities such as workshops and meetings and some coordination work. Other sub-strategies such as water resources management are simply too large and complex to apply PSF. Depending on the stakeholders’ interests after the post-COVID-19 situation some training of stakeholders in costing might be conducted towards the end of 2020. However, given other priorities such as coping with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, training in costing on the OAIS will probably not be considered as a high priority. Moreover, TAMAP has scheduled several trainings such as continuation of logframe training, policy analysis training, and farmer and SME business training for the second half of 2020 which will consume significant resources, particularly in terms of time for preparation.
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3.3.3.2 Introducing Mechanisms and Methods of Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS) in close collaboration with the upcoming EU funded PFM programme
Progress achieved In the previous Progress Report, TAMAP recommended to not carry out a PETS since it would be very time consuming and would also exceed the remaining funds from the Incidental Budget.2 To officially discard PETS from the work plan, TAMAP proposed to discuss this further with the EUD SL to seek an official statement from the EU that this activity does not have to be pursued by TAMAP. Due to other priorities TAMAP omitted sending a request to the EUD SL asking to drop the PETS. This will be done in the next reporting period.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period TAMAP will write a letter to the EUD SL asking for permission not to pursue a PETS in the remaining programme implementation period.
3 . 3 . 4 A 1 . 4 : Support the Government to acquire international best practices in agricultural development and knowledge that can be replicated in the Sri Lankan context
3.3.4.1 Organising study tours and international conferences with a view to learning international best practices
Progress achieved A second study tour was previously planned, indicatively either to Kenya or to South Africa. The two countries were proposed by TAMAP since both countries have significant positive experience with smallholder export crop production, sustainable irrigation management, export production and promotion, contract farming, out grower schemes and value addition in selected sectors. Moreover, KE 1 and KE 3 have worked in both countries and have a good network which could assist in preparing the study tour and site visits. However, neither the OAP nor OAIS were approved in the reporting period. Therefore, the conditions stipulated by the EUD SL to have another study tour were not fulfilled and TAMAP did not spend further time in its preparation. In parallel, the uncertainty about future travel restrictions did not create a conducive environment for study tour planning.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems encountered in the reporting period.
2 It should be noted that conducting PETS is not part of the Terms of Reference for the TAMAP service contract. Carrying out PETS was proposed by Ecorys in their technical proposal.
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Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period Detailed preparations for a second study tour will resume once it is anticipated that both, OAP and OAIS will be approved by GoSL and COVID-19 associated travel restrictions will allow for better planning of where to go. It is very unlikely that either South Africa or Kenya will be feasible destinations for a study tour before January or February 2021.
3 . 3 . 5 A 1 . 5 : Support the Government an d t h e E U Delegation (EUD) to prepare the fu ture sector reform contra ct in agriculture and options for interventions not related to budget support
3.3.5.1 Sensitisation of key personnel through training, study tours around the requirements of the Sector Reform Contracts (SRCs)
Progress achieved From 1 September to 25 October, TAMAP carried out an assessment of the public finance management system towards a programme of budget support for the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka. A particular emphasis of this assignment was to assess the eligibility of Sri Lanka for budget support, namely the eligibility criteria around i) macroeconomic stability, ii) public finance management and iii) transparency and oversight of the budget. At that time, Sri Lanka was eligible for budget support in accordance with these criteria. The only criterion Sri Lanka did not meet at that time was the sector policy as the OAP was not approved. The World Bank in collaboration with the EU intended to implement the The Public Sector Efficiency Strengthening Project (PSEP). This programme would help strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Finance to improve efficiency and deliver better services. The use of information technology and greater human resource capabilities would be the key drivers of this 5-year project. The European Union would be a partner in PSEP with a technical assistance grant of € 10 million to help strengthen core public finance and accountability institutions. The € 10 million grant programme (with the EU) was signed by GoSL on 16 May 2018. In mid December the World Bank approved a $ 25 million loan to the Government of Sri Lanka for the implementation of the The Public Sector Efficiency Strengthening Project (PSEP). By end of 2020, GoSL had not signed this loan agreement. At the beginning of 2020, GoSL cancelled the World Bank led PSESP as they did not want the USD 25 million loan from the WB for the reform programme, although they were keen to continue with the EU grant. Yet without the components covered by the loan funding it was not possible to only continue with the grant within that programme. Following its cancellation, GoSL and the EU have been negotiating about the areas that can be covered through the grant complementing the government’s efforts in the PFM reform process and the latest development was the meeting mentioned above. The latest official discussion with GoSL took place in March 2020 in which GoSL described the following reform areas as feasible to be covered by the programme: procurement, improved quality of spending (e.g. improvement of investment project appraisal), external audit (NAO), export financing, payroll reform, simplification of taxes with a focus on large tax payers, e-governance including public finance related fields and regulatory reform. Discussions on this are still continuing. With regard to the eligibility criteria related to future budget support, Sri Lanka’s situation has worsened in the first half of 2020. In contrast to 2019, Sri Lanka did not comply with the three eligibility criteria apart from budget transparency. The development of the criteria for “stability
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oriented macro-economic policy” and “satisfactory implementation of the PFM strategy” is illustrated below.
Eligibility criterion 1 “stability-oriented macro-economic policy” By the time of the previous Progress Report (end 2019), this eligibility criterion was met but at the same time some risks were identified with regards to the government policy towards adhering to the fiscal rules (in particular the budget deficit and public debt), with the view that the new government would loosen the adherence to the fiscal rules. In the first months of the new Government, this indeed happened, as tax reductions and exemptions were introduced, and government spending increased related to the backlog of capital spending from 2019. This was confirmed by the IMF Staff Mission of February 2020.
Table 1: Government budget and public debt 2019-2020 (percentage of GDP)
2019 2020 6th EFF Review Estimated 6th EFF Review Estimated (Nov. 2019) (Feb. 2020) (Nov. 2019) (Feb. 2020) Government budget: 0.2 -0.3 0.7 -1.9 Primary surplus -5.7 -6.2 -5.3 -7.9 - Overall surplus
Public debt 89.9 91.0 89.2 84.6
Source: IMF Press Release 7 February 2020. EFF stands for Extended Funds Facility.
In addition, two major legal acts are still not approved by Parliament: • Amendments to the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2003: these amendments aim to strengthen adherence to the fiscal rules and were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in October 2019. • The new Central Bank Law, which aims to strengthen the independence of the Central Bank. Therefore, by the end of March 2020 (the deadline for the budget support programme, and before the full impact of the COVID-19 crisis was felt) this eligibility criterion was no longer being met.
Eligibility criterion 2 “satisfactory implementation of the PFM strategy” The conclusion of the assessment of the eligibility criterion at the end of 2019 was that (i) overall, Sri Lanka has a comprehensive PFM system, though there are a number of weaknesses and not all elements are functioning well, and (ii) there is no overarching PFM Strategy or Action Plan, but a set of sub-sector strategies/ action plans addressing by and large the identified weaknesses. In order to address these weaknesses, the joint World Bank/EU PSESP was negotiated with the Government in 2019, and approved by the World Bank Board in mid December 2019
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whereas the EU signed the agreement on the grant with the Government on 16 May 2018. However, the Government of Sri Lanka cancelled the PSESP and as of 31 March 2020, there was no formal project document addressing the areas specified above . The EU extended on several occasions the deadlines by which GoSL had to comply with the eligibility criteria for budget support. The final deadline in order to accommodate EU internal procedures was 31 March 2020. Given the non-eligibility with the three criteria, the EU informed GoSL that budget support can no longer be considered for the AAP 2020. In view of that, TAMAP did not carry out specific activities related to this item.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems apart from the above encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period No particular activities foreseen in the next reporting period.
3.3.5.2 Developing the analysis and tools including SMART indicators to monitor and evaluate budget support
Progress achieved Some indicators which are smart were developed for the OAIS, however they are not specifically required for the AAP 2020 since Budget Support was dropped from the AAP 2020.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period No specific activities foreseen on indicators for budget support.
3.3.5.3 Preparation of a road map and the institutional set up for implementation of budget support (PSC, M&E)
Progress achieved Budget support (BS) was dropped from the AAP 2020. Thus, no roadmap was developed and agreed upon on the institutional setting for implementation of BS. The development of the OAIS was delayed and interrupted due to the COVID-19 crisis. As such, the M&E framework on the OAIS could not be finalised.
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Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period No activities are foreseen with regard to Budget Support (BS). The M&E framework will be finalised once the OAIS has been endorsed by the various stakeholders.
3.3.5.4 Supporting EUD SL in developing an Action Document for the Sector Reform Contract and options not related to budget support
Progress achieved TAMAP assisted the EUD SL in developing the Action Document for AAP 2020, particularly in areas which could be covered by future EU funded Technical Assistance. In March 2020 TAMAP developed six concrete options for possible technical assistance which could start at the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022. They are:
TA Project 1: Support to the agricultural implementation strategy in Sri Lanka: value chain development and support to private sector Core activities: • Support in developing an enabling environment for importation of seeds and planting materials; • Strengthening the regulatory framework in making it fit to ease exports through compliance with international standards; • Strengthening farmers, SMEs, processors in all issues rated to farming as a business management, disease and pest management, adhering to GAP and GMP; • Facilitation of new technologies in (not limited); • Supporting the implementation and operationalization of production-buyer commercial agriculture farm business models as proposed in the corresponding TAMAP report; • Facilitation of establishment of a help desk in accordance with the “one window” for entrepreneurs to access relevant information on regulations, customs tariffs, taxes, procedures; • Carrying out a comprehensive feasibility study on the introduction of a cold chain related logistics system taking into account already existing systems operated by supermarket chains and individuals; and • Mainstreaming (integration) climate change, gender and youth in all above activities with a view to reduce gender inequalities, attract youth in production and processing and reduce vulnerability on climate change effects such as introduction of renewable energies in production, processing and transport (solar powered mechanization including irrigation, using wind energy, wave energy) solar powered mechanization including irrigation). This TA project includes a substantial budget for incidental expenditures to finance training, demonstration sites, study tours etc.
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TA Project 2: Support to the agricultural implementation strategy in Sri Lanka: Establishment of e-agriculture system in Sri Lanka and supporting enhancement of App based market platform(s) Core activities: • Comprehensive assessment of demand and supply of e-agriculture potential in Sri Lanka on various levels such as farmer, buyers, processors, extension service, service providers such as insurance companies, capacity of networks; • Support in the development and compilation of (GIS) data system required for various components being part of the e-agriculture system such as data reflected in different layers (shape files) of a comprehensive GIS system; and • Development of e-agriculture system (based on the above) and comprehensive training on all levels.
TA Project 3: Support to the agricultural implementation strategy in Sri Lanka: strengthening of river basins and authorities3 Core activities: • Support in establishing and operationalization of new apex structure with National Water Resources Management Secretariat, National Water Resources Council and Water Resources Tribunal; • Support in the development of a Consolidated National Water Resources Master Plan for all water resources in Sri Lanka (experts, GIS system, subcontracts for service providers, survey work); • Support in the development of river basin development plans (experts, GIS system, survey work, service sub contracts) for basins which have not been covered so far; • Promote stakeholder participation and ownership in decision making in development and management of water resources on all levels including river basin management committees, cascade management committees, water users’ associations; and • Support the development of comprehensive catchment management plans and training of stakeholders in its application.
TA Project 4: Support to the agricultural implementation strategy in Sri Lanka: strengthening specific GoSL institutions being tasked to implement and coordinate the implementation of the OAP / OAIS Core activities: • Support the establishment and the operationalization of the Inter-Ministry Coordination Committee (IMCC) to oversee coordination of implementation and monitoring of the entire OAP and OAIS; • Support to the Department of National Planning in performing its task as the secretariat for the IMCC;
3 For the first proposed intervention assumption is made that National Policy, Strategies and Institutional Framework for Water Resources Development, Conservation and Management has successfully passed Cabinet and has become effective.
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• Support to the Department of Project Management and Monitoring in monitoring and evaluation of the OAP / OAIS; • Support to Provincial Councils in the coordination of the implementation and monitoring of OAP and OAIS; and • Support to the existing and operational District and Divisional Agriculture Committee (DAC) to coordinate the implementation and monitoring of the OAP at local level
TA Project 5: Support to the agricultural implementation strategy in Sri Lanka: support to specific GoSL institutions being tasked facilitating the implementation of the OAIS Core activities: • Support to institutions in charge of land administration (land commissioner, land use department, National Livestock Development Board, DoAD, etc.) to ease the allocation of idle and abandoned land for agricultural purposes. This can be through facilitation of leasing in and leasing out land (short-medium, long-term) but also land consolidation, land swap, etc.. Activities are for instance: o Support to establish and operationalize an index-based agriculture insurance scheme either under the umbrella of the Agrarian Insurance Board but operated by private insurance companies; o Support to Department of Census and Statistics to improve agricultural statistics system. The scope for these activities depends on the progress TAMAP makes in its efforts to accomplish this activity; o Support to GoSL entities, parastatals to develop commodity based strategic action plans to make the former mainstay of Sri Lankan agriculture (tea, coconut, rubber, etc.) competitive, effective and efficient; and o Support agricultural research institutions in Sri Lanka in restructuring and making them competitive, effective and efficient.
TA Project 6: Support to the agricultural implementation strategy in Sri Lanka: support the implementation of a rice sector support programme Unlike the previous TA proposals this is a proposal capturing a range of relevant set of actions from the previous proposals (goes across all the previous ones) with a view to make the rice sector in Sri Lanka competitive, efficient and able to provide a decent livelihood for rice farmers. Core activities: • Improvement of adaptive rice research to increase the yield level of rice allowing smallholder farmers under good management to accomplish 9 tons paddy rice per ha per season; • Nationwide reduction of the area under paddy rice particularly under very small farmers’ regime (in parallel increase of rice yields) to make better use of very water inefficient flood irrigation; • Changing the legal framework allowing land consolidation and land swap to increase the land size and to make use of economies of scale effects; • Facilitating (no gifts but facilitating private sector service provision) the use of mechanical services for activities where the use of machinery is possible (transplanting, weeding, harvesting, transport);
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• Facilitation of youth to enter into rice farming through credit facilities, starter packs; • Strengthening of farmer organisations in irrigation water management and entrepreneurship to apply farming as a business in their farm activities; • Facilitation of rice processing (milling of paddy rice) and adding value for farmer organisations and SMEs to reduce the dependency on the rice mafia; • Support the improvement of water management to increase the efficiencies of flood irrigation (e.g through deficit irrigation, lining of canals, reduction of seepage, changing the velocity of irrigation canals to reduce evapotranspiration); and • Support to small paddy farmers to withdraw from rice production and in diversifying crops increasing their farm income.
Due to the nature of many EU funded service contracts, it was not surprising that EUD SL favoured Option 4 or a blend between Option 4 and 5 since particularly Option 4 would constitute some kind of continuation of TAMAP with a view to support the implementation of the OAP and OAIS. EUD SL did not favour Option 1 since a few similar activities are currently being implemented by other development partners / implementing partners such as ASMP. Option 2 was not considered as a full option since some activities could also be performed in the TAMAP 6-month extension phase. Option 3 would require that there is a common understanding within GoSL on institutional reforms in the water sector which might not be the case. There was no opinion towards Option 6. Apart from this, TAMAP was not asked by EUD SL to assist with preparation for future Technical Assistance in the reporting period.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems encountered in the reporting period
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period If required, TAMAP will further assist in general planning and developing possible interventions for future Technical Assistance as long as there is no conflict of interest since Ecorys would be interested to tender for any new TA contracts.
3 . 3 . 6 A1.6: Support the development of a communication strategy to promote TAMAP
3.3.6.1 Tailoring a communication strategy and action plan for the strategy
Progress achieved Fortunately, Ngage appointed a second person supporting the liaison with TAMAP. This was a very good decision and since this appointment started working with TAMAP, the relationship has become much better and TAMAP could free some resources which they would have used under the previous management. Dealing with Ngage become quite efficient and effective and no major problems occurred in the reporting period. The following visibility activities were accomplished (all material can be downloaded from https://www.eusl-ruraldevelopment.org/): • Production and printing of TAMAP diaries;
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• Govipola launch adequately covered and documented by press and media; • Developing & finalisation of two videos (one on challenges to agriculture in Sri Lanka and one on the OAP); • Production and dissemination of two press releases; • Production and dissemination of one focal point newspaper article; • Commencement of the TAMAP overview brochure (not finalised); • Drafting TAMAP communication strategy (submitted on 30th June 2020); • Continuous administration of the website and TAMAP Facebook page with 10 posts per month; and • Drafting second TAMAP newsletter (not finalised).
Problems encountered and possible solutions No major problems were encountered in the reporting period apart from the significant delays attributed to the COVID-19 crisis. No stakeholder consultation could be undertaken for three months which had a negative impact on the production of videos and other communication and visibility material. However, developing press releases remains a challenge. On the one hand, it is often difficult to understand what is meant in the write ups, and second, the English also offers significant scope for improvement. Furthermore, translation skills of Ngage, particularly from English into Sinhala needs to be improved. Many Sinhala translations of English press releases or newspaper articles lack a clear context and do not use the correct Sinhala technical words. The translations into Tamil appear to be much better with less complaints made by native Tamil speakers.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period It is expected that the good working relationship will continue, and the following outputs produced: • 2 press releases coving major events; • Continued update of the website and Facebook page; • Finalisation of TAMAP overview brochure; • Finalisation of second and commencement of third newsletter; and • Development of one video on value chain development. For translations into Sinhala, Ngage should contract more native subject matter specialists.
3 . 3 . 7 A1.7: Support the Government to coordinate the sectors, including development partners
3.3.7.1 Mapping of external assistance interventions
Progress achieved No activities were carried out since the EUD SL did not request TAMAP to carry out a development partner mapping exercise. It should be noted that the Development Partner Secretariat compiled a detailed report on the various development partners’ interventions during the COVID-19 crisis and also on future planned activities related in a broader context to COVID-19.
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Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems encountered under this activity.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period Unless the EUD SL decides otherwise, no activities are foreseen in this reporting period.
3.3.7.2 Specific Periodical Meetings with the agriculture sector stakeholders
Progress achieved During the COVID-19 crisis several meetings were organised between the development partners and GoSL. TAMAP was not invited to attend these meetings but provided the EU programme officer with all relevant information for discussion.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No major problems encountered.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period Regular participation when the meetings are convened and TAMAP invited.
3 . 4 R 2 : An enabling environment is created , reforms and policies for the moder n i s a t i o n and diversification of agriculture implemented and export s p r o m o t e d
3 . 4 . 1 A 2.1: Assist the Government to impr o v e i t s market intelligence
3.4.1.1 Develop software for a harmonised market information system, software installation and training
Progress achieved TAMAP has supported the development of an electronic market place in agriculture in line with the Government's e-Agriculture strategy. As a result of this work “Govipola”, an agricultural trading platform and improved market information system was officially launched on 28 January 2019 at the “Improved Market Information System for Agriculture in Sri Lanka” workshop held at the Mövenpick Hotel. Developed by Croptronix, a Sri Lankan company, “Govipola” began as an online want-board, which is a place where people post their text-based buy and sell offers in a way similar to the way newspaper ads work. Today the App, with over 45,000 generic downloads across the country, helps farmers in marketing their goods on a digital platform with easy access to real time market data. The App also offers convenience to buyers by providing options such as search filtering and notifications, and thereby shortening the otherwise lengthy process of finding goods.
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As part of its continuous development process, the App is now ready to offer a match making engine allowing suppliers to easily connect with interested buyers. The interaction with a potential trading partner may happen via the app or a direct call using the call-to-action button embedded in the system. With this simple approach the App links the farmer directly to an exporter, trader or a consumer. Photo 1: Panel discussion at the Govipola launch
The app's user-friendly interface, three-language support and dynamic alert system also proves to be of immense value to users. The order-matching feature allows the user to get his or her listing directly matched with a corresponding order without the need to perform a lengthy search and read through all the posts placed on the marketplace. Every matched order allows opening of a direct confirmation channel for trade in line with conditions agreed upon by the parties. It should be noted that the trading platform can be accessed through an App (most users are using the App), but also via internet (http://www.govipola.lk/en). Following the success of this event, the strong interest in Govipola reflected in an increased number of users and downloads and Govipola’s importance as a trading platform during the COVID-19 crisis in which the country experienced a strict lockdown with ordinary markets being closed. TAMAP started developing Terms of Reference for an assignment in two phases with a view to develop sustainable business plans for Govipola, LAPMC and other online trading platforms in Sri Lanka and to integrate Govipola, LAPMC and others platforms in a comprehensive e-Agriculture system in Sri Lanka. With this assignment, TAMAP intends to further contribute to the development and sustainability of e-Agriculture in Sri Lanka. It intends to encourage and support new e- Agriculture initiatives as well as assist existing e-Agriculture solutions to achieve sustainability. After Phase 1 of its support for e-Agriculture in Sri Lanka, TAMAP intends to support a full roll out of the operationalization of e-Agriculture in Sri Lanka in Phase 2. The assignment will have the following specific objectives: • Study the demand for and supply of e-Agriculture services in Sri Lanka. Identify the various segments of the market (such as for example organic products, GAP products etc) plus potential additional services such as finance or agricultural insurance (see above) and their scope for growth. Assess the prospects and scope of the market for e-Agriculture in the coming years in Sri Lanka, the role of different stakeholders in meeting the demand including support services such as logistics, input services, storage and processing; • Assess the potential role of GoSL in providing services to support the e-Agriculture sector (surveying stakeholders including GoSL);
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• Assess GoSL’s possible roles & support against practical features of apps like Govipola (select case study of one Govipola’s features and design a practical support for that feature); • Assist Govipola, LAPMC and other potential service providers in identification of achievable market share and target groups, marketing approach, cost and benefits, business and environment risks, risk mitigation strategies, management and organisational structure and financial plan; • Promote the utilisation and outreach of the Govipola / LAPMC and other potential service providers; and • Recommendations on the further roll-out of e-Agriculture in Sri Lanka with private and Government sector initiatives and incentives for supply of the services.
This assignment started at the end of June 2020 shortly before the organisation of the e- Agriculture workshop on 25 June 2020. Given the collapse of the supply chains during the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent discussions with various development partners, FAO Sri Lanka in collaboration with the WFP informed the stakeholders on 8 May 2020 that within their ongoing Technical Cooperation Project, they envisage to support the development of digital platforms for farmer-consumer exchange following a request from the MoA. According to FAO, the new platform should integrate logistics distribution and logistics transaction services of agro-inputs and commodities (bulk and home delivery), information and extension services, and financial guarantees etc. into one platform. It is also expected that the platform will effectively connect producers, farmers’ organisations, private sector and consumers. Efficiency and effectiveness of the agriculture value chains from production, distribution and consumption would be largely improved. The platform would also support improvement of traceability of agricultural commodities, and provide market information for adjustment of cultivation plans by membership producers and better distribution and sales of agro-commodities. The platform would be operated by the private sector as a shareholders’ enterprise, and be open to farmers, dealers, private companies, service providers, consumers. Since Govipola, supported by TAMAP is already providing some of these services and with the additional support for Govipola and also other providers such as LAPMC and others, TAMAP and FAO have had several discussions how the TAMAP the FAO supported platforms can be harmonised, developed and expanded. A first step in developing an e-Agriculture system for Sri Lanka was the workshop on the same topic organised by TAMAP and HARTI on 25th June 2020. The purpose of this workshop was to bring together existing e-Agriculture and Digital Market Platform providers as well as interested parties and users of these e-Agriculture systems together to do stocktaking on who is doing what and how. At the same time important stakeholders such as FAO and GoSL gave feedback on what plans they have with a view to develop e-Agriculture systems in Sri Lanka in the future (for details see Section 4.2).
Problems encountered and possible solutions No major problems encountered.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period It is anticipated that the assignment on e-Agriculture will come to an end in December 2020 and will present recommendations how an e-Agriculture solution can be best developed for Sri
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Lanka. In parallel, close contact should be made with FAO on a regular basis to be informed on the outcomes of the feasibility study on e-Agriculture they intend to conduct.
3 . 4 . 2 A 2 . 2 : S t r e n g t h e n i n g value chain d e v e l o p m e n t & promotion of new technologies
3.4.2.1 Promotion of market led commodity research and conducting value chain analysis studies, new technologies and diversification
Progress achieved In January and February, the two last value chain studies, floriculture and essential oils were finalised and uploaded on the TAMAP website. The main findings of the floriculture value chain study are that Sri Lanka has excellent growing conditions for both tropical and temperate zone floriculture products and has experience in growing floriculture products for local and export markets. Both export markets and local markets are growing. The value added per m2 is high in this business as compared to other horticulture produce and the area under floriculture is still limited with large opportunities to expand. Floriculture is a niche sector with an estimated 4,450 metric tons exports, about 500 to 550 metric tons local production and 249 metric tons import in 2017. The focus is on flowering and non-flowering live plants, foliage and cut flowers. 80% to 90% of the Sri Lankan production of live plants and almost the whole production of foliage is for export purpose. The productivity is quite high compared to the international average.
Photo 2: Temperate zone floriculture products
The production of foliage and live plants is dominated by large scale commercial growers some with foreign partners. The production of cut flowers for exports has totally collapsed and currently the export is about 130 to 140 tons. The production of cut flowers for the local market has increased to about 150 to 200 metric tons annually. The productivity per hectare has declined considerably and is much lower than international averages. Sri Lanka is a high cost producer in the floriculture sector. The non-enactment of the Plant Breeder’s Rights protection and the outdated quarantine regulations for import of planting material are major development constraints. Stakeholders complain that the export promotion activities of the EDB are not well connected to the needs of many floriculture sector exporters and the sector is weakly organised. Most new businesses such as floriculture tissue labs struggle to survive and the level of mechanization in the sector is low with hardly any new investment. In 2016, the import tax on equipment for the floriculture sector was raised by 25% making import of required equipment
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even more expensive. Access to more land is restricted and most cut flower farms lose control over their supply due to transport by train or bus to major local markets with many of them having large portfolios of unpaid invoices. Established registered cut flower farms face fierce competition from unregistered smallholders. Gerbera and Chrysanthemum cut flower production provides for a relatively high contribution margin for farmers while rose and lilies provide for a lower contribution margin for farmers. In the export sector margins are much lower due to higher production costs. However, the production of live plants and foliage is less risky for the producer than the production of cut flowers. The floriculture sector employs an estimated 20,000 people directly on the farms and a similar number indirectly in logistics and sales. Almost 80% of the directly employed workforce in the floriculture sector are women. Employees working for larger export companies are on a permanent employment contract and provided with proper working gear. Small and medium scale farmers are using family labour for their operations. They hire labour when needed but on a daily rate basis. Climate change is impacting the sector and farmers are experiencing lower flower yields during the rainy seasons. Changes in the night and day temperatures have in the Central province resulted in smaller flowers and lesser yields per plant. In addition, heavy and prolonged rainfalls have caused higher prevalence of pests and diseases. The quality of the produce in special shops and garden markets in Sri Lanka has considerably improved over the last decade. With better connection and logistics and more promotion and marketing the value and volume of sales on the local market can be further fostered. Out- grower schemes provide a good opportunity for smallholder farmers to participate in wider markets and can substantially increase the flexibility of exporters and larger farmers. The system is operational in the Sri Lanka floriculture sector, but its scale and effectivity could be substantially increased. Various companies have started investment and production of new products and are creating a new export market for Sri Lanka. The rate of return on these initiatives (multiplication, aquatic plants and tissue culture) is better than on traditional floriculture products provided scale economies can be achieved. Due to the extremely low level of mechanisation in virtually the whole sector, the potential gains in efficiency from semi- mechanisation are high. Based on the study TAMAP recommends 1) Improve the import regime for planting materials and agro inputs and enact the Plant Breeders Rights protection; 2) improve export promotion to access new markets and products; 3) establish recognized training; 4) promote use of more efficient technologies and best management practices; 5) provide suitable public land for floriculture production and 6) promote the horizontal and vertical integration of the floriculture sector.
The main findings of the essential oils value chain study are that Sri Lanka produces high quality raw material for various types of high value oils and that both Sri Lankan essential oils exports and global demand and trade are growing sharply. However, Sri Lanka is internationally still a small player with significant scope for further business development. Essential oils are high value items and the return on investment and profit is high. Health and healthy food awareness push the sales of essential oils as it is considered as contributing to a modern healthy live-style. Both the upper class in urban Sri Lanka and internationally will continue to demand an increasing supply of high-quality essential oils. Sri Lanka is already the market leader in cinnamon oil and can further strengthen its position in this product. Sri Lanka has good opportunity to further strengthen its position in pepper essential oil as well, as the country produces high quality black pepper. To achieve high quality, complete control and management of the farming, the processing and the trade is required with the best equipment and trained staff. More and more companies in Sri Lanka understand that this requires substantial investments in equipment and staff and efficient control over the farming. Companies are setting up exclusive raw material supply lines using the services of selected farmers and supply of their own fields. The traditional low efficiency processing units spread
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all over the rural areas seem to lose business and medium-scale and large-scale units with modern equipment seem to take over. Farmers will most likely more and more be pushed to their core business i.e. farming of high- quality raw materials while processing will be done by companies using up-to-date equipment and highly trained staff.
Photo 3: Cinnamon bark
The goal is to establish a technological well-equipped sector supplying high quality at larger volumes. Some traditional oil production will continue for specific local target groups such as Ayurveda and tourism but the mainstream production should move to modernised installations. In parallel, the business support services should be strengthened and the government compliance control and administrative institutions should be streamlined. Based on the study TAMAP recommends 1) improve the export regime for essential oils; 2) improve the transparency of the essential oils sector; 3) establish good access to new equipment and knowledge for oil extraction, processing and packaging (including GMP); 4) promote more efficient farm technologies (including GAP) and 5) promote horizontal and vertical integration of the sector.
In March an overview value chain report was developed summarising major findings of all 8 value chain studies. For commodities and value chains targeting export markets, the report summarised the following recommendations (for value chains focusing on domestic consumption recommendations were also given): 1. Improve the import regulation for seeds and planting materials: Enact the Plant Breeders Rights Act and review and update agro input Acts (Seed and Planting Material Act, Fertilizer Act and Plant Protection Act and regulations including quarantine and breeding.; 2. Improve export regulation and export promotion: Ensure compliance with international standards and certification and rapidly further roll out the implementation of the “one window” for export documentation in the Ministry of Finance. Also, EDB should be encouraged to improve the selection of participants in trade fairs and promotion activities can be improved. The stakeholders would like to see that EBD focusses on the established exporters and not exporters without a production (farm) facility. Also, the other organisational aspects of trade events should be improved. 3. Establish training in disease management, good practices and business: The lack of technical and business know-how is a serious constraint for the development of small and medium-scale farmers and the SMEs. Farmers have to be trained in GAP,
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Integrated Pest Management and management of their farms as a business. SMEs should be trained in GMP and management of their business. 4. Promote new technologies: Train farmers and SMEs in cost effective new technologies with the assistance of regional centres and technology demo centres. Conduct training in all parts of the country. 5. Provide access to public land: Various stakeholders lamented that the access to land was hampering the expansion of their business. This while underutilized public land is available especially in the North and East. It is recommended to prepare a register of underutilized land and develop a procedure to simplify the access of farmers to such lands. Also start a program for the rehabilitation of underutilized lands for farming and ponds for aquaculture. 6. Promote further integration and formalization of value chains: Increase contract farming and outgrowing arrangements based on transparent pricing mechanisms and risk mitigation via crop insurance. Train farmers in collective action and train farmer organizations, SMEs and cooperatives in establishment of business orientation. 7. Promote investment in agriculture and agribusiness: Establish a “one-window” for farmers and companies to access finance, insurance and business advisory services. Stimulate the investment in mechanization of agriculture, “smart” agriculture (agriculture saving on natural resource utilization) and higher value processing (concentrates, IQF, dehydrated products).
During the COVID-19 crisis, value chain became a prominent topic given the collapse of the wholesale and retail markets and supply chains. Requested by the EUD SL, TAMAP prepared an overview of all relatively recent value chain studies carried out in Sri Lanka, specifying methodology used, commodities and major findings and uploaded the reports on a common platform that stakeholders have access to (see Annex 5). In order to assist GoSL in the implementation of the NPF Vistas, TAMAP proposed to develop more value chain studies focusing on the commodities / crops, GoSL intends to foster with a view to give more information on markets, margins, challenges and opportunities. Discussions were held in April and May with several stakeholders but no agreement was be made on developing additional VC studies. This is unfortunate since TAMAP could have used its resources in a very efficient way to bridge the COVID-19 period and particularly the post- COVID-19 period in which GoSL is working on a low flame as well as being in an election mode. Given the limited feedback on the proposal for conducting additional value chain studies, TAMAP proposed to carry out two fully-fledged sector studies in order to support GoSL in their immediate and mid-term agriculture programme we propose: • One sector study for rice (various varieties on various farming systems); and • One sector study for animal feed (feed for chicken, aquaculture, livestock) focusing on various components such as maize and proteins (soya, etc.). These would be quite comprehensive studies and would include counterparts from DoA and MoA as active study team members. TAMAP proposed these two commodities since rice is the main staple crop and under certain conditions (farming systems) it is technically feasible and financially and economically viable. Animal feed is chosen because it is new and no one has done it before in Sri Lanka. TAMAP could also work with the Market Oriented Dairy project (MOD) funded by USAD. The two sector studies could also assist in bringing TAMAP /EU and the stakeholders together. It was felt that that there was a general disappointment among counterpart colleagues that the
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future EU funds will not support any of the immediate / mid-term activities as was planned when selecting Budget Support (supporting some interventions from the OAIS). This proposal was made at the end of April 2020 but as yet has not received any major feedback, neither from GoSL, nor from EUD SL.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period TAMAP will tease out whether there is still some interest in additional value chain or sector studies. It is expected that after the elections and also with a more moderate life in the light of COVID-19 aftermaths, there could be more interest from the stakeholders on the proposals. However, in parallel, TAMAP resources will gradually diminish, even with a 6-month extension.
3.4.2.2 Developing a capacity building programme on value chain development for GoSL staff members and private sector entities
Progress achieved After having completed all 8 value chain reports and subsequent brochures, TAMAP organised two one-day training sessions on value chains on 25th February in Kandy with 44 participants and on 27th February in Colombo with 43 participants from GoSL, private sector, CSOs and research institutions. Both events were successful and results of the value chain studies as well as presentations of the methodologies and doing financial calculations on gross margins and margins and mapping on selected commodities was presented. Participants performed group work which met with strong interest from all concerned. Photo 4: Group work at Kandy workshop
The participants were also asked to reflect on three main issues related to Sri Lankan value chain development i.e. 1) Provide some recommendations for improvement of value chains; 2) Provide some recommendation for increasing the farmers share in the total value created in the chain and 3) provide some recommendations related to the role of the government in value chain development. In the next paragraph, the main recommendations are summarized. Major recommendations for improvements of value chains derived from the two workshops were: • Improve dissemination of business and technical knowledge to stakeholders; • Develop stronger linkages between university research and farmers and processors in value chains;
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• Establish Public Private Partnerships for development and adoption of new technologies; • Implement a nation-wide cool storage network for perishable crops; • Focus strongly on improvement of post-harvest technologies; • Encourage vertical and horizontal integration in value chains with contract farming, crop insurance, cluster models for value chains and wider group formation of farmers and SMEs for business purposes; • Promote value added product development and GAP, GMP, HACCP, organic produce and their certification procedures; • Encourage EDB to provide wider awareness related to export regulations and requirements for exports in different countries; • Follow cluster models in value chain development to reduce storage, transport, labour and certification costs; and • Foster more private sector involvement in the development of policies and strategies for agriculture development;
Photo 5: Presentation of results
Major recommendations for increasing farmers’ share in value chains were: • Bypass middlemen and increase direct sales to consumers; • Increase the capacity of farmer groups for value addition or semi value addition; • Increase the knowledge of farmers related to technology and business management; • Apply GAP to raise produce quality and get higher prices; • Increase production of crops / commodities with market and export orientation; • Conduct comparative advantage analysis of products by comparing Sri Lanka with other regional suppliers and competitors; • Ensure availability of fertiliser recommendations for high yielding seeds; • Establish more farmer companies and associations to increase bargaining power; • Shorten the value chains with less stakeholders in the chain; • Reduce the cost of production through technology and quality inputs; • Support certification (GAP, HACCP, GMP, ISO 22000, organic, Fairtrade);
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• Achieve more forward agreements for inputs and outputs; • Stimulate crop diversification and better crop planning to have harvests the whole year; and • Establish more direct links between farmers and exporters.
With regard to recommendations related to the role of GoSL in value chain development, the participants advocated: • Improve rural infrastructure to strengthen access to farm gate; • Ensure tax free equipment and machinery import for value added production; • Support further skill development of stakeholders; • Review and reduce rules and regulations for formation of business-oriented cooperatives; • Promote diversification in food habits away from rice; • Establish one-window for the basic requirements for exports; • Provide tax concessions and credit facilities for value chain stakeholders based on foreign exchange earned; • Foster the development of strong linkages between producers-processors-exporters; • Strengthen the role of EDB and encourage EDB to disseminate knowledge to value chain stakeholders related to the opportunities and challenges of international trade agreements; • Expose entrepreneurs of SMEs to trade fairs, business visits etc; • Development of accurate statistics and information systems with regular updating; • Releasing government lands for agriculture; • Promote the use of good quality seeds and planting materials and support breeding programs; • Revenue of cess on imported fruit and vegetables should go to EDB. Funds should be available for farmers and exporters to improve production; • Government should make GAP mandatory; and • Improve rail transport to bring produce to wholesale markets.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems were encountered.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period Though the direct training on value chains has come to an end, other trainings are planned such as farming as a business in which particular aspects of value chain development will be referred to. For details see next Section 3.4.4.
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3 . 4 . 3 Assist the G overnment to promote sustainable green production practices among agri - b u s i n e s s e s
3.4.3.1 Clarify sustainable green production in the Sri Lankan context
Progress achieved The draft report on support to organic and sustainable agriculture was submitted to the EUD on 6th April 2020. Comments were received on 17th June (from EUD SL) and on 23rd June (from GIZ). The final report could not be submitted in the reporting period. The organic report is a very comprehensive report and the summary is attached in Annex 6. The main recommendations derived from this assignment are listed below. It was concluded that organic farming of vegetables, fruits and spices has grown rapidly in Sri Lanka and that such farming is financially viable for farmers with similar financial returns in conventional farming at much lower external (environment) costs. Organic food and farming may contribute to minimising the negative environmental impacts of agriculture, providing safe high-quality food, enhancing rural development and satisfying domestic and international demand for organic products.
Photo 6: Organic farm in Sri Lanka
Source: TAMAP
The TAMAP team recommends that Sri Lanka develops a comprehensive strategy with Action Plan for the development of its organic farming sector. As most of the organic farming expertise is in the private sector, private sector stakeholders (producers, processors, traders, exporters) should be consulted and involved in the strategy and the Action Plan. Collaboration with the private sector should continue during implementation of the strategy and Action Plan to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of interventions. The strategy and Action Plan need to be clear on the scope of regulations (standards and their intended use) whether the regulations
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are for the domestic market, the export market, or both. The added value regulations should be carefully assessed. It is important that stakeholders agree to common objectives based on a joint analysis of the main problems. It should be clarified to what extent observed main problems can be solved with regulations or require other interventions. Sector development is not achieved by only making regulations. The study further recommends that: • Standards and regulations are reviewed and adapted to the local conditions and local market requirements. The current standards and regulations were developed for the export market while an initial standard should focus on local market development. It should be relatively easy and straightforward for producers and certified bodies to apply these standards and regulations; and • Sri Lanka should become a member of ALOGA (Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture). Sri Lanka should take the following initial steps to initiate targeted support to the organic farming sector: 1. Constitute a well-functioning relevant stakeholder forum; and 2. Develop an Action Plan for the organic agriculture sector with the stakeholder forum: ✓ Carry out an analysis of the current situation in the sector, its development needs and potential solutions; ✓ Identify appropriate policy measures with clear statements on how the policy measures might influence the issues. A reasonable criterion for selecting policy measures is that they should respond to the needs of the stakeholders as defined in the SWOT analysis included in the organic report; and ✓ Prioritise the actions on the basis of needs and opportunities for action and the available resources.
Problems encountered and possible solutions The workshop scheduled for the 17th March 2020 had to be cancelled (postponed) due to the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown. It is anticipated that later in the course of the year when travelling from Europe is possible, the organic workshop can be arranged Four work days have been retained for the international expert allowing her to prepare and facilitate the workshop.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period Depending on the situation with regard to travel, presentation of the findings of the organic study will be held indicatively in September / October.
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3 . 4 . 4 A 2 . 5 : Help the Government to improve its support to farmers and farmer organisations, including support to the extension service
3.4.4.1 Development of training programme for farmers, extension workers and food processing SME operators
Progress achieved In most of the studies carried out by TAMAP, lack of business knowledge among farmers and also SME entrepreneurs was identified. Denominator in all the studies is the lack of business knowledge of farmers and SME entrepreneurs. The training provided by extension workers in Sri Lanka is basically only of a technical nature to improve the agricultural and manufacturing practise but doesn’t strengthen the business knowledge of farmers and SME entrepreneurs. This is partly related to the fact that extension workers have little knowledge of business- oriented farming and SME entrepreneurship. In order to fill this gap, of insufficient basic knowledge in farming as a business and business administration and finance among farmers, extension officers and SME operators, TAMAP developed a ToR for an assignment entitled “Business Training for Farmers and Food Processing SMEs in Sri Lanka”. The fully-fledged request for approval including Terms of Reference and the CVs was submitted to the EUD SL on 15th June and approval obtained on 16th June. An advanced first draft version of the ToR was submitted already on 18th May whereby no comments were received on this first version. These ToR catered for conventional training under social distancing conditions as well as for online training. For this assignment, the following services are to be provided: • Develop training and materials for the trainings (online and conventional training); • Conduct the 4 days online farmer business training sessions of 4 hours a day in 6 proposed locations (2 full training days for the conventional training); • Conduct the 4 days online food processing SMEs training sessions of 4 hours a day in 6 proposed locations (2 full training days for the conventional training); • Development of videos recording the trainings in Sinhala and Tamil; and • Recommendations on further business training for farmers and food processing SMEs.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No major problem was encountered. Since the curfew was lifted countrywide, training with up to 40 to 50 participants can be organised provided that the venues are large enough for physical distancing.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period Finalising of the farmer/ SME training programme and commencement with the first training before the end of August 2020. Since TAMAP plans for a total of 12 trainings it is expected that some trainings will continue in the TAMAP extension phase which will start on 8 January 2021.
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3 . 5 R 3 : The existing systems for planni n g , b u d g e t i n g a n d implementation of sectoral and s u b - sectoral policies are improved
3 . 5 . 1 A 3.1: Review the Government’s pl a n n i n g , budgeting, resource allocation, implementation and coordination system on all l e v e l s related to agriculture development
3.5.1.1 Review of the existing planning, budgeting and resource allocation system at all levels
Progress achieved With regard to developing a training programme on costing and budgeting, it has become apparent (as mentioned in the previous progress report) that training has to be pursued on the specific approach promoted by the Department of National Planning, the so-called Project Submission Format (PSF). Therefore, no particular needs assessment had to be undertaken. The logframe training of which two trainings were organised in March, includes a small section on the PSF format. Based on the evaluation of the participants who attended the first trainings, more reference is proposed to be made to the PSF format in the remaining trainings. The two logframe experts started working on this particular section and will include one additional case study in the training material with a focus on costing.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No particular problems were encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period TAMAP will accommodate more PSF related aspects in the logframe training course but then it will be a 5-day course compared to a 4-day course. Not pursuing Budget Support should not be a reason not to follow up on the review of the planning and resource allocation system. However, it needs to be discussed with the stakeholders whether there is a genuine interest from GoSL to foster this activity.
3.5.1.2 Identifying relevant priority areas for coordination on all levels, improving coordination and policy dialogue and impact assessment and establishment of best practice coordination and communication structures
Progress achieved In the reporting period, TAMAP made another follow up to seek EU’s opinion on the proposed assignment to review coordination and communication mechanisms at all GoSL levels. TAMAP suggested that the partially less busy time during COVID-19 could be used to develop ToR and to identify experts with activities starting once the situation improved. In their e-mail dated 14 April, the EUD SL however, did not favour this assignment being undertaken at a time when in-depth discussions with many stakeholders would be impossible. Furthermore, given the various priorities (including elections) doubts may arise whether GoSL would take up results and recommendations of this assignment.
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Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems were encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period As proposed in the last progress report, it still needs to be discussed whether an assignment be carried out assessing the existing coordination and communication mechanisms and suggestions for improvement between the various layers of GoSL. Therefore, at the beginning of the next reporting period, a meeting will be convened between TAMAP and EUD SL to discuss and to come to a final agreement on this issue.
3 . 5 . 2 A 3.2: Develop capacity building programm e f o r planning, budgeting, resource allocation at central, provincial and district leve l based on needs assessment and its implementation
3.5.2.1 Develop and implement training programmes: Logframe Training
Progress achieved TAMAP organised two logframe trainings. One in Colombo from 4 – 7 March and the second in Polonnaruwa from 10 -13 March 2020. A third training scheduled for Hambantota in the subsequent week had to be cancelled (postponed) due to COVID-19. In Colombo, 32 GoSL officers participated at the logframe training (16 male and 16 female). All of them participated continuously with dedication to the subject. The opportunity to work on own project ideas was highly appreciated. The overall training design and setup – a good mix between theoretical powerpoint presentations and (planning) team sessions proved to be useful and effective. In Polonnaruwa, 21 officers (12 male and 9 female) participated. They came from Eastern Province (12) and from North-Central Province (9). Contrary to the training in Colombo, all participants were hosted in the conference hotel, allowing them to spend the evenings together, giving them more opportunities to deepen discussions on the training content. As in Colombo, all participants were very active and committed to the training. As shown in the test-in vs test-out evaluation (see Table 2), the workshop has produced a good increase of knowledge of the overall approach and concept, and – in particular – has further strengthened the capacity with regard to needs assessment and problem analysis. ‘Customer’/beneficiary orientation and the technical requirements for indicators (as a pre- condition for a robust monitoring scheme) have been discussed and further clarified. Participants from Colombo increased the number of correct answers by 64 % whereas the participants from Polonnaruwa increased it by 35 %. This has to be seen in the context that the Colombo participants started on a lower level (45% correct answers compared to 56% correct answers in the entry test. In the post-training test, 76% of the answers were answered correct by Polonnaruwa participants while 73% were correct answered by Colombo participants. Participants from both workshops recommended that the training consider more the project submission format developed by the Department of National Planning, elaborate more on the Theory of Change and strategy analysis and also put more emphasis on M&E. Annex 10 contains a brief report on the main findings of the two trainings.
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Table 2: Comparison between entry and post training test
Number of respondents PRE 52 Number of respondents POST 49
Entry Test Results Post Training Test % change compared to entry test
% % change in % wrong % correct % wrong % change in correct Total % Total % correct answers answers answers wrong answers answers answers Questions / Modules Logframe Training Colombo 45% 55% 100% 73% 27% 100% 64% -52%
Logframe Training Polonnaruwa 56% 44% 100% 76% 24% 100% 35% -46%
TOTAL (Average from all) 49% 51% 100% 75% 25% 100% 51% -50%
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems were encountered in the reporting period apart from COVID-19 attributed cancellation of the Hambantota training.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period The remaining trainings will focus on conventional training under social distancing conditions. The training material will be adjusted to the NPD designed Project Submission Format (PSF) and will cater for additional slides and group work for M&E.
3.5.2.2 Develop and implement training programmes: Policy Analysis Training
Progress achieved TAMAP, in collaboration with the Post Graduate Institute for Agriculture (PGIA) of the University of Peradeniya, started developing the draft training programme on policy analysis at the end of 2019 and a first draft was finalised at the beginning of May 2020. The draft programme was circulated among some of the TAMAP members for comments which were incorporated at the beginning of June. Given the COVID-19 crisis and the emerging discussions on food security versus cash crop production, the import substitution versus importation of crops which are financially not viable and the collapse of supply chains, the authors of the training book decided to include some additional chapters on economics and opportunity costs related to food and cash crop production. Therefore, the training manual could not be finalised in the reporting period, and hence, no training conducted. It is envisaged to have the book published by Springer Nature. First discussions with Springer were held and there is a principally positive response. The table of contents, apart from preface and foreword of the training manual / text book is illustrated in Table 3
Table 3: Table of content of Policy Analysis Textbook
Chapter Topic Author Part I: Introduction and background readings Chapter 1 Introduction to Agricultural Policy Analysis Jeevika Weerahewa Chapter 2 Role of State in a Markets Economy Herath Gunatilake
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Chapter Topic Author Chapter 3 Agriculture and Economic Development Pahan Prasada Chapter 4 Trade Environment Chandima Kirwandala Chapter 5 Subsidy Policy of Sri Lanka Nihal Atapattu Chapter 6 Climate Change in Agriculture LHP Gunaratne Part II: Economic concepts and measures Chapter 7 Economic Concepts for Agricultural Policy Analysis Andrew Jacque Chapter 8 Measuring Competitiveness of Agricultural Markets E. Pathiraja, K. Sooriyakumar, using Standard Indicators C.S. Wijethunga Part III: Tools to analyse sectoral and global regulations Chapter 9 Analyzing Effects of Marketing Policies using Market Pradeepa Koralegedara Integration Models Chapter 10 Analyzing Effects of Agricultural Price Policies using Jeevika Weerahewa Partial Equilibrium Models Chapter 11 Analyzing Effects of Trade Facilitation using Gravity Senal Weerasooriya Models Chapter 12 Analyzing Effects of Regional Trading Agreements Sumali Dissanayake using GTAP model Part IV: Tools to analyse rural development programmes and projects Chapter 13 Analyzing Effects of Land Tenure Policies using Dilini Hemachandra econometric approaches Chapter 14 Analyzing Effects of Agriculture Extension using Wasantha Athukorala Randomized Control Experiments Chapter 15 Analyzing Environmental Benefits of Tank S. Dissanayake & S. Vidanage Restoration Projects using Environmental Cost Benefit Analysis Chapter 16 Cost Benefit Analysis of Irrigation Projects Sunil Thrikawala Chapter 17 Analyzing the Effects of Land Use Policy using Bio- Ramilan Thiagarajah economic Models* Chapter 18 Case Study Research in the Context of Policy Analysis Sarath S. Kodithuwakku with Special Reference to Qualitative Methods Part V: Analysis of Agri-Food Policy and Strategy Response of Sri Lanka to COVID-19 Pandemic Chapter 19 How Agri-food Chains in Sri Lanka Fared during the Jeevika Weerahewa, D. Stringent COVID-19 Control Measures Hemachandra & D. Roy Chapter 20 Implications of the Import Substitution Strategy of Sri Jeevika Weerahewa Lanka and Way Forward
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems were encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period It is expected that the first comprehensive draft (draft manuscript) will be available towards the beginning of August. This will be shared with stakeholders for (minor) comments but also with pre-selected book reviewers. Amongst others, based on the latter’s judgement, Springer Nature will decide whether the book will be published by them. Alternatively, PGIA could also publish the book. The trainings can start using the draft manuscript (according to Springer the final manuscript cannot be used for training until the book is published) and it is anticipated that the trainings will start at the end of August or beginning of September with all four trainings conducted before the end of 2020.
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3 . 6 R 4: The impact of implementing Government's overarching Agriculture Policy through an improved statistical and data analysis system is monitored and ass e s s e d
3 . 6 . 1 A 4.1: Design an overall M&E framework and d e v e l o p ment of guidelines for carrying out impact assessment studies
3.6.1.1 Review of the current M&E framework on national policies pursued by GoSL and recommendations for improvements & development of a participatory M&E framework
Progress achieved In 2019, first contacts were made and discussions held with representatives from the Department of Project Management & Monitoring. It was agreed that once the OAP is developed and the OAIS is in an advanced stage, more discussions will be held. The discussions were not resumed in the reporting period since OAP was not finalised and OAIS was not in an advanced stage. Moreover, due to COVID-19, there was no opportunity to continue with these discussions. With regard to developing indicators, it should not be noted that with drawing up the OAIS, the TAMAP team developed indicators for the various targets which allow the stakeholders to monitor & evaluate the progress made on the OAP and OAIS implementation. However, it should be highlighted that these are “normal SMART“ indicators and not similar to those developed for EU Budget Support operations.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems were encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period TAMAP would still recommend to launch an assignment to develop a concise and compact M&E framework based on the large number of indicators the OAIS team drew up for the various sub-strategies and to train key stakeholders in its application. During this reporting period, it will be discussed with the EUD SL whether TAMAP should develop ToR for an assignment which could then be launched towards the end of 2020.
3 . 6 . 2 A 4 . 5 : Review the statistical system in agriculture and all agri culture related subsectors, and provide ad hoc support where n e c e s s a r y
Progress achieved With regard to potential support to the Department of Census and Statistics with a view to improve the statistical system, TAMAP met colleagues from the DCS on 29 January 2020. The concept paper disseminated in December 2019 was discussed. The outcome of the meeting can be summarised in the following bullet points:
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• Main outcome was that the quality of the data collected must be significantly improved for the next agricultural census (2022); • DCS has profound experience in statistics and sampling but very little experience in agricultural (farm) surveys; • DCS confirmed that collaboration with DoAD can be sometimes a challenge; • DCS agrees to be trained. However, main focus should be training of ARPAs (Agriculture Research and Production Assistants) from the DoAD. DCS and DoAD had a meeting on 27 January 2020 in which they discussed the organization of the next Agriculture Census earmarked for 2022. DCS and DoAD agreed that from each of the 562 Agrarian Service Centres one ARPA should be trained; • Over and above the ARPAs, approximately 450 development officers under the DoA could be trained (proposed by TAMAP). DCS agreed but proposed that training of ARPAS and Development Officers should not be done at the same time in the same venue due to general problems between DoA and DoAD. TAMAP mentioned that training should be done together to avoid logistical challenges; • DCS also proposed that 331 statistics officers from the 331 Divisional Secretariats should be trained plus 25 statistic heads of the 25 districts; • Since this training might exceed the budget and also scope of TAMAP interventions we should focus on training of trainers (in English) but financial assistance of the other trainings would be more than welcome. Since the budget is limited we could focus on some very prominent agriculture districts; • Training programme / curriculum should be a 5-day training on statistical methodologies, sampling, questionnaire design, basics in agriculture, subjects allowing the field enumerators cross checking the answers of the respondents (field size, yields, crop estimates, see concept paper). Important would be also some refreshment trainings; • Training should be conducted in all 25 districts of SL. Venues could be the in-service training institutes under the DoA and also DoAD operated Agrarian Service Training Centres; • Training of trainers can be done in English however pre-test required. Actual trainings should be done in Sinhala and Tamil; • Training content: the sections related to statistics can be done by DCS officers. Non- statistical part (agriculture, questioning techniques) should be taken over by TAMAP (in collaboration with DoA and the MoA); • DCS stressed the importance to apply best practices from other countries in the training; • DCS also stressed the need to be trained in GIS applications with a view to develop an E-system. TAMAP mentioned that this would not be its key expertise and therefore we would abstain from that. UNDP usually is strong in GIS applications and training. TAMAP also would not have the means to provide tablets to enumerators; • DCS stressed also the importance of collecting good quality livestock statistics (milk production on disaggregated figures, crop yield estimates); • Field manuals should be developed for ARPAs in Sinhala and Tamil; and • DCS did not accept gender expert’s statements that they are not gender sensitive and that data is not reflecting gender disaggregated figures;
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Proposed way forward • TAMAP will discuss with EUD SL what TAMAP can do which will then be conveyed to DCS; • DCS, DoAD and TAMAP will sit together, discuss and agree on the TAMAP facilitated training programme; • Setting up a task force consisting of various stakeholders (DCS, DoAD and DoA) to develop the training programme; • Pre-test of the Training of Trainers; and • Reaching out with training. Based on the outcome of the meeting with DCS on 29 January, TAMAP proposed to the EUD SL on 30 January 2020 the following: • TAMAP and DCS will jointly develop curriculum for a five-day training on statistics and agriculture with a view to collect and process higher quality data; • Conducting a pre-test of the training and training of trainers; • Conducting a few trainings (5) in districts where agriculture plays an important role. This means that apart from the training of trainers we could train a maximum 150 people out of approx. 1,350 people; • Organising a meeting with DCS and DoAD to discuss and agree upon our proposal; and • Developing budgets and costings for the training. The TAMAP Team Leader proposed to EUD SL to elaborate the proposals and convene a meeting towards the end of March 2020 as in the first three months of 2020, TAMAP devoted a lot of time developing the OAIS. The proposal was accepted. Unfortunately, due to COVID- 19 and prioritisation of other activities, the work on this proposal was not resumed in the reporting period.
Problems encountered and possible solutions No problems were encountered in the reporting period.
Recommendations & activities for coming reporting period It is expected that after the elections on 5 August 2020 more time can be devoted with DCS and DoAD to discuss and agree on the scope of the proposed assignment for the improvement of the agricultural statistics system. Once it is agreed, detailed ToR will be developed and suitable experts identified and contracted. It is expected that any assignment related to agriculture statistics would be spread over a period of approximately 6 months.
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4 MANAGEMENT OF THE SERVICE CONTRACT
4 . 1 Stakeholder liaison and major workshops organised by TAMAP
4 . 1 . 1 Launch of the Govipola market platform on 28 th January 2020
TAMAP has supported the development of an electronic market place in agriculture in line with the Government's e-agriculture strategy. As a result of this work “Govipola”, an agricultural trading platform and improved market information system was launched on 28 January 2019. at the “Improved Market Information System for Agriculture in Sri Lanka” workshop held at the Mövenpick Hotel. Photo 7: Suren Kohombange founder of Govipola
The Govipola App helps farmers to market their goods to potential buyers while providing market information. This in turn helps to strengthen our goal of developing a vibrant agricultural sector in Sri Lanka.”
4 . 1 . 2 Symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion
TAMAP in collaboration with the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR) organized a symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion in commemoration of the International Women’s Day 2020.
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Photo 8: Eng. Badra Kamaladasa making a presentation on gender
The symposium took place on Friday the 13th March 2020 in the Water’s Edge Rajagiriya and was attended by 66 participants. It should be noted that this was the last workshop TAMAP could organize prior to the COVID-19 curfew. A total of six presentations were made by different affiliated bodies speaking on various aspects of gender in the agricultural sector of Sri Lanka. They were:
1. Country Gender Assessment of Agriculture and the Rural Sector in Sri Lanka presented by Ms. Asumptha Jayartnam of the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO). 2. Consideration of Gender Related Aspects in Agricultural Policies presented by Ms. Kala Peiries of the Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR). 3. Gender Responsiveness Analysis of 2018 Agriculture Budget presented by Ms. Sriyani Perera, EU Consultant and Gender Specialist. 4. Ways in Which Gender Inclusive Planning and Budgeting Can Increase Agricultural Productivity presented by Mrs. Jayantha Illankoon, Additional Director General – Development, Department of Agriculture. 5. Gender Inclusion in Irrigation and Natural Resource Management presented by Eng. Badra Kamaladasa, Former Director General of Irrigation, Ministry of Irrigation. 6. Data Driven Agriculture – the Importance of Sex-disaggregated Data in Gender Equitable Planning and Budgeting presented by Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne, Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). The conclusion of this gender symposium was that in order to ensure adequate consideration of gender related issues, gender responsive strategies must be incorporated at all levels in all project proposals since the promotion of gender specific responses has not succeeded in eradicating gender inequalities. Mainstreaming (integration of) gender should be pursued at all levels, however with a less technical approach which in most cases cannot be understood and often leads to mental fatigue on gender issues. A more “common sense” approach need to be applied. The fact that there are contrary / conflicting data and opinions on gender related aspects such as “women have little access to credit” and “on obtaining credit, women do not face problems” is another reason to compile gender disaggregated data to ensure that statements derived from the data are accurate and correct. For details see Annex 8
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4 . 1 . 3 TAMAP organised e - Agriculture Workshop on 25 J u n e 2 0 2 0
TAMAP in collaboration with HARTI organized a half-day workshop on E-Agriculture and Digital Market Platforms in the Mövenpick Hotel, Colombo on 25th June 2020. The purpose of this workshop was to bring existing e-Agriculture and Digital Market Platform providers, as well as interested parties and users of these e-Agriculture systems, together to do stocktaking on who is doing what and how. At the same time important stakeholders such as FAO and GoSL gave feedback on what plans they have with a view to develop e-Agriculture systems in Sri Lanka in the future. Sri Lanka has IT companies and private and public sector entities operating a variety of internet solutions to assist farmers and provide transparency in new agricultural technology application such as for GAP, as well as in markets and market opportunities.
Photo 9: Panel discussion at e-Agriculture workshop
The COVID19 crisis further stressed the need for such e- Agriculture solutions requiring a minimum of physical contact and producing real-time relevant information to farmers. Apart from illustrating their future plans on e- Agriculture and Digital Market Platforms by GoSL, FAO and HARTI, several Digital Market Platform providers gave a short presentation showcasing their products and informing us about their challenges. These presentations were followed by a panel discussion with a view to look into strategies to unlock key bottlenecks for e-Agriculture sector development. The panel was chaired by Prof. Buddhi Marambe from the University of Peradeniya. In total 42 participants attended physically complying with social distancing conditions and 95 participants joined via ZOOM and Facebook. Selected topics were thoroughly discussed by the panelists plus questions raised by the participants. This workshop was a very good opportunity to get an overview on the various players in e-Agriculture, to get to know each other and also to initiate a discussion around what is best for the country on this subject. Regular meetings and discussions should be organized to keep the momentum going and to keep each other informed about outcomes of ongoing assignments and activities. Annex 12 presents the major outcomes of the workshop. Some initial conclusions can be identified. They are: • For the future e-Agriculture strategy it should be recognized who is doing what best with an honest assessment of government’s limited resources for its implementation; • The potential of the private sector in contributing to e-Agriculture solutions is very high and this potential should be used. As such the establishment of Public Private Partnerships should be facilitated;
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• GoSL agreed to act as a regulator for e-Agriculture solutions and will prepare an enabling environment for that and making sure that all existing data will be provided to all players not only to selected ones; and • TAMAP will support all digital market platforms and e-Agriculture providers who are interested to be assisted.
4 . 2 Workshops / seminars / meetings attended by t h e T A M A P t e a m
With the draft finalisation of the OAP, stakeholder consultation significantly decreased in the reporting period. Furthermore, COVID-19 made it impossible to have larger face-to face meetings from mid of March until the beginning of June 2020. Most of the stakeholder consultation was made by the OAIS team from mid of January until mid March 2020 whereby each expert consulted stakeholders relevant for the corresponding thrust area. Apart from the EU, NPD and TAMAP meeting of 16 April (during the curfew period) which took place in the Secretariat, all meetings after mid of March until the end of May 2020, in which TAMAP participated, where online meetings and video conferences.
4 . 2 . 1 Programme Steering Committee (PSC) 13th February 2020
The fifth Programme Steering Committee for TAMAP was organised on 13 February 2020 which was attended in total by 27 officials including the secretary to the Treasury (chair), the acting secretary of MoA, representatives from the EUD SL and the TAMAP team. The Secretary to the Treasury opened the meeting with remarks on the purpose of the meeting, which was to discuss the overarching agriculture policy (OAP). Photo 10: Organisation of PSC No. 5 on 13 February 2020
He indicated that the new government has a national policy document, the National Policy Framework (NPF): Vistas of Prosperity and for Splendour, that covers all sectors of the economy and not just agriculture. So, the focus has to be on aligning the draft OAP with the NPF. The Secretary also stated that it was important to bring together key stakeholders, such as the NPD, the ERD, MoA and other agriculture sector members to review the draft OAP to see how it deviates from the NPF and then get the OAP aligned. He stressed that this should be done quickly. The TAMAP team leader made a short presentation
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entitled “Update on Overarching Agriculture Policy (OAP)”, provided background on TAMAP, a detailed justification why an Overarching Agriculture Policy is required for Sri Lanka, highlighted the content of the draft OAP document and addressed the issue of aligning the draft OAP with the NPF. One decision had to be made by the PSC members. It was: Decision 1: The OAP document would be aligned with the NPF and finalized as soon as possible for possible submission to the Cabinet in March. Minutes of the PSC meeting No. 5 are in Annex 7.
4 . 2 . 2 EU, T A M A P a n d N P D m e e t i n g on 16 April 2020
The purpose of this meeting was to get an update on the current activities from GoSL with regard to OAP approval and to brief NPD on the future EU funding. EUD SL was not in agreement with the wording of the latest version of the OAP, particularly its mission. The proposed mission: Prosperous farmer achieving food sovereignty does not really match with what the 12-month lasting consultative process came up with and would jeopardize a modern livelihood approach for farmers. Following the Vistas for Splendour and Prosperity, the Cabinet approved the proposal to promote 14 specific crops / commodities with a view to achieve food sovereignty. NPD is in the process of developing a cabinet paper on that and will share it with EUD SL and TAMAP. In parallel, GoSL is currently developing a specific 3-year action plan for the promotion of these 16 crops. The action plan is likely to include price mechanisms and production plans (where in SL and which crop, etc.). The question came up from a representative of the EUD SL why develop a separate action plan instead of integrating / dovetailing it into the OAIS? Even when developing a separate document, it should be integrated into the OAIS, which has a time horizon of 5 years. Of the € 22 million support announced in the media as COVID-19 support for Sri Lanka, € 16.5 million has been allocated for Agriculture that will be split into: • € 5 million for future Technical Assistance (successor of TAMAP) to support OAP implementation • € 8 million blending facility administered by Agrifi to support the private sector in Sri Lanka for cold chain development, organic agriculture and to some extent for logistics • € 3.5 million for topping up the five NGOs (EU funded) working in Uva and Central Provinces The meeting was informed that the Financing Agreement on Food Safety was signed by the EU on 1 April and is awaiting signature by GoSL.
4 . 2 . 3 Online meeting between TAMAP, EU and Govipola on 14 th M a y 2 0 2 0
The purpose of this meeting was to brainstorm how best to provide further support to online market platforms to overcome challenges farmers have in selling their produce and how to assist in promoting e-Agriculture in Sri Lanka. The indicative Terms of Reference (see Section 3.4.1.1 ) of the e-Agriculture were discussed, however clearly indicating that support should be given to all potential online platforms and not only to Govipola or LAPMC. Moreover, this meeting gave direction on how TAMAP and EU has to position themselves in contributing to
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the large and ambitious initiative by the FAO in developing a (GoSL driven) e-Agriculture system in Sri Lanka.
4 . 2 . 4 C u r r e n t a n d future support of the EU in the field of IT based agricultural trading platforms at Temple T r e e s o n 3 rd J u n e 2 0 2 0
On 3rd June 2020, EU & TAMAP were invited to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat at Temple Trees to make a presentation to the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation on current and future support of the EU in the field of Agricultural Trading Platforms. EUD SL presented in short the OAP, OAIS and explained how e-Agriculture fits into the OAP/OAIS. Suren Kohombange made a short presentation on Govipola which was appreciated by the participants. There was a common understanding among all participants that IT based solutions for trading platforms has become a very important subject and the EUD SL was asked by the Chairman, Basil Rajapaksa, to enter into further dialogue with other online platform providers and to provide more effective services to all.
4 . 2 . 5 Assignments c o n d u c t e d in the reporting period
Given the COVID-19 crisis, the number of assignments in the first half of 2020 was very limited. The majority of them had already started in the previous period. Table 4 below presents an overview on the assignments which were being carried out in the reporting period in terms of association to result, number of experts and work days involved, and the indicative end of the assignment.
Table 4: Overview on the assignments being performed in the reporting period
Assignment Result # of # of WD Start End Area experts
Policy Adviser on implementation strategy R 1 1 330 MAR 19 DEC 20 development
Developing OAIS (excluding Long-term R 1 6 160 DEC 19 JUN 20 advisers)
Value Chain Analysis and Training R 2 3 411 OCT 18 FEB 20
Development and operationalisation of E- R 2 4 150 JUN 20 DEC 20 Agriculture in Sri Lanka including sustainability plans
Business Training for Farmers and Food R 2 3 104 JUN 20 MAR 21 Processing SMEs in Sri Lanka
Policy Advisor on planning, budgeting, R 3 1 154 MAR 19 DEC 20 resource allocation
Support to organic farming and sustainable R 2 2 101 SEP 19 JUN 20 agriculture
Logframe Training R 3 2 80 MAR 20 DEC 20
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Assignment Result # of # of WD Start End Area experts
Developing Policy Analysis Training R 3 1 118 NOV 19 AUG 20 Programme
Assistant Coordinator ALL 1 48 FEB 19 DEC 20
TOTAL 33
Table 4 illustrates that in the reporting period in total 9 assignments were being performed A total of 17 experts were deployed in the reporting period apart from KE 1 and KE 3. Annex 12 presents some interesting features of the project so far: • 36 % of the experts being contracted for the assignments were allocated to international experts whereas 64 % went to Sri Lankan experts; and • 38.6 % of the assignments were related to Result 1, 45.8 % to Result 2, 13.8% to Result 3 and 1.8 % related to all results.
At this juncture there is no confirmed new assignment to be launched in the coming reporting period (until December 2020). Some other assignments will be prepared and might start sometime in the last quarter of 2020 (see below). For details see the previous sections, Section 6 and the TAMAP work plan attached in Annex 1. Indicatively they could be: • Development of a Monitoring & Evaluation framework for the Overarching Agriculture Implementation Strategy; • Capacity building on selected areas for the Department of Census and Statistics and related stakeholders tasked to compile agricultural statistics data; • Review of the coordination mechanisms on and between central, provincial and district administration; and • Development of an organic compliance system in Sri Lanka in conjunction with formalisation of commercial farm business models (indicative ToR need to be submitted to EUD SL and discussions held prior to tabling a comprehensive request).
4 . 3 Contractual and procedural issues
The TAMAP Team Leader (KE 1) has resigned effectively from 31 July 2020 and KE 3 has resigned effectively from 31 August 2020 from the project. A principle agreement was made between EUD SL and Ecorys that a 6-month extension for the TAMAP contract will be granted starting from 8th January 2021 to catch up with delays related to Covid-10 and the presidential and parliamentary elections. Currently an addendum is being developed capturing the extension as well as changes in personnel and reallocation of work days respectively. The draft addendum is expected to be submitted and discussed at the beginning of July 2020.
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4 . 4 R e p o r t i n g
In the reporting period, the following reports were developed and submitted to the EUD SL as illustrated in the table below: Table 5: Reports produced by TAMAP and their submission dates
REPORT Submission Draft Submission Final TAMAP Progress Report No. 4 31 December 2019 21 February 2020 Value Chain study on floriculture 1 November 29 February 2020 Value Chain study on essential oils 3 December 30 March 2020 Overview Report on Value Chain Analysis 31 March 2020 30 June 2020 Organic Farming and Sustainable 6 April 2020 Agriculture in Sri Lanka
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5 CURRENT STATUS OF THE TAMAP SERVICE CONTRACT
5 . 1 Overview of inputs of exper ts since commencement and in 2019
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme #DIV/0! #DIV/0! WORK DAYS INVOICED Commencement date - 08 January 2018 AS PER CONTRACT KEY EXPERTS Total WD 1,484 SENIOR NON KEY EXPERTS Total WD 1,750 JUNIOR NON KEY EXPERTS Sebastian Policy Sriskandavel KE 2: Public Vagn James Biscoe Allison Brown Balcerak Policy Birgitt Adam Mr. Ananda Irene Mr. Buddhi Chatura Anita Chatura Prof. Jeevika Gemunu Chatura KE 1: Team KE 3: Agriculture Jolly Thomas Adviser: Subhashini Jim Shanta Chatura Facilitators Mr. Bandula Thavavell Policy Mikkelsen / Dammika (value chain) (Market Adviser: Boor Sendall Hennie Mallawat Lorisika, Rawindhu Marambe Rodrigo Rumeshi Rodrigo Weerahewa Wijesena Rodrigo Farmer Month Leader Value Chain v.d. (food Andrew Abeysinghe Parker, SNKE Emitiyagoda Rodrigo (Ismail, Nissanka (E- Farmer and JNKE Agriculture (Policy) + CARR /Martin M. intelligence + Nihal Organic Farmer Maaters antri, Logframe Peiris (E- (Policy) + Cold Chain Perera, Ass. Organic (Pol. Analysis Logframe and SME BATZLEN MEERENDONK processing) Jacque + PEA + OAIS OAIS (Extension) (value chain) Mahina, etc.) Agriculture) SME ATKINS OAIS (Extension) Markhof E- Attapatu Agriculture Models PFM OAIS Training Agriculture) OAIS Pre-FS Coodinator Agriculture Training) Training Trainings OAIS Trainings Agriculture)
Total # of days that can be invoiced 660 176 660 118 70 122 50 40 210.0 330.0 61 55 50 35 20 20 37.5 50 110 72 239 12 25 48 50 92 42.5 95 84 20
2020 January 20 19.0 15.0 19.0 15.0 19.0 10.5 14.0 17.0 6.0 6.0 2.0 8.0 24.0 February 20 19.5 18.0 1.0 22.0 22.0 5.0 1.0 3.0 5.5 2.0 7.0 6.5 2.5 March 20 17.0 18.0 15.0 12.0 16.0 4.5 16.0 4.5 18.0 9.0 3.0 2.0 11.5 9.5 11.5 April 20 17.5 18.0 3.0 13.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 May 20 17.0 17.0 10.0 1.0 2.0 4.0 June 20 21.0 21.0 2.0 15.0 2.0 3.0 2.0 10.0 2.0 2.0 TOTAL USED 559.0 176.0 489.0 118.0 70.0 122.0 50.0 17.0 184.0 245.5 61.0 51.0 50.0 35.0 20.0 20.0 19.0 110.0 72.0 239.0 12.0 25.0 34.0 50.0 89.0 14.0 2.0 2.0
BALANCE 101.0 171.0 23.0 26.0 84.5 4.0 18.5 50.0 14.0 3.0 28.5 93.0 82.0 20.0
% as of total 85% 100% 74% Actual TOTAL SNKE Balance 294.5 Actual TOTAL JNKE Balance 806.0 Comitted TOTAL SNKE Balance 74.5 Committed TOTAL JNKE Balance 565.5
85 % of the work days of KE 1, 100 % of KE 2 and 74 % of KE 3 have been consumed since commencement of the service contract. 14 assignments have been carried out and 1,189.5 SNKE WDs and 944 JNKE WDs consumed. 74.5 SNKE WDs and 566 JNKE WDs remain uncommitted. Out of the total contract value of € 4.167 million, approximately € 2,883,479 were spent until 30 June 2020 with € 2,586,150 on fees, € 283,529 for incidental expenditures and € 13,800 for expenditure verification (see Table overleaf).
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5 . 2 Overview of the financial status of the TAMAP
ECORYS - Technical Assistance to Cumulative expenditures Expenditure in reporting the Modernisation of Agriculture until reporting period Budget according to contract period (1 January - 30 Balance avaliable Programme in Sri Lanka - Service (excluding current reporting June 2020) Contract period)
Number of Fee rate (€ Amount € Number of Amount € Number of Amount € Number of Amount € work days per work day) work days work days work days
FEES (including overheads): KEY EXPERTS KE 1: Team Leader 660 900 594,000 111.0 99,900 448.0 403,200 101.0 90,900 KE 2: Agriculture Policy 176 900 158,400 176.0 158,400 KE 3: Value Chain 660 900 594,000 107.0 96,300 382.0 343,800 171 153,900
NON KEY EXPERTS International / National (Senior Experts) 1,484 900 1,335,600 325.0 292,500 906.5 815,850 253 227,250 National (Junior Experts) 1,750 400 700,000 132.0 52,800 808.5 323,400 810 323,800
TOTAL FEES 3,382,000.00 541,500.00 2,044,650.00 795,850.00
PROVISION FOR INCIDENTAL EXPENDITURE: 750,000 50,000 233,529 466,471 PROVISION FOR EXPENDITURE VERIFICATION: 35,000 3,115 10,685 21,200 MAXIMUM CONTRACT VALUE 4,167,000.00 594,615 2,288,864 1,283,521
Figures have been derived from the four expenditure verification reports and TAMAP estimates for the fifth invoicing period.
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6 PROGRESS REPORT AND FUTURE WORK PROGRAMME BY RESULTS
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
Result 1: An overarching Agriculture Policy in line with the Government Development Goals is developed
A 1.1: Provide expertise and support to the preparation of an overarching Agriculture Policy (including actions related to women/social exclusion and environment/climate change) that covers all sub-sectors, based on extensive consultations with, and the full participation of, all stakeholders
1.1.1 Stakeholder Internally it has been decided to Stakeholder (bilateral) consultation for the OAIS continued until 13 It is expected that stakeholder consultation, adjust and align the OAP with the new March for the development of the OAIS, but did not resume to a larger consultation will resume after the participatory needs National Policy Framework: Vistas of extent in the reporting period due to COVOD-19, but also due to the elections scheduled for 5 August assessment conducted Prosperity and Splendour which was elections. 2020. and policies including published on 17 December 2019 and crosscutting issues in to present the revised document at an EU & TAMAP were invited to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat at In the meeting at Temple Tree it was Temple Trees on 3 June 2020 to make a presentation to the decided that TAMAP and EU will be key associated OAP WG as soon as the political ministries and sectors environment would allow for that. Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation given the opportunity to present OAP reviewed on current and future support of the EU in the field of Agricultural and OAIS before the same task force. Trading Platforms. GoSL is very interested to promote IT based Though the meeting was supposed to applications in Sri Lanka and TAMAP mentioned that by the end of be held in June, it did not take place June there will be a workshop in which stocktaking of market and it can be expected that it will be platforms will be made to initiate the process of support in e- organised early in July 2020. Agriculture.
1.1.2 Identification, See above. Additional stakeholder No working group was organised in the reporting period. This was It is expected that a first working formation and consultation and working groups on attributed to COVID-19, but also due to the fact that neither OAP nor group informing the stakeholders on organisation of cross the OAP might be organised if OAIS was ready for stakeholder discussion. the final OAP and the draft OAIS will sector planning decided by MoA and MoF that the be organised sometime in September working group for the OAP has to undergo a major revision. 2020. Overarching Agriculture Policy (OAP)
1.1.3 Review of recently In the process of developing the A core team of 9 experts was working on developing the OAIS and This activity has come to an end. developed agricultural OAIS, policies and strategies for Sri all relevant policies and existing strategies were reviewed to dovetail policies & strategies in Lanka will be reviewed. them into the OAIS. Sri Lanka and conducting of a SWOT analysis
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
1.1.4 Needs assessment of After having developed the OAIS in Within developing the OAIS needs assessments of the agricultural It is not expected that needs the agricultural sector the first quarter of 2020, time will be and related sectors were conducted. Given the COVID-19 crisis, assessment in budgeting and and subsectors devoted to assess needs and to train little time was devoted to needs assessment on budgeting and resource allocation will continue. stakeholders in budgeting following resource allocation. Training will be conducted following the PFS template by the Department the PFS template by the Department of National Planning. of National Planning.
1.1.5 Drawing up With the publication of the National Policy Framework: Vistas of Review of the “National Policy Prosperity and Splendour on 17 December, GoSL is embarking on The ministries involved need to agree overarching Framework: Vistas of Prosperity and how to deal with the draft food policy. agricultural policy 10 key policies which among others also affect agriculture. TAMAP Splendour” and identify areas for started aligning and adjusting the OAP with the activities and actions Either it could be dovetailed under potential conflicts between the Vistas proposed in the NPF. This process continued with the organisation the OAP Thrust Area “A Food and the OAP. Supporting NPD in of several core stakeholder meetings with NPD, MoA, TAMAP, and Secured Nation” or it will be an aligning the OAP with the Vistas to others in Colombo on 20th January at NPD, 28th and 29th February at independent document, however reduce the potential for conflicts Mövenpick Hotel and on 10th at Mövenpick Hotel. A final meeting avoiding conflicts with the OAP which would hamper the approval of content. scheduled for 16th March had to be cancelled due to the curfew the OAP. imposed due to COVID-19 crisis. Assuming that the issue around the Nonetheless, TAMAP made contributions for the aligned OAP Food Policy will be resolved, it is document until 31 March 2020. The Department of National planned that the OAP will be Planning developed an OAP briefing note which was submitted to submitted to Cabinet shortly after the the Secretary of the President on 5th April as it was requested by elections in August 2020 for approval. him. However, experience has shown in The EUD SL requested TAMAP to prepare a position paper as a the last 2.5 years that planning response on the 3-year Food Production National Programme timelines on the OAP has been very (FPNP) with a view to initiate the discussion on potential benefits, difficult and complex and therefore, strengths, risks and any weaknesses of the FPNP. On 12 May 2020 the submission to Cabinet might this position paper was disseminated to GoSL departments and happen later. major stakeholders, however no discussion with those for whom it was meant took place in the reporting period. Regarding the Position Paper, TAMAP resumed working on the improvement of the OAP document TAMAP can take it up with a follow- beginning of June on an intermittent basis in close collaboration with up discussion with NPD and MoA NPD. A final version of the OAP could not be agreed with the MoA with a view to reviewing the since its new secretary needed time to get familiar with the OAP and performance of the FPNP, particularly its process before making commitments. Furthermore, the Ministry after the Yala 2020 or Maha 2020/21 of Internal Trade, Food Security and Consumer Welfare supported seasons. by a task team developed a draft National Food Security Policy and until end of the reporting period it was not clear how to consider, dovetail or aligning this draft food security policy with the OAP.
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 1.2: Support the design of a strategy, action plan and a clear roadmap to implement the policy together with the institutional framework for its implementation
1.2.1 Development of multi- Given the tight deadline for the A team of 9 experts including the key experts was selected to It is planned that a first sector Overarching finalisation and stakeholder approval develop the OAIS. Major work on the OAIS started mid January comprehensive draft of the OAIS will Agriculture by 31 March 2020, TAMAP will 2020 with active stakeholder consultation until 13 March when the be ready by 31 July 2020 which can Implementation concentrate on the development and lockdown started. The tight deadlines were softened up due to the then be commented on by EUD SL Strategy (OAIS) and finalisation of the OAIS. This process impossibility to have stakeholder consultation during the COVID-19 and some other important Action Plan for OAP might be disturbed if the new crisis but also due to the EU’s decision not to pursue with budget stakeholders. It is assumed that and OAIS Government decides that the OAP support for the AAP 2020. comments can be received within 4 implementation. requires significant revision. In this weeks allowing TAMAP to submit a case, TAMAP will have to divert its Nonetheless, the various experts continued working at the OAIS first improved draft of the OAIS to the resources towards OAP revision and following the “old OAP” framework and from 8 April onwards OAP/OAIS working group members OAIS development. following the “new OAP” (Vistas aligned OAP) framework. Some by mid-end of September 2020. An sub-strategies such as the agricultural water management required OAIS WG will be organised to Since the EUD SL also wants a major rewriting and rearrangements. discuss the document in September / financing plan for the OAIS, Preliminary final draft versions of the corresponding sub-strategies October. It is hoped that the final development partners will be OAIS document can be agreed and approached to inquire which parts of were delivered by mid of May 2020 and the compilation and rewriting into one consistent and coherent document started. A first endorsed by the stakeholders by the the OAIS can be covered and funded end of the reporting period. by ongoing and planned interventions. comprehensive draft of the OAP was not ready in the reporting period.
A 1.3: Share all relevant budget processes/analyses to show the costs and funding of policy implementation over the medium term (including the use of Medium Term Expenditure Framework guidelines (MTEF))
1.3.1 Support in the TAMAP will start and finalise the Part of the OAIS development was the costing and budgeting of the Depending on the outcome of the development of short- costing and budgeting activities in this various sub-strategies / action plans. Given the short time available stakeholder consultation and the term, Medium Term reporting period. It is proposed that for the OAIS, it was agreed that only preliminary costings for the expressed need for accurate cost Expenditure the detailed costing using the PSF activities would be carried out. Furthermore, it was not very realistic figures, more detailed costing can be Framework and also template will be accompanied as a that the PSF costing approach (meant for costing of individual carried out if EUD SL is allocating long-term budgets for training and capacity building exercise projects) could be applied to an entire complex multi-sector strategy. more work days for this exercise. OAP implementation for GoSL officers from the relevant The COVID-19 crisis made the process of costing even more departments at central, provincial and difficult since less stakeholders were available for data compilation. Depending on the stakeholder’s district level. Nonetheless, indicative costs were compiled for the majority of the interest, training on costing can be activities which however need to be validated and detailed once the carried out in this reporting period. However, in TAMAP’s view, this activities are agreed upon and endorsed by the stakeholders. No training was provided on costing due to other priorities. might not be of utmost importance.
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
1.3.2 Needs See activity above See activity above See activity above. assessment/costing of interventions as a tool for aligning development plans and objectives to budgets
1.3.3 Introducing No further activities to be Though the EUD SL did not come to a concrete decision on PETS, it No further activities foreseen under Mechanisms and implemented with regard to PET. has become obvious that this would not be required since the EU this header. Methods of Public TAMAP will seek an official statement decided not to pursue budget support within AAP2020. Expenditure Tracking from the EUD SL that this activity Survey (PETS) in does not have to be pursued by close collaboration TAMAP. with the upcoming EU funded PFM programme.
A 1.4: Support the Government to acquire international best practices in agricultural development and knowledge that can be replicated in the Sri Lankan context
1.4.1 Organising study tours After approval of the OAP and OAIS Neither OAP nor OAIS were approved in the reporting period. The EUD SL will decide whether a and international TAMAP will organise a study tour to Therefore, the conditions to have another study tour were not study tour should be organised. If so, conferences with a Kenya or South Africa focusing on fulfilled and TAMAP did not spend any time for its preparation. In TAMAP will start its preparation view to learning smallholder export crop production, parallel, the uncertainty about future travel restrictions did not create (actual study tour not in this reporting international best sustainable irrigation management, a conducive environment for study tour planning. period). Indicative focus for a study practices export production and promotion, tour to countries where travel is contract farming, out grower schemes possible after the COVID-19 crisis, and value addition in selected might remain smallholder export crop sectors. production, sustainable irrigation management, export production and promotion, contract farming, out grower schemes and value addition in selected sectors.
1.4.2 Facilitation No particular activities foreseen in the No activities conducted due to other priorities. No particular activities foreseen in the participation at next reporting period. next reporting period. twinning programmes
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
1.4.3 Conducting desk Activity ended in the previous Not applicable. Activity ended in the previous studies to assess reporting period. reporting period. agricultural policies from other countries
A 1.5: Support the Government and the EU Delegation (EUD) to prepare the future sector reform contract in agriculture: preparing the necessary analysis and documentation for the identification and formulation of the programme including the selection of SMART indicators
1.5.1 Sensitisation of key Continuous sensitisation and No specific activity carried out due to other priorities and the EUD No activities foreseen. personnel through awareness generation will be SL’s announcement not to pursue budget support for the AAP2020 training, study tours pursued. Trainings on policy analysis, after it became clear that Sri Lanka did not comply with the 3 around the strategy development, budgeting and eligibility criteria for budget support. Moreover, GoSL missed the last requirements of the resource allocation are expected to deadline for the EU to accommodate internal procedures for the Sector Reform be conducted between April and AAP 2020. Contracts (SRCs) October 2020.
1.5.2 Developing the With the development, finalisation and Some indicators which are smart were developed for the OAIS, No specific activities foreseen on analysis and tools approval of the OAIS by the however they are not specifically required for the AAP 2020 since indicators for budget support. including SMART stakeholders latest by 31 March 2020, Budget Support was dropped from the AAP2020. indicators to monitor work on the Action Document will be and evaluate budget performed in parallel and SMART support. indicators are expected to be finalised by that time.
1.5.3 Preparation of a road Finalisation and agreement on the Budget support was dropped from the AAP 2020. Thus, no roadmap No activities foreseen with regard to map and the road map and the institutional set up was developed and agreed upon on the institutional setting for BS. institutional set up for for implementation of budget support. implementation of BS. implementation of The finalisation will require greater M&E framework will be finalised once budget support (M&E) details on data requirements, The development of the OAIS was delayed and interrupted due to the the OAIS has been endorsed by the collection and reporting for the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, the M&E framework on the OAIS could various stakeholders. monitoring system. It is expected that not be finalised. the M&E framework will be developed in greater detail after approval of the OAIS starting in April 2020 and ending by 30 June 2020.
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
1.5.4 Supporting EUD SL in TAMAP will continue assisting EUD TAMAP assisted the EUD SL in developing the Action Document for If required, TAMAP will further assist developing an Action SL in developing the AD 2020 AAP 2020, particularly on areas which could be covered by future in general planning and developing Document for the particularly with a view to developing Technical Assistance. possible interventions for future Sector Reform the OAIS, its cost and SMART Technical Assistance. Contract indicators.
1.5.5 Supporting EUD SL in No activities anticipated in the No activities implemented under this header. No particular activities planned under developing the Public reporting period. this header. Finance Management and transparency assessment report.
A 1.6: Support the development of a communication strategy to promote TAMAP and its activities among all stakeholders
1.6.1 Tailoring a Ngage is lagging behind with some of With beefing up the Ngage team directly dealing with TAMAP, the It is expected that the good working communication the visibility and communication challenges were significantly reduced. Dealing with Ngage become relationship will continue and the strategy according to material and communication with quite efficient and effective and no problems occurred in the following outputs be produced: nature of stakeholders them is very tedious. Given the reporting period. The following visibility activities were / beneficiaries and prevailing problems dealing with accomplished: • 2 press releases coving major development of an Ngage, TAMAP might consider to events; action plan reduce the scope and number of the • Production and printing of TAMAP diaries; • Continues update of website and deliverables as stipulated in the • Govipola launch adequately covered and documented by press Facebook page; contract between Ecorys and Ngage. and media; • Finalisation of TAMAP overview • Developing & finalisation of two videos; brochure and TAMAP It is expected that the website will be • Production and dissemination of three press releases; communication strategy; and continuously administered, at least 3 • Production and dissemination of one focal point newspaper • Finalisation of second and videos finalised (2 started in the article; commencement of third previous reporting period), another • Commencement of the TAMAP overview brochure; newsletter. newsletter produced and several • Drafting TAMAP communication strategy; events adequately represented with • Continuous administering website and TAMAP Facebook with media coverage and documentation. 10 posts per month; and One major event will be the Govipola • Drafting second TAMAP newsletter. launch on 28 January 2020.
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 1.7: Support the Government to coordinate the sectors, including development partners
1.7.1 Mapping of External Unless the EUD SL decides No activities were carried out since no instructions came from the Unless the EUD SL decides Assistance otherwise, no activities are foreseen EUD SL. otherwise, no activities are foreseen Interventions (Content, in this reporting period. in this reporting period. Scope, Periodic Results)
1.7.2 Specific Periodical Regular participation when the No agriculture working group was organised by the development Regular participation when the Meetings with the meetings are convened. partners in the reporting period. TAMAP participated actively in other meetings are convened. agriculture sector online meetings groups. These are detailed in the main text of this stakeholders. report.
Result 2: An enabling environment is created, and relevant reforms and policies for the modernisation and diversification of existing agriculture production implemented and exports to meet expanding international demands promoted
A 2.1: Assist the Government to improve its market intelligence so as to obtain updated trends in demand for agro-export products, and thus help agro-processors to restructure their production to meet revised agro-export targets
2.1.1 Harmonisation Since the methodology has been Not applicable Activity ended in the previous methodology for value selected and applied, no further reporting period. chain analysis and activities are expected hereunder. data collection and compilation for all crops along the entire value chain (e.g. producer, processor, marketing).
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
2.1.2 Develop software for The enhanced Govipola market platform was officially launched on In this reporting period, the following 28 January 2020 in the Mövenpick Hotel. More than 100 people Finalisation of assignment by end of harmonised market tasks will be implemented to make the December focusing on: information, software attended this event. 11 newspapers and 1 TV channels were system fully operational and present to document this event. Several interviews produced as installation and training sustainable: • Development of bankable (IT component) videos were disseminated in social media and websites. business plan for Govipola, Enhanced registration with corporate Following the success of this event, the strong interest in Govipola LAPMC and other interested registration on the mobile was reflected in an increased number of users and downloads and service providers; Govipola’s importance as a trading platform during the COVID-19 Market analysis for e-agriculture; Apple version of the trading mobile • crisis, in which the country experienced a strict lockdown with app • Action plan and road map for e- ordinary markets being closed. TAMAP started an assignment with a agriculture in Sri Lanka; and Integration of a payment gateway for view to develop sustainable business plans for Govipola, LAPMC and • 7 trainings for farmers and large transactions other potential online trading platforms and to integrate them into a traders in the market platforms comprehensive e-agriculture system in Sri Lanka.
TAMAP organised an e-agriculture workshop on 25th June 2020 which was attended by 45 participants being physically present and 95 participants using ZOOM and Facebook.
2.1.3 Develop a website No activities foreseen to develop a See above. Under govipola.lk/en/statics public prices are regularly No activities foreseen with regard to giving easy access to collaboration between Govipola and posted. further collaboration with NAICC. harmonised market NAICC. Govipola is operating a
information website offering the same facilities as the App
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 2.2: Assist the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen its value chain development research and analytical capacities in export market driven approaches and use it to promote new technologies
2.2.1 Promotion of market After receiving the comments by the In January and February, the two last value chain studies, floriculture Should it be decided that TAMAP led commodity EUD SL, the remaining VC studies and essential oils were finalised and uploaded on the TAMAP conduct more value chain studies / research and will be finalised and uploaded on the website. In March an overview value chain report was developed and sector studies, then the team is ready conducting value chain EU-SL Rural Development submitted to EUD SL summarising major findings of all 8 value chain start immediately. analysis studies Cooperation website. All VCA reports studies. Comments were received on 17 June 2020 and a final report will be presented in a workshop in the submitted on 30 June 2020. During the COVID-19 crisis, value chains first quarter of 2020 (see also 2.2.3). became a prominent topic given the collapse of the markets and supply chains. Requested by the EUD SL, TAMAP prepared an overview of all relatively recent value chain studies, specifying methodology used, commodities and major findings and uploaded the reports on a common platform that stakeholders have access to. In order to assist GoSL in the implementation of the NPF Vistas, TAMAP proposed to develop more value chain studies / sector studies focusing on the commodities / crops, GoSL intends to foster with a view to give more information on markets, margins, challenges and opportunities. Discussions were held in April and May with several stakeholders but no agreement could be made on developing additional VC studies. This is unfortunate since TAMAP could have used its resources in a very efficient way to bridge the COVID-19 period and particularly post- COVID-19 when GoSL is working on a low flame as well as being in an election mode.
2.2.2 Promoting new Since the various value chain studies See above and findings of the value chain studies. See above. technologies and contain information related to diversification technological innovation and diversification their findings will be continuously used in promoting innovations and diversification.
2.2.3 Developing a capacity It is expected that the two one-day Two one-day value chain trainings were organised in Kandy on 25th Though the direct training on value building programme on trainings will be organised in February February with 44 participants and on 27th in Colombo with 43 chain has come to an end, other value chain or March 2020 depending on the participants. Both events were successful and results of the value trainings will be organised such as development for GoSL timetable of the TAMAP team with chain studies, as well as presentation of the methodologies and farming as a business in which staff members and particular respect to the development doing calculations and mapping on selected commodities performed particular aspects of value chain private sector entities of the OAIS. in group work, met with strong interest from the participants. development will be referred to.
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Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 2.3: Assist the Government to promote sustainable green production practices among agri-businesses and assist the GoSL to establish surveillance systems for the certification of organic production and good agriculture practices (GAP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP The assignment on sustainable organic agriculture came to a 2.3.1 Clarify sustainable Planned activities are: Depending on the situation with green production in the preliminary end with the submission of the draft report on 7 April th regard to travel, presentation of the Sri Lankan context Discussions with supermarkets and 2020. Comments from the EUD SL were received on 17 June and from GIZ on 23rd June. The final report was not submitted in the findings of the organic study will be Good Market, evaluation of national held indicatively in September / markets, potential and constraints. reporting period. October 2020. Organisation of a workshop to discuss The workshop scheduled for the 17th March 2020 had to be organic spices and horticulture cancelled (postponed) due to the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown. It products with stakeholders. is anticipated that later in the course of the year when travelling is Drawing up a manual on how to possible, the organic workshop can be organised. implement national standards for organic production and certification
2.3.2 Increasing outreach to It is not foreseen that a study tour to No activities conducted due to other priorities. See 1.4.1 the private sector Kenya or South Africa will be around green organised in this reporting period. The production techniques EUD SL indicated that first priority would be finalising the OAIS and obtaining its approval by the stakeholders. After that, preparations for the study tour can start (second quarter of 2020).
2.3.3 Review of organic For details see 2.3.1 For details see 2.3.1 See above under 2.3.1 production in Sri Lanka in line with GAP and GMP and Agreeing with Institute of Standards on guidelines for organic as well as Fairtrade production along value chains
2.3.4 Assist in the For details see 2.3.1 No activities conducted under this item. See above under 2.3.1 establishment of a surveillance system
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 68
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 2.4: Assist the Government in developing a website where all companies involved in value chains can voluntarily register in order to enhance transparency and facilitate their de-fragmentation
2.4.1 Development & See above under 2.1.2 See above under 2.1.2. See above under 2.1.2 operation of sustainable registration system) and promoting use of system.
A 2.5: Help the Government to improve its support to farmers and farmer organisations, including support to the extension service
2.5.1 Review farmer The assignment came to an end and See under 2.5.2 See under 2.5.2 organisations and no other activities are foreseen. conducting TNA on However, when developing the OAIS, areas related to results of this study will be used to agricultural extension, facilitate and foster the recommended cooperative farm business models. development, water management, contract farming and mainstreaming farming as a business
2.5.2 Development of No activities are foreseen in this The good response & feedback and high attendance of the two It is anticipated that the first trainings training programme for reporting period. trainings in Vavuniya and Kandy, the two value chain trainings and can start in August/ September 2020. farmer organisations the general inadequate business behaviour of farmers and small It is not very likely that all planned 12 based on the TNA and processors during the COVID-19 crisis encouraged TAMAP to trainings can be organised in 2020. conduct training of organise additional trainings for farmers and also food processing trainers on group SMEs in Sri Lanka with the following objectives: formation, lead farmer 1. Support farming as a business via training of lead farmers and approach and farmer extension workers in the basics of farming economics and finance. field schools 2. Support food processing SMEs to improve their business by introducing them to the basics of small and micro business economics and finance. ToR for this assignment developed and expert identified and approved. The assignment with developing the training material started at the end of June 2020.
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 69
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
2.5.3 Review agricultural No particular activities were planned See under 2.5.2. See under 2.5.2. extension service and under this header. TNA on areas related to agricultural extension, cooperative development, water management, contract farming and mainstreaming farming as a business
2.5.4 Development of See planned during period under See above under 2.5.2 See planned activities under item training programme 2.5.2. 2.5.2 and conducting training of trainers in the areas under 2.5.3
A 2.6: Develop a platform for dialogue between the Government and the private sector to support the formation of public / private partnerships to raise technical performance in the agriculture sector and increase agro-exports
2.6.1 Agreeing an approach No particular activities foreseen under No particular activities undertaken due to other priorities. No particular activities foreseen to PPPs for this item due to other priorities. under this item due to other priorities. smallholder farmers
2.6.2 Building trust and No particular activities foreseen under No particular activities undertaken due to other priorities. No particular activities foreseen understanding around this item due to other priorities. under this item due to other priorities. PPPs
2.6.3 Developing model No particular activities foreseen under No particular activities undertaken due to other priorities. No particular activities foreseen options for PPPs this item due to other priorities. under this item due to other priorities.
2.7 Assistance to the EU No particular activities foreseen under The Financing Agreement on Food Safety with GoSL was not TAMAP will assist whenever deemed in developing this item. signed in the reporting period. Therefore, the contracts with UNIDO necessary and wished for by the AAP 2019 on cold and GIZ did not commence in the reporting period. However, the implementing partners to assist in the chain infrastructure, TAMAP assignment on sustainable organic agriculture will give implementation of AAP2019. improvement of food sufficient guidance to GIZ how to pursue with their project activities. safety and certification The blending facility provided by Agrifi was not approved in 2019 & GSP+ and will therefore be part of AAP2020.
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 70
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
Result 3: The existing systems and practices used by central and provincial ministries involved in Agriculture for planning, budgeting/resource allocation, implementation of sectoral and sub-sectoral policies are improved
A 3.1: Review the Government’s planning, budgeting, resource allocation, implementation and coordination system on central, provincial council and district level related to agriculture development
3.1.1 Review of the existing No activities are planned under this With regard to developing a training programme on costing and budgeting, it has become apparent that training has to be pursued TAMAP will accommodate more PSF planning, budgeting item in the reporting period. in the logframe training course but and resource on the specific approach promoted by the Department of National Planning, the so-called Project Submission Format (PSF). then it will be a 5-day course allocation system in all compared to a 4-day course. levels (cont.) Therefore, no particular needs assessment has to be undertaken. However, the logframe training of which two trainings were Not pursuing Budget Support should organised in March, includes a small section on the PSF format. not be a reason not to follow up on Based on the evaluation of the participants who attended the first the review of the planning and trainings, more reference is suggested to be made to the PSF resource allocation system. However, format in the remaining trainings. it needs to be discussed with the stakeholders whether there is a genuine interest from GoSL to foster this activity.
3.1.2 Identifying priority As proposed in the last progress TAMAP made another follow up to seek EU’s opinion on the TAMAP did not intend to launch this areas for coordination, report, it still needs to be discussed proposed assignment to review coordination and communication assignment during and immediately improving the channels whether an assignment be carried out mechanisms at all GoSL levels. TAMAP clearly pointed out that the after COVID-19 crisis and this was for coordination and assessing the existing coordination partially less busy time during COVID-19 could be used to develop also made clear to the EUD SL so policy dialogue and and communication mechanisms and ToR and to identify experts who could start once the situation that any misunderstanding on the impact assessment at suggestions for improvement between improves. timing of the assignment could be line ministries level, the various layers of GoSL. ruled out. provincial councils, Therefore, in the first quarter, a In their e-mail dated 14 April, the EUD SL however, did not favour district level and meeting will be convened between this assignment being undertaken at that time since it would require Nonetheless, the planned assignment farmer / community TAMAP and EUD SL to discuss and in-depth discussions with many stakeholders which would be will be proposed to the EUD SL later organisations and to come to a final agreement on this impossible. Furthermore, given the various priorities (including in this reporting period after the establishment of best issue. elections) doubts may arise whether GoSL would take up results elections when the climate might be practice coordination and recommendations of this assignment. more favourable for having it and communication approved and to also make it structures effective.
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 71
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 3.2: Develop capacity building programme for planning, budgeting, resource allocation at central, provincial and district level based on needs assessment and its implementation
3.2.1 Conduct a thorough It is expected that by March the TAMAP in collaboration with the Post graduate Institute for A complete draft textbook is expected Needs Assessment detailed content of the policy analysis Agriculture (PGIA) of the University of Peradeniya started developing to be available by the beginning of among all relevant training programme will be finalised the draft training programme on policy analysis at the end of 2019 August 2020. It is envisaged to have stakeholders, develop and first trainings can start in April and first draft was finalised at the beginning of May 2020. The draft the text book published by Springer and implement training 2020. programme was circulated among some of the TAMAP members for Nature. Indicatively the training can programme comments which were incorporated at the beginning of June. Given start in August / September with the With regard to the logframe training, it the COVID-19 crisis and the emanating discussions on food security target to have all 4 trainings should be decided whether the first versus cash crop production, the authors of the training book decided organised before December 2020. trainings should start in February to include some additional chapters on economics and opportunity 2020 or whether it would be better to costs related to food and cash crop production. Therefore, the training The logframe trainings will continue in wait until the next Cabinet elections manual could not be finalised in the reporting period, and hence, no October with a view to finalise all scheduled for March 2020 have training conducted. proposed trainings in 2020. passed. In March two logframe trainings were organised in Colombo (31 participants) and in Polonnaruwa (21 participants). A third training to be organised in Hambantota had to be cancelled (postponed) due to the curfew restrictions.
A 3.3: Facilitate exchange of practices and information with other countries, including visits and workshops / seminars / conferences
1.4.1 Facilitate exchange of For details see activities under 1.4 For details see activities under 1.4 For details see activities under 1.4 practices and information with other countries, including visits and workshops/seminars/c onferences (addressed as part of 1.4)
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 72
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
Result 4: The impact of implementing Government's overarching Agriculture Policy through an improved statistical and data analysis system is monitored and assessed
A 4.1: Design an overall M&E framework to assess the impact of Government’s Policy on Agriculture development, export diversification and development of guidelines for carrying out impact assessment studies
4.1.1: Review of the current It should still be discussed whether With drawing up the OAIS, the TAMAP team also developed TAMAP still has the opinion to launch M&E framework on this activity might be carried out by indicators for the various targets which allow the stakeholders to an assignment to develop a concise national policies the TAMAP long-term team or monitor & evaluate the progress made on the OAP and OAIS and compact M&E framework based pursued by GoSL and whether an assignment should be implementation. However, it should be noted that these are “normal on the large number of indicators the recommendations for launched using SNKE work days. SMART“ indicators and not those that are are developed for EU team drew up for the various sub- improvements. Nonetheless, it should be noted that Budget Support operations. strategies and to train key the team working on the OAIS also stakeholders in its application. During has to develop indicators for all the this reporting period, ToR will be activities to be captured in the OAIS developed and submitted to the EUD in close cooperation with the various SL for review and a decision on stakeholders. Therefore, some whether or not such an assignment activities related to M&E assessment should be pursued. might be performed during OAIS development.
4.1.2 Stakeholder It is expected that in the process of Due to the COVID-19 crisis coupled with some politics (preparation See under 4.1.1- it is envisaged to engagement to developing the OAIS and meaningful for elections), no particular activities undertaken due to other launch an assignment to train key develop a participatory indicators, some of the activities priorities. stakeholders in the operation of the M&E framework related to this item will be performed. M&E framework.
However major activities on this item will be carried out in the second quarter of 2020.
A 4.2: Inform, train and sensitise all stakeholders and implementers of the M&E framework through communication activities, training sessions, conferences and workshops, so that they can contribute to its implementation, as well as provide regular feedback
4.2.1 Regular update of See activities under 4.1.1 and 4.1.2. See activities under 4.1.1 and 4.1.2. See activities under 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 M&E framework
4.2.2 Dissemination and See 4.2.1 No particular activities undertaken due to other priorities. See activities under 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 communication of events around M&E Framework
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 73
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 4.3: Capacitate stakeholders in analysing the information gathered within the M&E framework, draft analytical notes, feed reports into decision-making processes at central and decentralised levels, and ensure all actions are followed through
4.3.1: Training in output See 4.2.1 No particular activities undertaken due to other priorities See 4.2.1 based and impact monitoring
A 4.4: Develop ToR and train stakeholders in conducting pilot sample surveys to measure the results and potential impact of specific aspects of implementation of the Agriculture Policy e.g. actions related to crosscutting issues
4.4.1: Sampling and See 4.5 No particular activities undertaken due to other priorities See 4.5 questionnaire development
4.4.2: Sample surveys, See 4.5 No particular activities undertaken due to other priorities See 4.5 analysis of data and recommendations for improvements if
necessary
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 74
Activity Planned for January – June 2020 Achieved during January – June 2020 Planned for July – December 2020
A 4.5: Review the statistical system in agriculture and all agriculture related subsectors, and provide ad hoc support where necessary
th 4.5.1: Stocktaking, review Once it is agreed with the DCS how TAMAP met DCS on 29 January 2020 and discussed the concept It is expected that after the elections and assessment of the TAMAP should assist in improving the paper. This meeting was very fruitful and a number of proposals more time can be devoted with DCS statistical system agricultural statistics system, detailed made. Some were not so realistic to be implemented and funded and DoAD to discuss and agree on ToR will be developed and suitable using the TAMAP budget which is far too low. Realistic the scope of the proposed experts identified and contracted. recommendations and the way forward were picked up and assignment for the improvement of conveyed to the EUD SL which agreed with these. They were: the agricultural statistics system. It is expected that the assignment • TAMAP and DCS will jointly develop curriculum for a five-day could start sometime in March 2020 training on statistics and agriculture with a view to collect and and would spread over 6 months process higher quality data; (several trainings). • Conducting a pre-test of the training and training of trainers; • Conducting a few trainings (5) in districts where agriculture plays an important role. This means that apart from the training of trainers we could train maximum 150 people out of approx. 1,350 people; • Organising a meeting with DCS and DoAD to discuss and agree upon our proposal; and • Developing budgets and costings for the trainings From mid of March onwards, the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath made it impossible to have concrete meetings and discussions with DCS and the DoAD to discuss the exact scope for the TAMAP capacity building activities related to the improvement of the agricultural statistics.
4.5.2: Development and See above under 4.5.1 See above under 4.5.1 See above under 4.5.1 implementation of training for improvement of the statistical system
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 75
TAMAP Progress Report No. 5 (Final) July 2020 Page 76
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka ANNEXES
Annex Name Annex 1 Updated TAMAP work plan Annex 2 TAMAP Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020 Annex 3 TAMAP Position Paper on medium-term National Food Production Programme Annex 4 Briefing note for the President on the NFP aligned OAP developed by the Department of National Planning Annex 5 Overview on recent value chain studies carried out in Sri Lanka Annex 6 Summary of the study on sustainable and organic agriculture in Sri Lanka Annex 7 Minutes for Programme Steering Committee No. 5 for the Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme (TAMAP) in Sri Lanka Annex 8 Symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion Annex 9 TAMAP strategy note for conventional training under social distancing conditions and online training Annex 10 Logframe training (main) report Annex 11 TAMAP Govipola Launch Event compiled by Ngage Annex 12 Summarised outcome of the E-Agriculture workshop organised on 25th June 2020 Annex 13 Monitoring experts, work plan, outcome according to results Annex 14 TAMAP Visibility & Communications Strategy
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 1
Updated TAMAP work plan
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
1_Annex_1_TAMAP_Work_Plan_PR_5.xlsx
Detailed TAMAP Work Plan (updated in June 2020). Work plan includes 6-month extension of TAMAP
Indicative Month Responsibilities Jan - June 2018 Jul - Dec 2018 Jan - June 2019 Jul - Dec 2019 Jan - June 2020 Jul - Dec 2020 Jan - June 2021 Inputs
NKE 1 NKE 2 No. OUTPUTS KE1 KE3 SNKE JNKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 INT INT
RESULT 1: An overarching Agriculture Policy in line with the Government Development Goals is developed Period in which activities related to Result 1 are implemented
Provide expertise and support to the preparation of an Overarching Agriculture Policy (including actions related A1.1 to women/social exclusion and environment/climate change) that covers all sub-sectors, based on extensive consultations with, and the full participation of, all stakeholders
Stakeholder consultation, participatory needs assessment conducted and policies including crosscutting issues in key A1.1.1 associated ministries and sectors reviewed ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Organising working groups to i) agree on the overall approach and methodology to accomplish Result 1 and ii) monitor, guide and mentor the process of accomplishing result 1 ✓ ✓ Continuous stakeholder consultation to make GoSL aware on the need of an overarching agriculture policy, marketing its advantages and lobbying for approval ✓ ✓ ✓
Awareness raising and tailoring communication strategy to make stakeholders aware that sharing information, policies and strategies is a must to accomplish the results. ✓ ✓ Stakeholder analysis of major ministries, departments and private sector entities ✓ ✓ Assessment of key agriculture sectors and subsectors with a view to challenges, potential, recommendations for improvement and way forward ✓ ✓
A1.1.2 Identification and formation of cross sector planning working group for the OAP ✓ Development of Terms of Reference for the planning working groups in accordance with the 4 results ✓ Identification & appointment of core members and additional members for the working groups in accordance with the results and subjects to be discussed and agreed upon ✓ ✓ Agreeing on the mode of communication related to working group organisation (e-mail with distribution list and no formal letters to each entity) ✓ Organisation of the first working group discussing and agreeing upon way forward as proposed in the inception report ✓ ✓
A1.1.3 Review of recently developed agricultural policies & strategies in Sri Lanka and conducting SWOT analyses ✓ ✓ Assessment of existing policies and strategies dealing with agriculture in broader context which are made available by stakeholders with a view to core tasks and inclusion of crosscutting issues using SWOT analysis ✓ ✓ Lobbying and making GoSL stakeholders aware on the need for transparency and sharing documentation which is required for successful project implementation ✓ Assessment of policies and strategies which have been recently developed or which are currently under development with a view to core tasks and inclusion of crosscutting issues using SWOT analysis ✓ ✓
Support the design of a strategy, action plan and a clear roadmap to implement the policy together with the A1.2 institutional framework for its implementation
A1.2.1 Development of multi-sector Strategy and Action Plan for the OAP implementation ✓ ✓ ✓ Development and agreement of the change management plan following the 8 step approach ✓ ✓ ✓
Share all relevant budget processes/analyses to show the costs and funding of policy implementation over the A1.3 medium term (including the use of Medium Term Expenditure Framework guidelines (MTEF)) Support in the development of short-term, Medium Term Expenditure Framework and also long-term budgets for OAP A1.3.1 implementation ✓ ✓ A1.3.2 Needs assessment/costing of interventions as a tool for aligning development plans and objectives to budgets ✓ ✓ Introducing Mechanisms and Methods of Public Expenditure Tracking (PET) in close collaboration with the upcoming EU A1.3.3 funded PFM programme. This activity was discarded since no priority, not sufficient resources and PFM project not ✓ ✓ being implemented
Support the Government to acquire international best practices in agricultural development and knowledge that A1.4 can be replicated in the Sri Lankan context
A1.4.1 Organising study tours (Vietnam & Kenya) and international conferences with a view to learning international best practices ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
A1.4.2 Facilitation participation at (less comprehensive) twinning programmes with countries study tours have taken place ✓ ✓
Conducting desk studies to assess agricultural policies from other countries and sharing them with stakeholders through A1.4.3 organisation of working groups, discussion fo contents and applicability for Sri Lanka ✓ ✓ ✓
Work_Plan_details 1 of 7 1_Annex_1_TAMAP_Work_Plan_PR_5.xlsx
Indicative Month Responsibilities Jan - June 2018 Jul - Dec 2018 Jan - June 2019 Jul - Dec 2019 Jan - June 2020 Jul - Dec 2020 Jan - June 2021 Inputs
NKE 1 NKE 2 No. OUTPUTS KE1 KE3 SNKE JNKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 INT INT
Support the Government and the EU Delegation (EUD) to prepare the future sector reform contract in agriculture: Period in which activities related to Result 1 are implemented A.1.5 preparing the necessary analysis and documentation for the identification and formulation of the programme including the selection of SMART indicators
Sensitisation of key personnel through training, study tours around the requirements of the Sector Reform Contracts A1.5.1 (SRCs) ✓ ✓
A1.5.2 Developing the analysis and tools including SMART indicators to monitor and evaluate budget support ✓ ✓
A1.5.3 Preparation of a road map and the institutional set up for implementation of budget support (PSC, M&E). ✓ ✓ Continuous training, lobbying, mentoring with a view to convince stakeholders on budget support ✓ ✓
Supporting the EUD SL in developing draft Action Document (AD) for the AAP 2020 including Annexes for Technical A1.5.4 Assistance and Agrifi blending facility ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Support the development of a communication strategy to promote TAMAP and its activities among all A1.6 stakeholders Tailoring a communication strategy according to nature of stakeholders / beneficiaries: Design of communication A1.6.1 messages for diversified stakeholders, e.g. newsletters, briefing notes for professionals, guidebooks for semi-professioanls ✓ ✓ and drama / role plays, radio spots for farmers / less educated stakeholders A1.6.2 Develop an action plan for the Communication Strategy ✓ ✓ Developing and implementing a concrete roll-out plan for various communication messages and actions ✓ ✓
A1.7 Support the Government to coordinate the sectors, including development partners
A1.7.1 Specific Periodical Meetings with the agriculture sector stakeholders using the development partners working groups ✓ ✓ ✓
Indicative assignments using NKE work days or subcontracting using incidental budget
Agricultural Policy and Strategy: review of past and current policies on sector and macro level, needs assessment how 75 100 policies need to be designed to reach long-term vision 2030 in Sri Lanka ✓
Agricultural extension: assessment of current extension service provided by all entities (public and private) on ACS and village level, recommendations how services should be improved within given political environment, proposing capacity ✓ 70 72 building activities, budgeting of recommended efficient and effective extension service.
Political Economy Analysis to incorporate political factors in the development of the overarching national agricultural 109 policy and outline strategy. ✓ ✓
Review of GoSL coordination mechanisms on central, provincial, district and local level and recommendation for 25 25 improvement. (Indicative) ✓ ✓ ✓
Public Finance Management Assessment: Assessment of the eligibility criteria of SL in view of budget support and 35 25 PFM and transparency assessment ✓ ✓ ✓
Developing the Overarching Agriculture Implementation Strategy ✓ ✓ 155 15
Workshop facilitators ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 0 15
Communication & Visibility Company (Incidental budget) ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Indicative work days earmarked for this result from the two long-term policy advisors 150
SUB-TOTAL 619 252
Work_Plan_details 2 of 7 1_Annex_1_TAMAP_Work_Plan_PR_5.xlsx
Indicative Month Responsibilities Jan - June 2018 Jul - Dec 2018 Jan - June 2019 Jul - Dec 2019 Jan - June 2020 Jul - Dec 2020 Jan - June 2021 Inputs
NKE 1 NKE 2 No. OUTPUTS KE1 KE3 SNKE JNKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 INT INT
Result 2: An enabling environment is created, and relevant reforms and policies for the modernisation and Period in which activities related to Result 1 are implemented diversification of existing agriculture production implemented and exports to meet expanding international Period in which activities related to Result 2 are implemented demands promoted Assist the Government to improve its market intelligence so as to obtain updated trends in demand for agro- A2.1 export products, and thus help agro-processors to restructure their production to meet revised agro-export targets
Harmonisation of methodology for value chain analysis and of data collection and compilation for all crops along the entire A2.1.1 value chain (e.g. producer, processor, marketing) (Market information management system) ✓ Organising working groups to i) agree on the overall approach and methodology to accomplish Result 2 and ii) monitor, guide and mentor the process of accomplishing result 2 ✓ ✓
A2.1.2 Develop software for harmonised market intelligence, software installation and training (IT component) ✓
A2.1.3 Develop a website giving easy access to harmonised market information ✓
Assist the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen its value chain development research and analytical capacities A2.2 in export market driven approaches and use it to promote new technologies
Promotion of market led commodity research and conduting value chain analysis studies: Conducting Value Chain Analysis A2.2.1 based on market study for vegetables, fruits, acquaculture, honey, dairy, palmyra, essential oils and floriculture ✓
Presenting findings of research in stakeholder meetings ✓
Research on components of value chains: Conduct workshops between researchers, extension workers and value chain A2.2.2 stakeholders where value chain stakeholders can articulate their priorities in research ✓
A2.2.3 Promoting new technologies and diversification ✓ ✓ ✓
A2.2.4 Developing a capacity building programme on value chain development for GoSL staff members and private sector entities ✓ ✓
Developing VCD training for stakeholders based on the findings of the research ✓ ✓ ✓
Faciltating the establishment of collaboration between Sri Lankan universities and international universities and research organisations e.g. members of the CGIAR group such as IFPRI, ILRAD, ICRISAT or twinning programmes with ✓ ✓ ✓ international universities
A2.3 Assist the Government to promote sustainable green production practices among agri-businesses
A2.3.1 Clarify sustainable green production in the Sri Lankan context
A2.3.2 Increasing outreach to the private sector around green production techniques ✓ Engage stakeholders in consultations on green agriculture and organise workshops and trainings and drafting guidelines on achieving green production practices ✓
Organise a study tour for stakeholders to Kenya's (or any other suitable country) green agriculture in horticulture and floriculture export sector, namely Oserian Development Corporation ✓ ✓
Assist in developing a website where all companies involved in value chains can voluntarily register in order to A2.4 enhance transparency and facilitate their de-fragmentation. The website is hosted by Govipola and Govipola is private sector A2.4.1 Registration and institutionalisation for cooperation (horizontal and vertical) ✓ Develop a website and publish the information online ✓
A2.4.2 Promoting use of the registration system ✓ Implementing an active campaign to Sri Lankan export and import companies in agriculture sector to explain the registration system and its benefits for the companies. ✓
Facilitation of simple and transparent registration and information sharing via the website to allow registered companies to conduct network and knowledge sharing via the web site. ✓
A2.4.3 Ensuring sustainability of the registration process and the operation of the website ✓ Designing the website in such a way that it provides benefits for companies to register and update their information (website provides relevant news and access to market and import/export requirements and document formats for ✓ companies that register). This is part of Govipola.
Work_Plan_details 3 of 7 1_Annex_1_TAMAP_Work_Plan_PR_5.xlsx
Indicative Month Responsibilities Jan - June 2018 Jul - Dec 2018 Jan - June 2019 Jul - Dec 2019 Jan - June 2020 Jul - Dec 2020 Jan - June 2021 Inputs
NKE 1 NKE 2 No. OUTPUTS KE1 KE3 SNKE JNKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 INT INT
Help the Government to improve its support to farmers and farmer organisation, including support to the A2.5 Period in which activities related to Result 1 are implemented extension service
Review farmer organisations and conducting needs assessment on areas related to agricultural extension, cooperative A2.5.1 development, water management, contract farming and mainstreaming farming as a business ✓ ✓ Organise a study tour for farmers in potential high value-added VCs to showcase successful collective action, ✓ ✓
Development of training programme for farmer organisations based on the needs assessment and conduct training of A2.5.2 trainers on farming as a business, business administration and financial management ✓ ✓ Integrating a module on private sector development and farming as a business for GoSL staff members to make them aware on the importance of private sector development and commercial farming also for smallholder farmers ✓
Review agricultural extension service and needs assessment on areas related to agricultural extension, cooperative A2.5.3 development, water management, contract farming and mainstreaming farming as a business , supporting e-agriculture ✓ ✓ ✓
A2.5.4 Development of training programme and conducting training of trainers in the areas under 2.5.3 ✓ ✓ ✓
Assist the Government to establish surveillance systems for the certification of organic production and good A2.6 agriculture practices (GAP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP)
Review of organic production in Sri Lanka and agreeing with Institute of Standards on guidelines for organic as well as A2.6.1 Fairtrade production along value chains ✓
A2.6.2 Assist in the establishment of a surveillance system ✓ Organising research, workshops, meetings and information sharing on market segmentation on basis of organic and GAP and GMP. Promote further introduction of organic, GAP and GMP surveillance in VCs. ✓ ✓ ✓ Studying market segmentation on basis of organic and GAP and GMP in other countries (India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia etc) for spices and tea ✓ Presenting findings of study in a workshop with SL collectors and exporters of spices and tea to verify findings and prepare an outline for a market segmentation ✓
Conduct two pilots (one with stakeholder group in spices and one stakeholder group in tea) based on market segmentation. ✓ Facilitation of public and private sector support and service provision to the two pilots ✓ Monitoring and discussing the findings of the pilot with stakeholders in regular stakeholder meetings ✓
Develop a platform for dialogue between the Government and the private sector to support the formation of A2.7 public / private partnerships to raise technical performance in the agriculture sector and increase agro-exports
A2.71. Agreeing on approach to PPPs for smallholder farmers ✓
A2.7.2 Building trust and understanding around PPPs ✓ ✓
In the frame work of the VC Analysis and Development activities recommended under 2.1 initiate annual stakeholder meetings for participants of key export-oriented value chains (minor export crops, horticultures and plantation crops) and ✓ ✓ key import substitution value chains (paddy, other field crops, livestock). Promotion of e-agriculture
Assist and train stakeholders to conduct such meetings annually to discuss bottlenecks in the value chains of crops and find solutions as well as discuss general principles of cooperation in the chains (supply contract conditions, harvest ✓ ✓ estimates etc) A2.7.3 Developing model options for PPPs e.g. digital market platforms ✓ ✓
Asistance to EU in developing AAP 2019 on cold chain infrastructure, improvement of food safety and A2.8 certification & GSP+ ✓ ✓
Indicative assignments using NKE work days or subcontracting using incidental budget
Market Intelligence Assignment: study databases on market information systems, design and install improved system, design and upload website of system and company registration, training of identified staff members in operation and ✓ 20 230 maintenance of systems and website
Value Chain analysis & training including food processing technology: conduct VC analysis for 11 subsectors, prepare research reports and present findings, develop VC training and carry out training, suport mainstreaming VC ✓ ✓ 172 239 analysis in public sector, study market segmentation on the basis of GAP / GMP and organic production, conduct 2 pilots.
Farmer organisation (collective action): Establish inventory of farmer groups, credit and saving groups, water user groups (associations), conduct needs assessment, identify feasibile collective actions, introduce lead farmer and farmer ✓ ✓ 50 40 field schools approach, pilot farmer field schools, conduct gender study.
Work_Plan_details 4 of 7 1_Annex_1_TAMAP_Work_Plan_PR_5.xlsx
Indicative Month Responsibilities Jan - June 2018 Jul - Dec 2018 Jan - June 2019 Jul - Dec 2019 Jan - June 2020 Jul - Dec 2020 Jan - June 2021 Inputs
NKE 1 NKE 2 No. OUTPUTS KE1 KE3 SNKE JNKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 INT INT
Commercial Farm Business Model assignment & training: Design a training programme for participants to understand Period in which activities related to Result 1 are implemented the business dynamics of farming. Training will include: organisational structures, human resources management, conflict 50 40 management, resource planning, budgeting, gross margin analysis and cash flows, financial management, bookkeeping, ✓ ✓ ✓ dealing with banks, marketing, stores management
PPP Analysis: Study on PPP options in potential high value-added VCs in agriculture, Present findings and options of study in meetings with stakeholders of such VCs, Prepare a road map for PPP development in agriculture sector ✓ ✓ 20 30 (indicative)
Pre-Feasibility Study to assess the technical feasibility and financial viability of a cold chain network and distribution 75 25 system ✓ ✓
Support to organic farming and sustainable agriculture: Assist the private sector and the Government to improve their Organic Farming promotion strategies through review of organic practise and profitability of business in most important ✓ ✓ 50 46 value chains in Spices and important value chains in fresh vegetables and fruits.
Business training for farmers, extension workers and Food Procesing SME operators in Sri Lanka: training in 92 farming as business, busienss administration and financial management. ✓ ✓
Development and operationalisation of E-Agriculture in Sri Lanka including a sustainability plan for Govipola & LAPMC (Phase 1). Assessment of E-Agriculture demand and supply in SL, develop sustainable business plans for online ✓ ✓ 105 45 market platforms & training of users
Workshop facilitators ✓ ✓ 0 15
Communication & Visibility Company (Incidental budget) ✓ ✓ ✓ Indicative work days earmarked for this result from the two long-term policy advisors 0
SUB-TOTAL 542 802
Result 3: The existing systems and practices used by central and provincial ministries involved in Agriculture for Period in which activities related to Result 3 are implemented planning, budgeting/resource allocation, implementation of sectoral and sub-sectoral policies are improved
Review the Government's planning, budgeting, resource allocation, implementation and coordination system on A3.1 central, provincial council and district level related to agriculture development
A3.1.1 Review of the existing planning, budgeting and resource allocation system on all levels
A3.1.2 Identifying relevant priority areas for coordination on all levels ✓ ✓ Organising working groups to i) identify priority areas and to agree on the overall approach and methodology to accomplish Result 3 and ii) monitor, guide and mentor the process of accomplishing result 3 ✓ ✓ Improving the channels for coordination and policy dialogue and impact assessment at line ministries level, provincial A3.1.3 councils, district level and farmer / community organisations and groups ✓ ✓
A3.1.4 Establishment of best practice coordination and communication structures using IT and traditional channels ✓ ✓
Develop capacity building programme for planning, budgeting, resource allocation on central, provincial and A3.2 district level based on needs assessment and its implementation A3.2.1 Conducting thorough Needs Assessment among all relevant stakeholders and dissemination of results ✓
A3.2.2 Developing and implementing training programme based on needs assessment: logframe and policy analysis training ✓
Facilitate exchange of practices and information with other countries, including visits and workshops / seminars / A.3.3 conferences Facilitate exchange of practices and information with other countries, including visits and workshops/seminars/conferences A3.3.1 (addressed as part of A1.4) ✓
Indicative assignments using NKE work days or subcontracting using incidental budget
Policy Analysis Training development and implementation of training ✓ ✓ 36 92
Logframe training 37.5 42.5
Workshop facilitators ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 0 6
Communication & Visibility Company (incidental budget) ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Indicative work days earmarked for this result from the two long-term policy advisors 154
SUB-TOTAL 227.5 140.5
Work_Plan_details 5 of 7 1_Annex_1_TAMAP_Work_Plan_PR_5.xlsx
Indicative Month Responsibilities Jan - June 2018 Jul - Dec 2018 Jan - June 2019 Jul - Dec 2019 Jan - June 2020 Jul - Dec 2020 Jan - June 2021 Inputs
NKE 1 NKE 2 No. OUTPUTS KE1 KE3 SNKE JNKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 INT INT
Result 4: The impact of implementing Government's overarching Agriculture Policy through an improved Period in which activities related toPeriod Result in which 1 are activities implemented related to Result 4 are implemented statistical and data analysis system is monitored and assessed
Design an overall M&E framework to assess the impact of Government's Policy on Agriculture development, A4.1 export diversification and development of guidelines for carrying out impact assessment studies
A4.1.1 Review of the current M&E framework on national policies pursued by GoSL and recommendations for improvements ✓ ✓ ✓
Engaging NPD and Department of Project Management and Monitoring in order to discuss, agree and harmonize the A4.1.2 methodology on monitoring policies and their implementation. Jointly with the stakeholders a participatory M&E framework ✓ ✓ ✓ will be developed for the OAP and OAIS through the organisation of WGs and the use of national expertise.
Awareness raising and tailoring communication strategy to make stakeholders aware that sharing information, existing M&E systems, policies and strategies is a must to accomplish the results. ✓ ✓ ✓
Developing M&E system using as much as possible local expertise and experience to enhace ownership and hence, sustainability ✓ ✓ ✓
Inform, train and sensitise all stakeholders and implementers of the M&E framework through communication A4.2 activities, training sessions, conferences and workshops, so that they can contribute to its implementation, as well as provide regular feedback
A4.2.1 Regular update of M&E framework ✓ ✓ ✓
A4.2.2 Dissemination and communication of events around M&E Framework ✓ ✓ ✓ Regular feedback on M&E to all stakeholders through workshops, briefing notes and progress reports. ✓ ✓ ✓
Capacitate stakeholders in analyzing the information gathered within the M&E framework, draft analytical notes, A4.3 feed reports into decision-making processes at central and decentralised levels, and ensure all actions are followed through
A4.3.1 Training in output based and impact monitoring: part of the logframe training ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Conducting class-room training but also on the job training in the operation of the M&E system ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Awareness raising through tailored communication strategy to enhance ownership of the M&E system with a view to increase likelihood towards sustainable oepration of the M&E system. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Develop ToR and train stakeholders in conducting pilot sample surveys to measure the results and potential A4.4 impact of specific aspects of implementation of the Agriculture Policy e.g. actions related to crosscutting issues
A4.4.1 Selecting the Random Sample ✓ ✓
Identification of field survey staff, particularly fied supervisors and enumerators and corresponding training ✓ ✓
A4.4.2 Preparing Structured Survey Templates and Field Surveys ✓ ✓
A4.4.3 Conducting sample surveys and analysis of data ✓ ✓
Training and capacity building of field survey staff in carrying out surveys and to analyse data ✓ ✓
A4.4.4 Review of outputs of sample surveys and deriving recommendations for improvement ✓ ✓
Review the statistical system in agriculture and all agriculture related subsectors, and provide ad hoc support A4.5 where necessary
Stocktaking, review and assessment of the statistical system with a view to clarify "who is using which methodology, how A4.5.1 is it done and how is the quality of the outcomes" ✓ ✓
Development and implementation of training for improvement of the statistical system, particularlly to improve the quality A4.5.2 of data collection system ✓ ✓
Continuous coaching and mentoring of the staff members trained ✓ ✓
Work_Plan_details 6 of 7 1_Annex_1_TAMAP_Work_Plan_PR_5.xlsx
Indicative Month Responsibilities Jan - June 2018 Jul - Dec 2018 Jan - June 2019 Jul - Dec 2019 Jan - June 2020 Jul - Dec 2020 Jan - June 2021 Inputs
NKE 1 NKE 2 No. OUTPUTS KE1 KE3 SNKE JNKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 INT INT
Indicative assignments using NKE work days or subcontracting using incidental budget Period in which activities related to Result 1 are implemented
Monitoring & Evaluation Experts: This assignment should be carried out as a tandem. Whereas the international expert is designing and drafting the framework of the M&E system in a participatory way, the national expert will finetune the 50 60 framework in close collaboration with the stakeholders. Both experts will provide training and mentoring and coaching on ✓ ✓ ✓ the application of the M&E framework.
Baseline Survey: survey on indicators following the M&E framework using data from the latest Household Income and 20 200 Expenditures Survey. ✓
Agricultural Statistics Team: team of international and national experts . Updating FAO Assessment of current system on sampling, data collection, compilation system, analysis and result dissemination system of the various entities currently 50 200 in charge of agriculture data; developing in a participatory manner an efficient and easy to apply agriculture statistics ✓ system with the major entities; capacity building on selected case surveys, coaching and mentoring
Workshop facilitators ✓ 5 20
Communication & Visibility Company (incidental budget) ✓ ✓ ✓
Indicative work days earmarked for this result from the two long-term policy advisors 65
SUB-TOTAL 190 480
TOTAL NKE INPUTS 1,579 1,675
MILESTONES TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
RESULT 1
1 Draft overarching agriculture policy developed
2 OAP approved by GoSL
3 OAP Implementation Strategy developed & approved by stakeholders
4 AAP 2020 developed (draft, final)
5 Support in the Develoment of PMF Annual Monitoring Report and Transparency Report
RESULT 2 6 Market information system for inputs, agric. Commodities and export commodities established and in operation
7 Website developed, in operation where value chain actors in SL can voluntarily register with detailed contacts
8 At least 3 Public Private Partnerships facilitated by the project by December
9 Concept and road map developed and agreed upon for improved agricultural extension services
RESULT 3 Current coordination & planning system reviewed, recommendations for improvement made and implementation 10 guidelines developed
Needs assessment for planning & budgeting teams of ministries dealing with agriculture on central and provincial level 11 related to budget support eligibility conducted.
12 Training programme developed and 80 key staff members of the district planning teams capacitated.
RESULT 4 13 A monitoring system developed & in operation
14 Stakeholders trained in operating the M&E system
15 Baseline sample surveys designed on crosscutting issues conducted & repeated
Management of TAMAP
16 Final Inception Report
17 Final Progress Reports
18 Sustainability Strategy developed and agreed upon
19 PSC meetings
20 End of assignment report
Continuous activity Reports Event
Intermittent activity Milestone
Work_Plan_details 7 of 7
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 2
TAMAP Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
Results chain Indicator Baseline Target Current Source and mean of Assumptions value* verification (value & (value & reference reference (reference year) year) year)
To contribute to a 1. Rural poverty headcount ratio Ad 1) Ad 1.) Ad 1) 1. Annual Report 2018 – more productive, at national poverty lines 4.1% 3.7 % 4.1% The Central Bank of Sri sustainable, (countrywide) – (in line with the (2017) (2023) (2018) Lanka Not applicable diversified, climate- poverty headcount index in the resilient, market- MIP 2014-2020) oriented and inclusive agriculture in Sri Lanka 2. Agriculture, forestry, and Ad 2) Ad 2) Ad 2) 2. World Bank Data - 2018 fishing, value-added per worker 2,662 US$ 3,100 US$ 2,789 US$ (constant 2010 US$) (2017) (2023) (2018)
3. Value of agricultural produce Ad 3) Ad 3) Ad 3) 3. Annual Report 2018 – grown and harvested in Sri Lanka 6,794 US$ 7,000 US$ 6,740 US$ The Central Bank of Sri (US$ Mn.) (2017) (2023) (2018) Lanka (Table 2.2)
4. Value of agricultural produce Ad 4) Ad 4) Ad 4) 4. World Bank collection of processed in Sri Lanka (Constant 5,952 US$ 6,200 US$ 5,952 development indicators 2000 US$ Mn.) (2018) (2023) (2018) (2018)
5. Value of agricultural produce Ad 5) Ad 5) Ad 5) 5. Annual Report 2018 –
Impact(Overall objective ) exported from Sri Lanka (US$ Mn) 2,767 US$ 3,000 US$ 2,579 US$ The Central Bank of Sri (2017) (2023) (2018) Lanka (Table 2.10)
6. Value of agricultural Ad 6) Ad 6) Ad 6) 6. Annual Report 2018 – commodities imported to Sri 3,165 US$ 2,500 US$ 2,910 US$ The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (US$ Mn) (2017) (2023) (2018) Lanka (Table 2.14)
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 1 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
Results chain Indicator Baseline Target Current Source and mean of Assumptions value* verification (value & (value & reference reference (reference year) year) year)
Improved support from 1. Share of government budget Ad 1) Ad 1) Ad 1) MoA Performance Reports • No global public authorities at allocated to agricultural research 7% 8% 7% deterioration of the national, provincial and development (Percentage) (2017) (2023) (2017) prices of
and local levels to the agricultural
small holder farmers to 2. Number of new public-private Ad 2) Ad 2) Ad 2) 2. Central Bank Reports commodities move towards a more partnerships established 0 PPP 2 PPP 0 PPP Reports from SL Chamber sustainable, resilient (2018) (2023) (2018) of Commerce • High-level and productive commitment to agriculture 3. Number of government Ad 3) Ad 3) Ad 3) 3. MoA Performance formulating an objective(s)) stakeholders regularly providing 0 0 20 Reports agriculture data to the M&E system on (2018) (2018) (2023) policy will overarching agriculture policy continue within the 4. Average weighted tariffs on Ad 4) Ad 4) Ad 4) 4. Trade Statistics Government of agricultural inputs (Percentage) 20% 10% 20% Customs Reports Sri Lanka and (2018) (2023) (2018) will move towards 5. Number of products Ad 5) Ad 5) Ad 5) 5. Trade Statistics implementatio Outcome(s) (Specific (agricultural inputs) affected by 50 25 50 Customs Reports n non-tariff measures (2018) (2023) (2019)
Output 1: An 1.1. Status of the overarching Ad 1.1 Ad 1.1. Ad 1.1 1.1. TAMAP Progress • Stakeholders overarching Agriculture Policy (OAP) No OAP OAP Draft OAP Reports including Agriculture Policy in (2018) developed (JUN 2020) GoSL Gazette ministries in line with the (2020) charge are Government committed to
Development Goals 1.2. Status of the Strategy based Ad 1.2. Ad 1.2. Ad 1.2. 1.2. TAMAP Progress participate, developed on the NAP No strategy OAIS Draft Reports cooperate and (2018) developed Strategy coordinate the
Outputs (end 2020) (JUN 2020) process of developing the 1.3. Number of people directly Ad 1.3 Ad 1.3 Ad 1.3 1.3 TAMAP PRs agriculture reached by the communication 0 2,000 700 TAMAP website access policy campaign (2018) (end 2020) (JUN 2020) Facebook likes
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 2 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
Results chain Indicator Baseline Target Current Source and mean of Assumptions value* verification (value & (value & reference reference (reference year) year) year)
1.4. Status of eligibility criteria for Ad 1.4 Ad 1.4 Ad 1.4 1.4. PFM Assessment • High level Budget Support using Sector Not eligible Sri Lanka Not eligible Reports commitment Reform Contracts (2018) eligible for (JUN 2020) TAMAP PRs continues in BS improving, and (end 2020) monitoring the PFM system and expenditures framework
• Appropriate personnel identified and available for capacity development
Output 2: An enabling 2.1. Status of market information Ad 2.1 Ad 2.1 Ad 2.1 2.1. TAMAP PRs • High level environment for the system for inputs, agricultural Not Fully Fully Govipola App commitment modernisation and commodities and demand for established operational operational continues in diversification of export commodities (2018) (end 2020) JUN 2020) support and existing agriculture delegation of production and for the 2.2. Number of small holder Ad 2.1 Ad 2.1 Ad 2.1 2.2. Website statistics activities to the promotion of exports farmers registered on the website 0 users 30,000 45,000 Govipola App statistics private sector created (2018) users downloads (end 2020) (JUN 2020) • Funding for
the surveys, 2.3. Status of the road map for the Ad 2.3 Ad 2.3 Ad 2.3 2.3. TAMAP PRs certification establishment of a surveillance No roadmap Roadmap No roadmap and market system for selected value chains (2018) Established (JUN 2020) information (end 2020) system secured 2.4. Status of the concept and Ad 2.4 Ad 2.4 Ad 2.4 2.4. TAMAP PRs road map for improved agricultural No Roadmap Roadmap No Roadmap • Strong extension services (2018) established (JUN 2020) ownership (end 2020) towards the
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 3 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
Results chain Indicator Baseline Target Current Source and mean of Assumptions value* verification (value & (value & reference reference (reference year) year) year)
reform of the 2.5. Status of the road map to Ad 2.5. Ad 2.5. Ad 2.5. 2.5. TAMAP PRs agriculture strengthen farmer organisations No Roadmap Roadmap No Roadmap sector mainstreaming farming as a (2018) established (JUN 2020) including business (end 2020) extension 2018) service
Output 3: Improved 3.1. Status of the revision of the Ad 3.1 Ad 3.1. Ad 3.1 3.1. TAMAP Progress • High level systems for planning, current coordination & planning No revision Guidelines No revision Reports commitment budgeting/resource system (2018) developed (JUN 2020) TAMAP Technical Reports continues in allocation, and (end 2020) support and implementation of delegation of sectoral and sub- 3.2. Number of planning officers Ad 3.2 Ad 3.2 Ad 3.2 3.2 TAMAP Progress activities to the sectoral policies at on central, provincial and district 0 trained 100 trained 52 trained Reports private sector central and provincial level with increased capacity in (2018) (end 2020) (JUN 2020) levels policy analysis and strategic • Strong planning ownership towards the 3.3. Number of planning officers Ad 3.3 Ad 3.3 Ad 3.3 3.3 TAMAP Progress reform of the on central, provincial and district 0 trained 100 trained 0 trained Reports agriculture level with increased capacities in (2018) (end 2020) (JUN 2020) sector costing, budgeting and M&E of including agriculture policies and strategies extension service 3.4. Number of planning officers Ad 3.4 Ad 3.4 Ad 3.4 3.4 TAMAP Progress continues on central, provincial and district 0 trained 100 trained 50 trained Reports level capacitated in understanding (2018) (end 2020) (JUN 2020) • Strong farming as a business and value commitment chain development towards change
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 4 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
Results chain Indicator Baseline Target Current Source and mean of Assumptions value* verification (value & (value & reference reference (reference year) year) year)
Output 4: Improved 4.1. Status of the monitoring Ad 4.1 Ad 4.1 Ad 4.1 4.1 TAMAP Progress • High level statistical and data system No MS MS in No MS Reports commitment analysis system for (2018) operation (JUN 2020) towards monitoring and (end 2020) establishment assessing the impact of a of the implementation 4.2. Number of stakeholder Ad 4.2 Ad 4.2 Ad 4.2 4.2 TAMAP Progress transparent of the Government's institutions operating the M&E 0 20 0 Reports M&E systems overall Agriculture system (2018) (end 2020) (JUN 2020) continues Policy • Appropriate 4.3. Number of officers of the Ad 4.3 Ad 4.3 Ad 4.3 4.3 TAMAP Progress personnel Department of Census and 0 100 0 Reports identified and Statistics and Department of (2018) (end 2020) (JUN 2020) available for Agrarian Development capacity capacitated in improved development agriculture statistics • OAP approved by mid 2020
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 5 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
PLANNED ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES UNDETAKEN SO FAR
Result 1: An overarching Agriculture Policy in line with the Government Result 1: An overarching Agriculture Policy in line with the Government Development Goals is developed Development Goals is developed 1.1: Provide expertise and support to the preparation of an overarching 1.1: Provide expertise and support to the preparation of an Overarching Agriculture Policy (including actions related to women/social exclusion Agriculture Policy (including actions related to women/social exclusion and environment/climate change) that covers all sub-sectors, based on and environment/climate change) that covers all sub-sectors, based on extensive consultations with, and the full participation of, all stakeholders extensive consultations with, and the full participation of, all stakeholders 1.1.1 Stakeholder consultation, participatory needs assessment conducted and 1.1.1 Stakeholder consultation thoroughly conducted when OAP was developed in a policies including crosscutting issues in key associated ministries and sectors participatory way in multidisciplinary working group and farmer consultation reviewed during public review. 1.1.2 Identification and formation of cross sector planning working group for the 1.1.2 National Working Group on the OAP formed and 24 members officially NAP nominated from key ministries in July 2018 plus additional representatives 1.1.3 Review of recently developed agricultural policies & strategies in Sri Lanka from the private sector. and conducting of a SWOT analysis 1.1.3 Numerous policies, strategies, regulations and acts reviewed during the process of OAP development starting in October 2018 and ending in October 2019. SWOT analysis conducted on 12 agriculture subsectors in April 2018. 1.1.4 Needs assessment of the agricultural sector and subsectors 1.1.4 Thorough needs assessment conducted on agriculture extension service. of the agricultural sector and subsectors 1.2: Support the design of a strategy, action plan and a clear roadmap to implement the policy together with the institutional framework for its 1.2: Support the design of a strategy, action plan and a clear roadmap to implementation implement the policy together with the institutional framework for its implementation 1.2.1 Development of a multi-sector strategy and action plan for the OAP implementation 1.2.1 Developing the OAIS started in December 2019 and 10 individual draft . sub- strategies developed by mid May 2020. Compiling all sub-strategies in one document as started but not finalised by end of June 2020. However, some actions and thrust areas were already developed for the OAP in January 2019. 1.2.2 Development and agreement of change management plan 1.2.2 Change management plan is part of the OAIS which has started in December 2019.
1.3: Share all relevant budget processes/analyses to show the costs and funding of policy implementation over the medium term (including the use 1.3: Share all relevant budget processes/analyses to show the costs and of Medium Term Expenditure Framework guidelines (MTEF)) funding of policy implementation over the medium term (including the use of Medium Term Expenditure Framework guidelines (MTEF)) 1.3.1 Support in the development of short-term, Medium Term Expenditure Framework and also long-term budgets for OAP implementation 1.3.1 Some indicative costs developed for the OAIS but not finalised yet.
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 6 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
PLANNED ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES UNDETAKEN SO FAR
1.3.2 Needs assessment/costing of interventions as a tool for aligning development 1.3.2 Costing of OAIS has started but not finalised yet. plans and objectives to budgets
1.4: Support the Government to acquire international best practices in 1.4: Support the Government to acquire international best practices in agricultural development and knowledge that can be replicated in the Sri agricultural development and knowledge that can be replicated in the Sri Lankan context Lankan context 1.4.1 Organising study tours and international conferences with a view to learning 1.4.1 A study tour was conducted from 10 August to 17 August to Vietnam with 19 international best practices participants from the GoSL Ministries, Provincial Councils and the private sector participated plus one participant from TAMAP. A lessons-learnt workshop was held on 29 October where participants presented findings of this mission to TAMAP stakeholders. The final study tour report was finalised and circulated end of November 2019. 1.4.2 Facilitation participation at twinning programmes 1.4.2 Study tour to Vietnam part of the twinning programme 1.4.3 Conducting desk studies to assess agricultural policies from other countries 1.4.3 Review of agricultural policies from other countries were undertaken while the OAP as developed between October 2018 and October 2019.
1.5: Support the Government and the EU Delegation (EUD) to prepare the 1.5: Support the Government and the EU Delegation (EUD) to prepare the future sector reform contract in agriculture: preparing the necessary future sector reform contract in agriculture: preparing the necessary analysis and documentation for the identification and formulation of the analysis and documentation for the identification and formulation of the programme including the selection of SMART indicators programme including the selection of SMART indicators 1.5.1 Sensitisation of key personnel through study tours around the requirements of 1.5.1 Sensitisation of key personnel on Budget Support on the occasion of the 2- the Sector Reform Contracts (SRCs) day training on Budget Support. 1.5.2 Developing the analysis and tools including SMART indicators to monitor and 1.5.2 SMART indicators partly developed for the Action Document 2020 from evaluate budget support. August-December 2019 1.5.3 Preparation of a road map and the institutional set up for implementation of 1.5.3 Road map and timeframe for budget support not developed since EUD budget support (PSC, M&E). decided end of March 2020 not to pursue with Budget Support for AAP 2020. 1.5.4 Development of a draft Action Document (AD) including Annexes for 1.5.4 TAMAP supported the development of Action Document 2019 from August submission to the quality review by the EU. 2018 to April 2019 and AD 2020 from August 2019 to December 2019. 1.5.5 Support to the EUD SL in developing the PFM and transparency assessment 1.5.5 PFM assessment conducted by TAMAP in September and October 2019. report.
1.6: Support the development of a communication strategy to promote TAMAP 1.6: Support the development of a communication strategy to promote TAMAP and its activities among all stakeholders and its activities among all stakeholders 1.6.1 Tailoring a communication strategy according to nature of stakeholders / 1.6.1 Outline of a communication strategy developed in the TAMAP Inception beneficiaries report. Political Economy Assessment and subsequent advocacy strategy proposed activities with regard to enhancing ownership and buy-in for the Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 7 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
PLANNED ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES UNDETAKEN SO FAR
OAP. A comprehensive communication strategy should be developed by Ngage, the company contracted to develop all communication and visibility material which they started to develop but which has not been finalised by end of June 2020. 1.6.2 Develop an action plan for the Communication Strategy 1.6.2 Not done yet
1.7: Support the Government to coordinate the sectors, including 1.7: Support the Government to coordinate the sectors, including development partners development partners 1.7.1 Mapping of External Assistance Interventions (Content, Scope, Periodic 1.7.1 Mapping of external assistance interventions is part of the OAIS in which Results) current activities of development partners are identified as well as the funding gaps for actions of the strategy 1.7.2 Regular meetings with the Agriculture working group of the development 1.7.2 Specific Periodical Meetings with the agriculture sector stakeholders. partners (2 times a year). In 2020 no meeting convened due to Covid-19.
Result 2: An enabling environment is created, and relevant reforms and policies Result 2: An enabling environment is created, and relevant reforms and policies for the modernisation and diversification of existing agriculture production for the modernisation and diversification of existing agriculture production implemented and exports to meet expanding international demands promoted implemented and exports to meet expanding international demands promoted
2.1: Assist the Government to improve its market intelligence so as to obtain 2.1: Assist the Government to improve its market intelligence so as to obtain updated trends in demand for agro-export products, and thus help agro- updated trends in demand for agro-export products, and thus help agro- processors to restructure their production to meet revised agro-export processors to restructure their production to meet revised agro-export targets targets 2.1.1 Harmonise methodology of Value Chain Analysis for import substitution and 2.1.1 Workshop organised in December 2018 in which harmonisation of value chain export products approach was presented, discussed and partly agreed upon. 2.1.2 Develop software for harmonised market information, software installation and 2.1.2 Development of market information / intelligence system Govipola which is a training (IT component) trading platform. Fully operational in December 2019 and official launch 28 January 2020 with big media coverage 2.1.3 Develop a website giving easy access to harmonised market information 2.1.3 Govipola App caters for accessing market information. 2.1.4 Develop training in Value Chain Analysis for all relevant ministries dealing with 2.1.4 Value chain training conducted in Kandy with 44 participants and in Colombo agriculture on 27th February with 43 participants. Out of those, 50 were GoSL and provincial officers. 2.2: Assist the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen its value chain development research and analytical capacities in export market driven 2.2: Assist the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen its value chain approaches and use it to promote new technologies development research and analytical capacities in export market driven approaches and use it to promote new technologies
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 8 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
PLANNED ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES UNDETAKEN SO FAR
2.2.1 Promotion of market led commodity research on components of value chains 2.2.1 8 Value chain studies on 14 commodities and one summary value chain report and promoting new technologies and diversification conducted and shared with stakeholders
2.2.2 Developing a capacity building programme on value chain development 2.2.2 Capacity building programme for value chain development developed and in total 87 people trained
2.3: Assist the Government to promote sustainable green production practices 2.3: Assist the Government to promote sustainable green production practices among agri-businesses among agri-businesses 2.3.1 Clarify the definition for sustainable green production in the Sri Lankan context 2.3.1 Assignment organic farming and sustainable agriculture started in September 2019. A draft report submitted in March and the final report tabled end of June 2020. 2.3.2 Increasing outreach to the private sector around green production techniques 2.3.2 Not applicable yet
2.4: Assist the Government in developing a website where all companies 2.4: Assist the Government in developing a website where all companies involved in value chains can voluntarily register in order to enhance involved in value chains can voluntarily register in order to enhance transparency and facilitate their de-fragmentation transparency and facilitate their de-fragmentation 2.4.1 Registration website integral part of Govipla App and the Govipola website 2.4.1 Registration and institutionalisation for cooperation (horizontal and vertical) 2.4.2 Since coverage of Govipola App and website is countywide, registration 2.4.2 Promoting use of the registration system process is automatically promoted 2.4.3 Ensuring sustainability of the registration process and the operation of the 2.4.3 Govipola is a commercial trading platform based on profitmaking which will website collect fees in the near future. TAMAP launched an assignment to assist all digital market platforms in developing sustainability business plans
2.5: Help the Government to improve its support to farmers and farmer 2.5: Help the Government to improve its support to farmers and farmer organisation, including support to the extension service organisation, including support to the extension service 2.5.1 Review farmer organisations and conducting TNA on areas related to 2.5.1 Two assignments carried out: i) Commercial Agriculture Farm Business agricultural extension, cooperative development, water management, contract Models (FR December 2019) and ii) Review of the prevailing agriculture farming and mainstreaming farming as a business extension service and tailoring a new, improved service (FR July 2019). Findings of the two assignments will be incorporated in the OAIS.
2.5.2 Development of training programme for farmer organisations based on the 2.5.2 End of June TAMAP started developing training programme for farmers and TNA and conduct training of trainers on group formation, lead farmer SMEs in food processing in farming as a business and financial and business approach development.
Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 9 Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka Logical Framework results and activities accomplished by 30 June 2020
PLANNED ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES UNDETAKEN SO FAR
2.5.3 Review agricultural extension service and TNA on areas related to agricultural 2.5.3 On 25th June 2020 an E-Agriculture workshop was organised by TAMAP to extension, cooperative development, water management, contract farming discuss digital market platforms and other services such as extension, credit and mainstreaming farming as a business to be incorporated into a comprehensive E-Agriculture system. 2.5.4 Development of training programme and conducting training of trainers in the 2.5.4 Training on farm business models carried out in October 2019 and 110 people areas under 2.5.3 trained. 2.6: Assist the Government to establish surveillance systems for the 2.6: Assist the Government to establish surveillance systems for the certification of organic production and good agriculture practices (GAP) certification of organic production and good agriculture practices (GAP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good manufacturing practices (GMP)
2.6.1 Conducting assignment on organic agriculture with recommendations on 2.6.1 Defining the organic approaches for Sri Lanka in line with GAP and GMP and certification and development of guidelines. Started in September 2019 and assist in the establishment of a surveillance system was finalised end of June 2020. AAP 2019 provides funds for implementing partners, UNIDO/FAO in particular to develop a food safety and certification system 2.7: Develop a platform for dialogue between the Government and the private 2.7: Develop a platform for dialogue between the Government and the private sector to support the formation of public / private partnerships with which sector to support the formation of public / private partnerships with which to raise technical performance in the agriculture sector and increase agro- to raise technical performance in the agriculture sector and increase agro- exports exports 2.7.1 Agreeing an approach to PPPs for smallholder farmers 2.7.1 Attempt was made with the organisation in charge, but no outcome since the entity has limited experience in PPPs related to agribusiness. 2.7.2 Building trust and understanding around PPPs 2.7.2 Not applicable yet 2.7.3 Developing model options for PPPs 2.7.3 Not applicable yet Result 3: The existing systems and practices used by central and provincial Result 3: The existing systems and practices used by central and provincial ministries involved in Agriculture for planning, budgeting/resource allocation, ministries involved in Agriculture for planning, budgeting/resource allocation, implementation of sectoral and sub-sectoral policies are improved implementation of sectoral and sub-sectoral policies are improved
3.1: Review the Government’s planning, budgeting, resource allocation, 3.1: Review the Government’s planning, budgeting, resource allocation, implementation and coordination system on central, provincial council implementation and coordination system on central, provincial council and district level related to agriculture development and district level related to agriculture development 3.1.1 Identifying relevant priority areas for coordination on all levels 3.1.1 Not applicable yet. It is planned to carry out an assignment on that. 3.1.2 Improving the channels for coordination and policy dialogue and impact 3.1.2 Not applicable yet. It is planned to carry out an assignment on that. assessment at line ministries level, provincial councils, district level and farmer / community organisations and groups 3.1.3 Establishment of best practice coordination and communication structures 3.1.3 Not applicable yet. It is planned to carry out an assignment on that. using IT and traditional channels
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3.2: Develop capacity building programme for planning, budgeting, resource 3.2: Develop capacity building programme for planning, budgeting, resource allocation on central, provincial and district level based on needs allocation on central, provincial and district level based on needs assessment assessment and its implementation and its implementation 3.2.1 Conduct a thorough Training Needs Assessment among all relevant 3.2.1 Training Needs assessment on policy analysis and planning carried out from stakeholders August to October 2019. For budgeting no TNA to be conducted since stakeholders need to eb trained in PFS budgeting system 3.2.2 Develop and implement training programme 3.2.2 Training programme for policy analysis started being developed in November
2019 and is expected to be finalised beginning of August 2020. Curriculum for logframe training developed in October 2019, experts identified and contracted. Two logframe trainings conducted in March 2020 and could not be continued due to Covid-19. 3.3: Facilitate exchange of practices and information with other countries, 3.3: Facilitate exchange of practices and information with other countries, including visits and workshops / seminars / conferences including visits and workshops / seminars / conferences
3.3.1 Facilitate exchange of practices and information with other countries, including 3.3.1 Study tour to Vietnam conducted in August 2019. The proposal was made that visits and workshops/seminars/conferences (addressed as part of 1.4) a Vietnamese delegation might come to SL to intensify the collaboration ad exchange experiences (addressed as part of 1.4) Result 4: The impact of implementing Government's overarching Agriculture Result 4: The impact of implementing Government's overarching Agriculture Policy through an improved statistical and data analysis system is monitored Policy through an improved statistical and data analysis system is monitored and assessed and assessed
4.1: Design an overall M&E framework to assess the impact of Government’s 4.1: Design an overall M&E framework to assess the impact of Government’s Policy on Agriculture development, export diversification and Policy on Agriculture development, export diversification and development of guidelines for carrying out impact assessment studies development of guidelines for carrying out impact assessment studies 4.1.1: Review of the current M&E framework on national policies pursued by GoSL 4.1.1: Not applicable yet. and recommendations for improvements. 4.1.2 Stakeholder engagement to develop a participatory M&E framework 4.1.2 Not applicable yet
4.2: Inform, train and sensitise all stakeholders and implementers of the M&E 4.2: Inform, train and sensitise all stakeholders and implementers of the M&E framework through communication activities, training sessions, framework through communication activities, training sessions, conferences and workshops, so that they can contribute to its conferences and workshops, so that they can contribute to its implementation, as well as provide regular feedback implementation, as well as provide regular feedback 4.2.1 Regular update of M&E framework 4.2.1 Not applicable yet 4.2.2 Dissemination and communication of events around M&E Framework 4.2.2 Not applicable yet
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4.3: Capacitate stakeholders in analyzing the information gathered within the 4.3: Capacitate stakeholders in analyzing the information gathered within the M&E framework, draft analytical notes, feed reports into decision-making M&E framework, draft analytical notes, feed reports into decision-making processes at central and decentralised levels, and ensure all actions are processes at central and decentralised levels, and ensure all actions are followed through followed through 4.3.1: Assistance in developing the performance assessment using score cards 4.3.1: Not applicable yet 4.3.2: Training in output based and impact monitoring 4.3.2: Not applicable yet
4.4: Develop ToR and train stakeholders in conducting pilot sample surveys to 4.4: Develop ToR and train stakeholders in conducting pilot sample surveys to measure the results and potential impact of specific aspects of measure the results and potential impact of specific aspects of implementation of the Agriculture Policy e.g. actions related to implementation of the Agriculture Policy e.g. actions related to crosscutting issues crosscutting issues 4.4.1: Selecting the Random Sample 4.4.1: Not applicable yet 4.4.2: Preparing Structured Survey Templates and Field Surveys 4.4.2: Not applicable yet 4.4.3: Sample surveys and analysis of data 4.4.3: Not applicable yet 4.4.4: Review of outputs of sample surveys and deriving recommendations for 4.4.4: Not applicable yet improvement
4.5: Review the statistical system in agriculture and all agriculture related 4.5: Review the statistical system in agriculture and all agriculture related subsectors, and provide ad hoc support where necessary subsectors, and provide ad hoc support where necessary 4.5.1: Stocktaking, review and assessment of the statistical system 4.5.1: Within the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics, FAO funded a study on “In-depth Country Assessment of the Agricultural Statistics System in Sri Lanka” in 2014. This is a comprehensive assessment and the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) does not see the necessity to
carry out another assessment. 4.5.2: Development and implementation of training for improvement of the statistical 4.5.2: TAMAP had two meetings in October and November and TAMAP prepared a system concept paper on what TAMAP could do with regard to fulfilling the ToR and also based on the needs raised by DCS. This concept paper was developed and disseminated on 5 December. In a nutshell TAMAP proposed to do the following: 1. Capacity building of DCS staff members and staff member from other entities in all aspects related to developing and designing surveys, selecting the right methodology for statistical analysis, sample size and sampling techniques.
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PLANNED ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES UNDETAKEN SO FAR
2. Capacity building of DCS staff members and field officers from other entities in developing production costs, crop yield estimates / forecasts and compilation of price data in accordance with best practices. 3. Capacity building of DCS staff in compiling gender disaggregated data. 4. Developing statistical field manuals for some major agriculture commodities Another meeting was organized on 29th January in which the concept paper was discussed. A large list of activities was proposed by DCS to be implemented by TAMAP. However, after discussions with EUD SL, the following way forward was agreed and need to be brought to the attention of DCS:
• DCS, DoAD and TAMAP will sit together, discuss and agree on the TAMAP facilitated training programme. • Setting up a task force consisting of various stakeholders (DCS, DoAD, DoA) to develop the training programme • Pre-test on the occasion of the ToT • Reaching out trainings
Total Costs €4,167,000 Consumed so far € 2,883,450
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Annex 2: Logical framework for TAMAP accomplished by 30 June 2020 – Page 14
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 3
TAMAP Position Paper on medium-term National Food Production Programme
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
TAMAP Position Paper on medium-term National Food Production Programme
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 3 2 INTRODUCTION ...... 7 3 OTHER FOOD CROPS: BACKGROUND & CHALLENGES ...... 7 3.1 Overview and anticipated challenges of OFC production in Sri Lanka ...... 7 3.1.1 Background ...... 7 3.1.2 Imports, production and consumption of Other Food Crops ...... 8 3.1.3 Area under production of the crops & anticipated challenges ...... 9 3.1.4 Anticipated constraints in the organisation of production of OFCs ...... 12 3.1.5 Anticipated constraints related to cost of production, farm gate prices and CIF import prices ...... 13 3.1.6 Challenges Identified from the TAMAP value chain studies targeting domestic markets ...... 17 4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRENGTHENING VALUE CHAINS OF SELECTED 16 CROPS DERIVED FROM TAMAP VALUE CHAIN AND OTHER STUDIES ...... 19 5 TAMAP’S CONCRETE PROPOSAL TO ASSIST IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MEDIUM-TERM FOOD PRODUCTION NATIONAL PROGRAMME (TENTATIVE LIST) ...... 20
List of Tables Table 1: Imports of Other Food Crops ...... 8 Table 2: Area, production and expected yields of targeted crops in Yala 2020 and performance in Yala 2018 ...... 10 Table 3: Area requirement for self-sufficiency in the targeted crops ...... 11 Table 4: Import prices, cost of production and farm gate prices of targeted crops ... 14 Table 5: Price Structure for Sesame exporting countries ...... 15 Table 6: Differences in costs using alternative procurement options in LKR...... 16
List of Figures Figure 1: Cultivated area under Other Food Crops from 2009-2018 in ha ...... 9 Figure 2: Comparison of annual OFC requirements valued at different prices in billion LKR ...... 16
TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page i
ACRONYMS
COP Cost of Production DEA Department of Export Agriculture DoA Department of Agriculture EDB Export Development Board EU European Union EUD European Delegation FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FGP Farm Gate Price FO Farmer Organisation FPNP Food Production National Programme GAP Good Agricultural Practices GMPs Good Manufacturing Practices GoSL Government of Sri Lanka ha Hectare (10,000 m2) LKR Sri Lankan Rupee M&E Monitoring & Evaluation MoA Ministry of Agriculture MoF Ministry of Finance and Mass Media MP Minimum Price mt Metric ton NFPP National Food Production Programme NLDB National Livestock Development Board NPD National Planning Department OAP Overarching Agriculture Policy OFC Other Food Crops PPP Public Private Partnerships R&D Research & Development SL Sri Lanka SME Small and medium enterprises TAMAP Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page ii
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The GoSL has developed an action programme to boost domestic agriculture. This is in order to improve self-reliance by increasing domestic food production and responding to possible shortfalls in import supplies due to the Covid-19 crisis. This action programme, entitled the medium-term Food Production National Programme (FPNP) was presented to major stakeholders at the Livelihoods Sector Coordination meeting on 22 April 2020. The European Union, like other development partners in Sri Lanka, is examining the FPNP with a view to offering support in areas that are in line with its developmental vision and strengths. The Technical Assistance Agriculture Modernisation Programme (TAMAP) and the European Delegation in Sri Lanka (EUD SL) are submitting this Position Paper with a view to initiate the discussion on potential benefits, strengths, risks and any weaknesses of the FPNP. This will assist in identifying areas of collaboration both between TAMAP/EU and the GoSL, and other major stakeholders, on how to improve the success of the FPNP and mitigate potential challenges the agriculture sector might face in the implementation of this programme. Based on the experiences and lessons learned from various studies and stakeholder consultations conducted by TAMAP since January 2018, this position paper identifies ways to strengthen and support the value chains of 16 crops (Other Food Crops or OFCs) earmarked for increasing production and exports over the medium term.1
Other Food Crops: Challenges and how to overcome those Challenges related to land availability The Medium-Term Food Production National Programme is targeting an increase in the area under OFCs from 40,457 ha (Yala 2018 season) to 83,991 ha in the Yala season 2020. Finding the entire area of land earmarked for the programme and doubling the area from the last Yala season to the current season will be a challenge since the Yala 2020 season has already started. The area available for successful OFC cultivation is also constrained by the availability of suitable land and any additional land required to increase OFC production has to come from the land developed for paddy cultivation. In order to ensure that additional OFC cultivation in the Yala season does not undermine Sri Lanka’s desire to remain self-sufficient in rice, increasing the rice productivity thereby enabling release of more paddy land for the production of OFCs should be given priority alongside the FPNP implementation.
Challenges related to water scarcity and irrigation development Given that the prime areas for the cultivation of the targeted crops are in the dry and intermediate regions, successful expansion of the area would require improvements in irrigation infrastructure and water use efficiency. In the face of increasing water scarcity, attributed among others to climate change, the adoption of efficient irrigation systems (often called precision irrigation systems) need to be put in place. However, such precision irrigation systems are often either technically not feasible due to design constraints (centre pivots require large areas of up to 60 ha and drip irrigation systems require water with little silt content) or financially not viable (high investment costs of centre pivots or high recurrent costs for specific filters in drip irrigation systems) despite having irrigation efficiencies as high as 90-95%. Farmers therefore opt for modern, but less efficient irrigation techniques such as dragline sprinklers with irrigation efficiencies between 65 – 75%. In areas where
1 GoSL identified the following crops to be promoted within the mid-term Food Production National Programme: 1. Maize, 2. Finger millet, 3. Mung bean, 4. Cowpea, 5. Black gram, 6. Soybean, 7. Groundnut, 8. Sesame, 9. Horse gram or Kollu, 10. Green Chilli, 11. Turmeric, 12. Red onion, 13. Big onion, 14. Potato 15. Garlic, 16. Ginger TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 3
there would be rotation between paddy and the targeted crops, farmers have to maintain with flood irrigation which has efficiencies of not more than 35 -40 %. In view of this it is necessary to adopt measures to overcome water shortages such as decreasing the area under paddy rice coupled with increasing the productivity of rice (yields to be augmented) or to apply specific technologies such as systems of rice intensification (SRI) which have proved to be very successful in Africa (Kenya, Malawi and Ghana for example). Challenges related to availability of seeds In achieving planned increases in OFC production, Sri Lanka would have to rely on the availability of quality seed with productivity levels higher than those offered by the existing varieties. The cost of seed/planting material is a significant share of investment in the case of potato (55% of cost of production) and red onion (55%). Furthermore, Sri Lanka might not be in a position to produce enough high quality seeds on its own within the short time frame available. Studies reveal that constraints in seed production are of a serious nature. From small quantities of breeder seeds, it would take a long time to reach commercial quantities.2 Capacities of farmers are also often inadequate to apply best crop husbandry practices in seeds multiplication. Therefore, stronger participation from the private sector and (lead) farmers in seed production as well as the use of imported seed would be required. Challenges related to the provision of agriculture extension services In 2019, TAMAP conducted a thorough assessment around performance of the agriculture extension system3. Some of the challenges the extension service is facing are: • Weak communication between education, research and extension and inadequate coordination between the 47 entities which provide agriculture extension support • Inadequate funding for research and extension services • Lack of access to modern and dynamic agriculture extension delivery systems • Limited opportunities for continued professional development • Poor organisational management, lacking accountability and transparency with no central oversight. With the implementation of the action programme on the targeted crops, the agricultural extension service would need to scale up to meet needs of farmers cultivating the large variety of crops across a wide range of agricultural systems. Farmer advisory services operated by seed marketing companies remain restricted to a limited number of crops, primarily those procuring hybrid seeds. Exploring new approaches in agricultural extension which both encourage stronger private sector involvement and strengthen demand-driven advisory services appears essential. Economic implications and impact on productivity Sri Lanka should envision imports and domestic production coexisting given that domestic production would not meet the total national consumption requirement of all foods. Therefore, the need to increase productivity to levels that enable parity between import and domestic prices cannot be ignored. Guaranteed minimum prices significantly higher than the market (equilibrium) prices could lead to a misallocation of resources by conveying the wrong market signals. Fostering the production of crops with a lower productivity and export potential might lead to a crowding out of crops for which Sri Lanka has a comparative advantage, thereby adversely impacting exports and foreign exchange revenues. The rising cost of feed is likely to affect the profitability of the livestock industry, including milk and poultry production, that is promoted to meet the domestic demand. This can also be detrimental to the expansion of the aquaculture industry for which there is a strong domestic and export demand. Resources and inputs required to expand animal husbandry and
2 Findings of the first TAMAP Screening mission Central and North from 3 June to 12 June 2018.
3 https://www.eusl-ruraldevelopment.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Final_Extension_Report.pdf TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 4
aquaculture production would need to be either released from those currently allocated elsewhere in agriculture or produced by the sector. With the introduction of minimum guaranteed prices and subsidies, farmers might not have sufficient incentives to increase the productivity of commercially viable crops and might instead start rent seeking by maximising receipt of subsidies. Once the system of subsidies and minimum guaranteed prices has been established, it would become very difficult to scale down later if the situation either allows or requires it. Should that happen, GoSL might find that its food security goals would not be achieved either at the level of the farmer or nation-wide. Furthermore, high opportunity costs could arise by applying minimum guaranteed prices as it has been proposed. Our calculations show that instead of applying guaranteed minimum prices, annual savings (equivalent to the opportunity costs) of up to US $ 352 million could be generated which could then be used to finance a number of activities focusing on the modernisation of the agriculture sector, improvement of the productivity of paddy rice and high value crops or crops with a high export potential. Higher minimum guaranteed prices for farmers would lead to higher prices for the consumer. This could have serious implications on the costs for food for the urban poor and others on low incomes. Evidence from the eight value chain studies conducted by TAMAP demonstrate that in general margins (profits) of farmers for export production are usually higher than the production of crops for domestic consumption. Consequently, in order to promote a livelihood approach and fosters sustainable agriculture, agricultural production for export markets should be given priority since the farm income per ha of farmers producing for the export market is higher than for farmers producing for the local market. Recommendations derived from TAMAP work in Sri Lanka Based on the studies which were conducted, the following recommendations can be made: • Adopting strategies that secure land/water resources to support increased production through changes in farm size, modified farming systems, rice diversification and irrigation technologies and promoting the increased use of idle and less productive public and private land and improved allocation of land across different enterprises; • Promotion of vertical and horizontal integration in the value chains with a view to improving farmers’ access to inputs, services (extension, finance) and markets (wholesale, retail markets and processing) and assisting farmers in organising themselves in sustainable agriculture commercial business models such as cooperatives or contract farming; • Focusing on business-oriented economic incentives such as research and advisory services, training, investment in agriculture and insurance programs against crop and harvest failures; • Investment in paddy rice and OFCs should be promoted using low cost technology development strategies such as agroforestry and conservation agriculture; • Emphasising research, training and advisory services with a view to assisting farmers to diversify the range of products (including value addition) in line with changing consumer demand and focusing on crops and commodities with high expert potential such as horticulture products which have the potential to significantly increase the income of smallholder farmers; • Focusing on research and training to strengthen quality management systems (GAP, GMP, HACCP) and securing high quality seeds through public and private sector cooperation; • A stronger focus on crops and commodities with high export potential such as fruit, vegetable and horticultural products that create high-income small-farm operations; and
TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 5
• The need to implement a long-term overarching agricultural policy that will tackle the pressing reform needs of the entire sector and that goes beyond the short-term Covid-19 response4
How can TAMAP assist in the development and implementation of the medium-term Food Production National Programme? TAMAP is committed to assisting in the design and implementation of the medium-term Food Production National Programme. As such, TAMAP could immediately start with: • Developing proposals towards a Triple A Economy (Agriculture-Animal Husbandry- Aquaculture) with integration for increased productivity and profitability; • Supporting the development and outreach of concepts on E-Agriculture and continue supporting online trading platforms (such as Govipola and to some extent LAPMC) to increase farmers’ access to these platforms to market their produce and thereby support supply chains; • Conducting value chain/sector studies in partnership with DoA on some of the 16 crops which are considered high priority; • Conducting thorough and detailed sector studies in partnership with DoA on some of the crops which analyse Sri Lanka’s competitiveness, effectiveness and efficiency related to these crops; • Economic studies on import and export prices for all targeted crops; • Training of farmers in farming as a business and SMEs in sustainable business development (continuation of existing training with some new modules); • Supporting farmers in the formalisation and training of their commercial agriculture business models with emphasis on cooperative and contract farming development; and • Studying the benefits from investments in promoting export-oriented crops as the benefits of this have not been adequately demonstrated.
4 From April 2018 until Mid-2019 an overarching agricultural policy has been developed with wide stakeholder consultation of all relevant line Ministries at the central and the provincial level, private sector, and farmers. It has been published for public consultation in July 2019 and was ready for adoption. Following the change of the government it was brought in line with the new policy priorities outlined in the National Policy Framework and is ready for adoption. In parallel an implementation strategy with detailed costing has been developed. The OAP document which was submitted to Cabinet before 16 November 2019 can be downloaded from the EU-SL Rural Development website (https://www.eusl-ruraldevelopment.org/reports-documents/) TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 6
2 INTRODUCTION
The Government of Sri Lanka has developed an action programme to boost domestic agricultural production responding to concerns that Sri Lanka cannot rely on imports to meet national requirements of essential commodities in the aftermath of Covid-19 crisis and the aspiration to become self-reliant in the supply of identified food crops. This action programme entitled the medium-term Food Production National Programme (FPNP) was introduced to major stakeholders at the Livelihoods Sector Coordination meeting on 22 April 2020. The success of the FPNP, which is designed as a three-year action programme, will depend on further improving its current design considering account both national and international experience. Through this note, TAMAP and the EUD SL are sharing specific proposals for assisting with developing the programme and to stimulate discussion on how to mitigate any potential risks the agriculture sector might face during the implementation of this programme. Therefore, EUD SL and TAMAP present this position paper with the objective of initiating discussions between GoSL and other major stakeholders on supporting the success of the proposed action programme from the experiences and lessons learned from several studies carried out by TAMAP in 2018 and 2019. This position paper provides context for the GoSL in the implementation of the medium-term Food Production National Programme with particular respect to strengthening and supporting the value chains of 16 target crops (Other Food Crops). These are the OFCs earmarked for increasing food production in Sri Lanka and at the same time reducing the dependency on importation and increasing exports.5 This Position Paper includes a short outline of the challenges the agricultural sector is facing with regard to OFC production, followed by an explanation of some opportunities for improvement with a view to reducing threats and risks the agriculture sector could face in the future. Next comes a section on lessons learned and recommendations for the implementation of the FPNP derived from the eight value chain studies conducted by TAMAP. The final section presents a concise overview of which activities TAMAP has already started and what kind of support it could provide for the successful preparation and implementation of the FPNP.
3 OTHER FOOD CROPS: BACKGROUND & CHALLENGES
3 . 1 Overview and anticipated challenges o f O F C production in Sri L a n k a
3 . 1 . 1 B a c k g r o u n d
Other food crops (OFCs) constitute a range of field crops other than rice that are consumed in considerable volume. They contain a variety of cereal, grain, condiments, and root and tuber crops used primarily as part of the diet that supplement rice, except maize that is largely used as animal feed. The requirements for these OFCs has been primarily met through imports in Sri Lanka.
5 GoSL identified the following crops to be promoted within the mid-term Food Production National Programme: 1. Maize, 2. Finger millet, 3. Mung bean, 4. Cowpea, 5. Black gram, 6. Soybean, 7. Groundnut, 8. Sesame, 9. Horse gram or Kollu, 10. Green Chilli, 11. Turmeric, 12. Red onion, 13. Big onion, 14. Potato 15. Garlic, 16. Ginger TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 7
Import substitution in OFCs came to the fore with the achievement of near self-sufficiency in the domestic rice requirement in the 1990s. Increasing domestic production of the OFCs was seen as a readily available means to provide alternative income sources to farmers and save foreign exchange.6 This strategy is founded on the premise that the success achieved with becoming self- sufficient in rice can be mimicked with this diverse range of crops. The consumption of these crops has steadily grown over the years with the import expenditures rising concurrently. Import expenditures on food and non-alcoholic beverages have increased from LKR 220.8 billion in 2015 to LKR 255.1 billion in 2019. Thus, increasing domestic production was seen as a desirable target by GoSL for saving foreign exchange and providing farmers additional avenues for engaging in income-earning activities. The domestic production of the key products for which the consumption has been growing steadily, has remained well short of the requirements despite various support systems provided for promotion of their cultivation. Therefore, import volumes and expenditure have risen significantly over the years.
3 . 1 . 2 Imports, production and c onsumption of Other F o o d C r o p s
OFCs are a category of crops important to Sri Lankan diet. They comprise a group of crops for which demand grows with income. They are important to satisfying the demand for dietary diversity. OFCs provide carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and micronutrients. Maize and soybeans are important inputs for livestock production.
Table 1: Imports of Other Food Crops
2017 2018 2019 % % % Average Producti Producti Producti Crop Reqt. Production Imports Production Imports Production Imports on of the on of the on of the (mt/year) (mt) (mt) (mt) (mt) (mt) (mt) Require Require Requirem ment ment ent Maize (other than seed) 500,000 195,744 179,589 39 270,041 119,087 54 245,647 102,461 49 Potato (other than seed) 250,000 73,358 151,438 29 88,897 158,695 36 101,642 142,086 41 Big Onion 290,000 53,603 232,318 18 28,047 246,237 10 581 240,102 0 Red Onion 80,000 57,747 10,911 72 61,073 15,276 76 58,242 6,020 73 Black Gram 25,000 7,329 12,767 29 11,852 12,414 47 4,908 7,621 20 Green Gram 28,000 9,392 15,541 34 9,856 16,425 35 7,355 13,261 26 Groundnut 30,000 22,475 3,876 75 27,602 4,300 92 26,922 3,167 90 Dried Chilly 50,000 0 51,692 0 0 52,849 0 0 52,560 0 Soybean 250,000 14,363 3,176 6 2,500 291,387 1 2,197 293,178 1 Finger millet 14,000 5,574 2,918 40 8,060 3,084 58 5,474 3,456 39 Cow pea 20,000 8,576 7,345 43 11,180 8,135 56 8,067 8,514 40 Sesame 12,000 7,754 223 65 8,589 260 72 6,085 433 51 TOTAL 455,915 671,794 527,697 928,149 467,120 872,859 Source: AgStat. 2019. Data on Kollu (horse gram), Turmeric, Ginger and Garlic were not available. Notes: High quality sesame is also exported from Sri Lanka. The “average requirements” are projections for 2020-24 to cater for human consumption and the animal feed industry.
The consumption of other food crops has increased over time signifying the growing importance of these crops in the Sri Lankan diet. Some of the crops like potato and pulses, and condiments such as onion and chilli, have strongly growing demand given the pattern of the Sri Lankan diet. OFCs
6 When Sri Lanka adopted large-scale import substitution policies from 1970-1977, increasing the production of rice and OFCs was a key objective of the agriculture policy. TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 8
such as green gram shows some substitutability to lentil for which the demand is growing strongly. Maize and soybean requirements take into consideration the needs of the animal feed industry. Table 1 illustrates an overview of production, requirements (consumption), imports and the percentage of domestic production. The table shows that between the years there are significant differences in the percentages of domestic production related to the requirements. It also stresses that the share of domestic production related to the consumption of other OFCs is between zero (dried chilli) and 90% (groundnuts), but below 50% for most crops.
3 . 1 . 3 A r e a u nder production of the crops & anticipated c h a l l e n g e s
OFCs are growing in importance in agricultural programs. They have occupied an important place in the agricultural production programs with many of the 1.8 million farmers engaged in its production. The Annual Production Programmes of the National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture routinely plan for increasing the planting area and production by providing inputs and advisory services to farmers. However, the change in the area cultivated and the production of the majority of OFCs, other than maize, potato and red onion, have not increased over the 10-year period from 2009-2018 (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Cultivated area under Other Food Crops from 2009-2018 in ha
Other Food Crop Area Cultivated (ha), 2009-2018 25000 80000
70000
20000 60000
50000 15000
40000
10000 30000
20000 5000
10000
0 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Potato Big_onion Red_onion Black_gram Green_gram Ground_nut Chillies Soy_bean Kurakkan Cowpea Gingelly Maize
Source: AgStat 2019. The units for potatoes are shown in the Y-axis on the right.
The development of OFCs over time has to be compared with the Action Plan of the Medium-Term FPNP, which assumes significant increases in the cropped areas.
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The 2020 Yala Action Plan for the Medium-Term FPNP of the Department of Agriculture provides estimates of area planned and expected production for the 16 targeted crops. As illustrated in Table 2, the total area planted in Yala 2020 for all 16 crops is estimated at almost 84,000 ha. The planned area is more than a 100% increase over the area planted to the same crops in the 2018 Yala season which was recorded as 40,457 ha. The estimated yields in the Yala 2020 season for the targeted crops are computed based on the planned area and production. They have been conservatively estimated and are for most crops (apart from soybean and green chilli) within the yields accomplished in the Yala season of 2018.7 In summary, finding the entire area of land earmarked for the programme with a doubling of the area from one Yala season to the other will be a challenge since the Yala season has already started.
Table 2: Area, production and expected yields of targeted crops in Yala 2020 and performance in Yala 2018
Yala 2020 (Estimated) Yala 2018 # (Actual)
Crop Area Estimated Expected Area Planted Yield Planned Production Yield (ha) (mt) (kg/ha) (ha) (kg/ha) Maize 19,205 74,323 3,870 6,969 3,890 Potato 3,000 50,000 16,667 2,417 19,100 Big onion 4,500 79,500 17,667 1,174 21,500 Red onion 4,920 53,726 10,920 1,885 14,050 Black gram 2,056 1,912 930 763 1,030 Green gram 13,552 16,127 1,190 2,256 1,420 Groundnut 8,693 16,082 1,850 3,605 2,250 Chillies Dry 1,500 1,500 1,000 1,000 - Soybean 6,933 16,639 2,400 791 1,650 Finger millet 2,626 3,440 1,310 749 1,180 Cowpea 6,867 7,692 1,120 2,455 1,300 Sesame 3,339 3,372 1,010 8,886 720 Green Chilli 5,000 75,000 15,000 4,507 6,370 Turmeric* 1,000 15,000 15,000 1,000 15,000 Ginger* 800 1,288 1,610 2,000 1,600 Kollu 150 50 333 - -
Total 83,991 40,457
Source: Department of Census and Statistics
7 It should be noted that the requirement of Black Gram is taken as 25,000 mt following the DoA estimate. TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 10
Action programme and self-sufficiency on targeted crops Table 3 presents the data on the potential yields of the targeted OFCs based on the research trials and estimates of area required to be cultivated per year to produce the total annual requirement.
Table 3: Area requirement for self-sufficiency in the targeted crops
Crop Annual Potential Yield Area Required at the Requirement (Research) potential Yield (mt) (kg/ha) (ha) Maize 500,000 4,000 125,000 Potato 250,000 18,000 13,889 Big onion 290,000 20,000 14,500 Red onion 80,000 15,000 5,333 Black gram 25,000 1,800 13,889 Green gram 28,000 1,500 18,667 Groundnut 30,000 2,500 12,000 Chillies Dry 50,000 1,000 50,000 Soybean 250,000 2,500 100,000 Finger Millet 14,000 1,400 10,000 Cowpea 20,000 1,500 13,333 Gingelly 12,000 1,000 12,000 Green Chilli 75,000 15,000 5,000 Turmeric 15,000 15,000 1,000 Ginger 1,300 1,600 810 Total 395,421
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture
The area required to produce the national requirement must come from planting during both Maha and Yala seasons. The total area planted to the target crops in 2018 was 165,000 ha (DCS, 2019). Accordingly, an additional area of about 234,000 ha is required to plant the area required for self- sufficiency if potential yields estimated by researchers are achieved. In view of the above, it can be assumed that for a number of crops domestic production and imports will be happening concurrently. For this to work, improving competitiveness of domestic OFC sector must be ensured. Furthermore, cultivation of the targeted crops in drier areas in the Maha or Yala season would require significant investments in irrigation infrastructure in the face of increasing water scarcity attributed to climate change, amongst others. To cope with the water scarcity, efficient irrigation systems (often called precision irrigation systems) need to be put in place such as centre pivots for larger areas or drip irrigation with irrigation efficiencies between 90-95 %. These precision irrigation systems in Sri Lanka are often either technically not feasible (centre pivots require large areas of up to 60 ha and drip irrigation systems require water with little silt content) or financially not viable (high investment costs of centre pivots or high recurrent costs for specific filters in drip irrigation systems), or both. Therefore, farmers would have to opt for other irrigation techniques such as TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 11
micro or dragline sprinklers with irrigation efficiencies between 65 – 75%. In areas where there would be rotation between paddy and the targeted crops, farmers would have to stick to flood irrigation which has efficiencies of not more than 35 -40 %. In view of this it is necessary to adopt measures to overcome water shortages such as decreasing the area under paddy rice coupled with increasing the productivity of rice through augmented yields or to apply specific technologies such as systems of rice intensification (SRI) which have proved to be very successful in Africa (Kenya, Malawi and Ghana for example).
3 . 1 . 4 Anticipated constraints in the o rganisation of production of OFCs
Successful production of OFCs require particular soil and climatic conditions The dry and intermediate zones of the country are the major producing regions for OFCs as the OFCs perform well in the well-drained soils and relatively drier climate. The production is carried out primarily in the Yala season as irrigated crops in rice fields or in the highlands or to a limited extent in the rainfed highland in the Maha season. The cultivation of potato is primarily carried out upcountry due to its preference for a colder and wetter climate. While some of the lands can be cultivated to OFCs during the Maha season, cultivation conditions and yields are not favourable to guarantee farmers a reasonable return. The ideal conditions for cultivating the majority of OFCs are found when cultivation takes place in the Yala season under irrigation. Well-drained soils in the rice growing areas in the dry and intermediate zones that face water shortage for rice cultivation during Yala season have been found most suitable for profitable production of OFCs. In the absence of any new lands, with access to irrigation available for cultivation, releasing more lands from rice growing areas appears most promising to achieve the required increase in cultivation hectarage. In summary, despite the fact that suitable paddy land can be used for OFC cultivation in the Yala season, increasing OFC production is constrained by the availability of suitable land. Conversion of paddy lands for OFC cultivation in the Yala season should be carried out in a manner that is not in conflict with Sri Lanka’s desire to maintain rice self-sufficiency. However, by increasing the productivity of rice, more paddy land could be released for the production of OFCs while maintaining the current rice production levels.
Quality seed supply for OFCs remains a major challenge Agronomic technology, advisory services and input supply systems in support of the OFC cultivation have been strengthened over the last several decades. With the achievement of rice self- sufficiency, the agricultural research and development systems were reorganised to support OFC cultivation. Significant progress was made in the breeding of new high-yielding cultivars and seed production in pulses and oil crops. The release of a hybrid chilli seed variety with improved yields has shown promise. However, the same level of success could not be achieved with developing high-yielding varieties of maize, big onions and potato. In this context it should be noted that Sri Lanka is facing the following dilemma regarding potatoes. The yields and productivity of potato production is very competitive when using imported seed potatoes. These, however, are largely unaffordable for local producers. As a solution a system of producing tissue-cultured seed potato is operated by the Department of Agriculture. But the lower yield potential leads to low productivity that makes domestic potatoes very costly. The cultivation of maize, which continued to be unprofitable and failed to make significant progress for decades showed a rapid turnaround only after the introduction of imported hybrid varieties. The improved profitability encouraged more farmers to turn to commercial cultivation of the crop. The
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production of big onion is also limited by the availability of quality seed as well as areas with suitable climatic conditions. The local capacity to produce true seeds is insufficient to expand onion cultivation, and sub-standard onion seed obtained from India through informal channels are widely used for cultivation. Even with the improved hybrid chilli variety developed by the DoA scientists, insufficient local seed production capacity remains a hindrance with farmers having to rely on imported seed. As such, in accomplishing the planned increase of OFC production, Sri Lanka would have to rely on a similar increase in the quantity of imported seeds. The cost of seed/planting material is a significant share of investment in the case of potato (55% of cost of production) and red onion (55%). Furthermore, even in the subsequent seasons, Sri Lanka might not be in a position to produce sufficient high-quality seeds within a short period of time. Based on previous experience, constraints to seed production are the long-time taken to reach commercial stocks from small quantities of breeder seeds and that the material in the field often becomes impacted by pests and diseases.8 The capacities of farmers are also often inadequate to ensure best crop husbandry practices in seed multiplication. Therefore, stronger participation in OFC breeder seed multiplication has to come from the private sector as well as from (lead) farmers.
Agricultural extension and support services for OFCs are under-capacitated In 2019, TAMAP conducted a thorough assessment of the performance of the agriculture extension service9. Some of the key challenges the extension service is facing are: • Weak communication between education, research and extension and inadequate coordination between the 47 entities which provide agriculture extension support; • Inadequate funding for research and extension services; • Lack of access to modern and dynamic agriculture extension delivery systems; • Limited opportunities for continued professional development; and • Poor organisational management, lacking accountability and transparency with no central oversight. The agriculture extension service in Sri Lanka is currently not able to respond to farmers’ needs with regard to increasing their income and hence improving their livelihood, and to produce in accordance with good agriculture practices. This results in lost opportunities to improve income and food security and to alleviate poverty in rural parts of Sri Lanka. With the implementation of the action programme on the targeted crops, the agricultural extension service could face even greater challenges since the large variety of crops cultivated across a wide range of agricultural systems, by a large number of smallholder farmers, could impose a serious capacity limitation on the state-managed systems. Farmer advisory services operated by seed marketing companies remain restricted to a limited number of crops, primarily those procuring hybrid seeds.
3 . 1 . 5 Anticipated constraints related to cost of production, farm gate prices and CIF import prices
Table 4 gives an overview of the cost of production (COP) for a number of crops for the Maha and Yala seasons. In the dry zone of Sri Lanka, most of these crops are produced during the Maha season under rainfed conditions as less area is available during Yala. The COP for farmers varies
8 Findings of the first TMAP Screening mission Central and North from 3 June to 12 June 2018.
9 https://www.eusl-ruraldevelopment.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Final_Extension_Report.pdf TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 13
significantly between different production localities and over the seasons. Therefore Table 4 shows an average between low and high production areas. The CIF import prices are a proxy for the import parity prices (equivalent prices of commodities at Colombo harbour or farm gate when imported). The produce of local farmers needs to be transported from the production areas to the main markets especially Colombo. In the TAMAP value chain studies10 it was found that the handling, transport and margin of the intermediary stakeholders (traders, processors, wholesalers, transporters) is about 40% of the value created in the chain (difference between market price and COP). This translates into approximately 20 % mark up on the COP. Thus, even disregarding the profit for the farmers (the COP plus the mark up of the intermediate stakeholders), the crops arriving at the Colombo main markets would be approximately 20% above the COP prices as outlined in the table.
Table 4: Import prices, cost of production and farm gate prices of targeted crops11
2018 2017-2018 Farm gate price LKR/kg CIF import COP (family COP (family price labour labour LKR/kg included) included) 2018 Maha LKR/kg Yala LKR/kg
Maize (other than seed) 41.5 39.0 39.0 45.0 Potato (other than seed) 33.3 65.0 59.0 93.8 Big Onion 51.7 36.0 74.0 Red Onion 98.4 81.0 53.0 116.3 Black Gram 110.0 157.0 148.6 Green Gram 136.3 103.0 168.6 Groundnut 182.3 108.0 166.6 Dried Chilly 211.5 209.1 Soybean 69.6 71.0 104.3 Finger millet 70.6 98.0 123.4 Cow pea 123.4 141.0 156.0 174.6 Sesame 122.5 148.0 205.0 Kollu (horse gram) Turmeric 215.1 Ginger 198.5 Garlic Source: Own calculations based on various statistics
The COP for the various crops during the Maha and Yala seasons plus 20% mark up for other stakeholders in the value chain can be compared with the CIF prices for the imported crops.
10 https://www.eusl-ruraldevelopment.org/reports-documents/
11 It should be mentioned that in order to come up with import and export parity prices based on world market prices of main trading centres such as Chicago for wheat and maize and Dubai for other crops and to derive actual opportunity costs for Sri Lankan crops and commodities either meant for import substitution or for exports, detailed economic calculations should be made for all targeted crops in a study examining “Import and export parity prices for Sri Lankan agriculture crops to assess its competitiveness”. TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 14
Groundnut is the only crop, that it is competitive to produce in Sri Lanka since in both Maha and Yala seasons the COP and the farm gate price is significantly below the import price. For all other remaining targeted crops Sri Lanka is not competitive without high subsidies since the cost of production and hence, also the farm gate prices are significantly above the “proxy” import parity price. Unless COP of these products is brought down substantially through improved land, capital and labour productivity, these crops will need to be indefinitely protected. It should be noted that in spite of this general limited profitability of Sri Lankan crops and commodities compared to other countries, there is still a potential for exports to other countries due to the fact that Sri Lankan products such as ginger and sesame have a higher quality than those on the world market. In parallel, Sri Lanka imports low value ginger and turmeric for domestic consumption and exports the same commodities characterised by high value and high quality. The premium price in exports of ginger is obtained because of the strong gingerol content of the Sri Lankan product and in turmeric because most Sri Lankan turmeric exports are organic. At the present cost structure, sesame seed is the only commodity with a strong export potential among the targeted crops. As seen from analysis conducted by TAMAP on the export competitiveness of sesame (Table 5) Sri Lanka is competitive on the sesame export market compared to the supply of India (the major exporter of sesame seeds globally) and Nigeria.
Table 5: Price Structure for Sesame exporting countries
2017 2018
Value Quantity Unit export Value Quantity Unit export 1000 $ MT value $/kg 1000$ MT value $/kg India 435,182 331,524 1.31 530,343 326,626 1.62 Sudan 411,810 549,263 0.75 Nigeria 135,736 93,385 1.45 290,798 225,086 1.29 Myanmar 164,157 132,289 1.24 151,496 283,119 0.54
Sri Lanka 2,038 1,704 1.20 4,979 3,616 1.38 Source: UNComtrade
The economic costs across the 3 alternative options, i.e. local production based on farm gate prices and the announced minimum guaranteed prices, and importation of the annual requirement of the targeted crops are compared in
Table 6 and in Figure 2. The analysis shows that procurement (production in SL) of targeted crops on the basis of the minimum guaranteed price would cost about 180.1 billion LKR and using farm gate prices (based on domestic market prices) about 152.3 billion LKR, respectively. Importation at CIF import prices would cost 109.6 billion LKR, which is 70.5 billion LKR less per annum compared to procurement at the guaranteed price. These savings could be invested in productivity improvements of high value-added crops, modernization of the agricultural sector and other sectors of the economy, etc. With an annual difference of 70.5 billion LKR (equivalent to US $ 352 million) between the import value and the value using the minimum guaranteed prices, or an annual difference of 27.8 billion LKR (equivalent to US$ 139 million) between the import value and the value using the farm gate TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 15
prices, significant opportunity costs arise from resorting to domestic production. Should the GoSL decide to import these commodities, the savings equivalent to the above figures could be used to finance a number of activities focusing on the modernisation of the agriculture sector, improvement of the productivity of paddy rice, production of high value crops or crops with a bigger export potential.
Table 6: Differences in costs using alternative procurement options in LKR
Cost in 1,000 LKR
Annual Against inflation Against Against Requirement adjusted 2020 Minimum Price inflation adjusted in MT Farm Gate Price 2020 CIF import price
Maize (other than 500,000 seed) 25,200,000 25,000,000 23,213,981 Potato (other than 250,000 seed) 26,264,000 25,000,000 9,327,660 Big Onion 290,000 24,035,200 29,000,000 16,807,691 Red Onion 80,000 10,420,480 8,800,000 8,817,107 Black Gram 25,000 4,160,800 5,500,000 3,078,897 Green Gram 28,000 5,287,296 5,600,000 4,273,909 Groundnut 30,000 5,597,760 6,600,000 6,126,319 Dried Chilly 50,000 11,709,600 32,500,000 11,846,427 Soybean 250,000 29,204,000 31,250,000 19,498,277 Finger millet 14,000 1,934,912 2,450,000 1,106,574 Cow pea 20,000 3,911,040 4,400,000 2,763,939 Sesame 20,000 4,592,000 4,000,000 2,744,431 TOTAL 152,317,088 180,100,000 109,605,211 Source: own calculations based on GoSL statistics.
Figure 2: Comparison of annual OFC requirements valued at different prices in billion LKR
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190.0 180.0 170.0 160.0 150.0 140.0 130.0 120.0 110.0 100.0 In Billion LKR
Required OFC valued at cif Import price Required OFC valued at farm gate price Required OFC value at minimum price
Source: own calculations based on GoSL statistics and NPD computed requirements.
The implications for the Food Production National Programme demonstrated in this section can be summarised as follows: Guaranteed minimum prices, if not properly managed, can lead to distortions of the entire price structures and markets. Guaranteed minimum prices significantly higher than the market (equilibrium) prices lead to mixed market signals leading to inadequate allocation of resources to other competitive crops. Fostering the production of crops with a lower value and export potential might lead to a crowding out of crops for which Sri Lanka has, or can easily develop, competitive advantages. Displacing the production of crops meant for exports, that significantly contribute to foreign exchange revenues, by other low-value crops that depend heavily on subsidies should be avoided. Farmers might not have sufficient incentives to increase the productivity of principally productive crops and might start rent seeking by maximising receipt of subsidies. Once the system of subsidies and minimum guaranteed prices has been established, it becomes extremely difficult to scale down and phase them out later. If subsidies and minimum prices become unaffordable to maintain, the goal of food sovereignty might result in food insecurity. Furthermore, high opportunity costs could arise by applying minimum guaranteed prices as it has been suggested. Our calculations reveal that annual savings (equivalent of the opportunity costs) of up to US $ 352 million could be generated which then could then be used to finance a number of activities focusing on the modernisation of the agriculture sector, improvement of the productivity of paddy rice, production of high value crops or crops with a high export potential. A direct consequence of higher minimum guaranteed prices is increased prices for the consumer. This could have serious implications on the costs of food for the urban poor and others on low incomes. Promoting crops which are principally not productive will lead in the mid to long- run to adverse ripple effects on competitive crops and commodities which have potentially strong growth prospects. In parallel, Sri Lanka might miss the opportunity to develop a sustainable modern agriculture sector, including aquaculture and livestock, supported by the private sector.
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3 . 1 . 6 Challenges Identified from the TAMAP value chain studies targeti ng domestic markets
3.1.6.1 Margin shares and income of farmers
Evidence from the eight value chain studies TAMAP has conducted (vegetables, fruits, aquaculture, apiculture, dairy, palmyra, floriculture and essential oils) suggests that in general margins (profits) for farmers of export production are higher than for the production of crops for domestic consumption. Consequently, the farm income per ha of farmers producing for the export market is higher than for farmers producing for the local market. For example, in bell pepper, the COP for the export market are LKR 210 and the producer margin LKR 130 per kg while for local market the COP are LKR 150 with a producer margin LKR 80 per kg.
3.1.6.2 Challenges faced by farmers and other stakeholders
Stakeholders in the value chains indicated that laws, by-laws and regulations governing production and trade in the sector need updating. Both export and domestic market-oriented businesses face challenges especially resulting from the laws and regulations governing the import of agro inputs (availability and price of quality seeds and planting material as well as chemicals) and animal feed. For the local market, there is no mechanism to control compliance of stakeholders with the product standards without negative consequences in cases of non-compliance. For the export sector, compliance is enforced by the importing countries but there is no mechanism in Sri Lanka to push stakeholders to higher production quality. While only large-scale companies and multinationals have updated their technologies, farmers and food processing SMEs to a large extent use outdated technologies. Some farmers explained that innovation is costly due to non-tariff and tariff import restrictions on materials such as the construction of greenhouses. However, a major reason for low investment is also the low profitability of farming. The scale of operation for most smallholders and medium-scale farmers is too limited to generate sufficient capital for substantial investment in innovation. This is in particular because investment in maintenance of installations and equipment has been postponed for long periods and obtaining credit for investment is difficult. The scale of outgrowing and contract farming operations in the value chains studied is low. Such formalization of the vertical integration in value chains would contribute to greater influence by farmers on prices and delivery conditions. In addition, farmer organizations for collective business negotiation and information sharing is virtually non-existent. Collective action of farmers in the value chain could improve their bargaining power and lead to a higher share in the value generated through the value chains. The majority of farmers in these value chains produce very limited amounts of produce per day. It is not so much the small size of the block of land but the low profitability of that land that becomes the issue. For example, in The Netherlands the average flower farm is less than 1 Ha but the floriculture sector is one of the most profitable business sectors in the country. It is the profit per m3 (crops, floriculture) and per animal (livestock) that makes the difference. This is extremely low in Sri Lankan smallholder farming, particularly those engaged in secondary food crops production. In order to improve the income situation of farmers, two parameters play an important role. The increase in the productivity (as detailed above) and the expansion of the area for cultivation. Most smallholder farmers don’t have the resources and business and technical skills to operate farms profitably. Without further formalization of the value chains with increased transparency in pricing, risk mitigation through insurance and collective action to increase the share of value added in the chain, farmers remain in low productive farming activities. Small-scale credit programmes can only contribute to improvement of the situation once the basics of profitable business and capital TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 18
accumulation are in place. Credits and loans even at reduced or favourable terms will endanger the financial position of smallholder farmers if the basics are not suitable as can be seen from the debt situation of many smallholder dairy farmers at present.
3.1.6.3 Socio-economic aspects and impact on the environment and sustainability
Many agriculture value chains are dominated by a seasonal workforce without guaranteed income over the year. Payment of male and female workers is not equal for work at the same level. Worker safety is taken care of at processing, retailing and export in value chains with generally less safe situations at the farm level. Hygienic conditions in most of the cottage level SMEs for food processing are sub-optimal. Unpaid family labour remains a significant component of the labour provided. The Sri Lankan consumers have become increasingly worried about food safety and unless addressed, it will lead to lowered demand for some fresh and processed produce. Chemical residue pollution of land and water resources is significant in many value chains. The impact of changes in rainfall patterns, due to climate change, on the agricultural production are visible in most production systems. Some positive externalities were, however, observed from value chains such as apiculture, which contributes to better pollination of produce in other chains and at reduced costs. 4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRENGTHENING VALUE CHAINS OF SELECTED 16 CROPS DERIVED FROM TAMAP VALUE CHAIN AND OTHER STUDIES
Based on the above-mentioned studies the following recommendations can be made: • Adopting strategies that secure land/water resources to support increased production through changes in farm size, modified farming systems, rice diversification and irrigation technologies, promotes the increased use of idle and less productive public and private land and improves the allocation of land across different enterprises; • Promoting vertical and horizontal integration in the value chains with a view to improve farmers’ access to inputs, services (extension, finance),and markets (wholesale, retail markets and processing) and assisting farmers to organise themselves as sustainable agriculture commercial business models such as cooperatives or contract farming; • Focusing on business-oriented economic incentives such as research and advisory services, training, investment in agriculture and insurance programs against crop and harvest failures; • Investment in paddy rice and OFCs should be promoted using low cost technology strategies such as agroforestry and conservation agriculture; • Emphasising research, training and advisory services with a view to assisting farmers to diversify the range of products (including value addition) in line with changing consumer demand and focusing on crops and commodities with high expert potential such as horticulture products which have the capacity to significantly increase the income of smallholder farmers; • Focusing on research and training to strengthen quality management systems (GAP, GMP, HACCP) and secure high quality seeds through public and private sector cooperation; • A stronger focus on crops and commodities with high export potential such as fruit, vegetable and horticultural products that create high-income small-farm operations; and
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• The need to implement a long-term overarching agricultural policy that will tackle the pressing reform needs of the entire sector and that goes beyond the short-term Covid-19 response12
5 TAMAP’S CONCRETE PROPOSAL TO ASSIST IMPLEMENTATION OF T H E MEDIUM - T E R M FOOD PRODUCTION NATIONAL PROGRAMME (TENTATIVE L IST)
TAMAP is committed to assist in the development and implementation of the medium-term Food Production National Programme As such TAMAP could immediately start with: • Developing proposals towards a Triple A Economy (Agriculture-Animal Husbandry- Aquaculture) with integration for increased productivity and profitability; • Supporting the development and outreach of concepts on E-Agriculture and continue supporting online trading platforms (such as Govipola and to some extent LAPMC) to increase farmers’ access to these platforms to market their produce and thereby support supply chains; • Conducting value chain/sector studies in partnership with DoA on some of the 16 crops which are considered high priority; • Conducting thorough and detailed sector studies in partnership with DoA on some of the crops which analyse Sri Lanka’s competitiveness, effectiveness and efficiency related to these crops; • Economic studies on import and export prices for all targeted crops; • Training of farmers in farming as a business and SMEs in sustainable business development (continuation of existing training with some new modules); • Supporting farmers in the formalisation and training of their commercial agriculture business models with emphasis on cooperative and contract farming development; and • Studying the benefits from investments in promoting export-oriented crops as the benefits of this have not been adequately demonstrated.
12 From April 2018 until Mid-2019 an overarching agricultural policy has been developed with wide stakeholder consultation of all relevant line Ministries at the central and the provincial level, private sector, and farmers. It has been published for public consultation in July 2019 and was ready for adoption. Following the change of the government it was brought in line with the new policy priorities outlined in the National Policy Framework and is ready for adoption. In parallel an implementation strategy with detailed costing has been developed. The OAP document which was meant to be submitted to Cabinet before 16 November 2019 can be downloaded from the EU- SL Rural Development website (https://www.eusl-ruraldevelopment.org/reports-documents/) TAMAP Position Paper on National Food Production Programme Page 20
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 4
Briefing note for the President on the NFP aligned OAP developed by the Department of National Planning
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Overarching Agriculture Policy (OAP) 1. Overview Vision of the OAP The Overarching Agriculture Policy is mainly aimed Competitive agricultural sector for a prosperous nation. at achieving twin objective of ensuring the food security of the nation and reaching untouched niche Mission market in the international trade. This invariably Prosperous farmer Achieveing food sovereignty explains the necessity of making the farming
community rich through prosperous farming in their Objective To enhance competitiveness of farms which will be supported by technology through agriculture and agri- the entire value chain of all the crops. This will businesses through innovative and sustainable technologies include the provision of quality input supply, in form in a regulatory environment, of production with modern technology and market with a view to enhance delivery. The huge losses in post-harvest handling are contribution to economic growth and raise living expected to minimize through infusion of technology. standards of people in The water management will be given high agriculture, while ensuring sustainable use of natural consideration and new technology will be popularize resources and contributing to for increasing the water use efficiency. national food security and safety. The cultivation of cash crops in protected environment will be considered. The food safety and maintain quality standards delivers high recognition. The production of organic and GAP certified products will be promoted and popularized. The forward plans of the production industry will be instrumented to ensure food security. This will be supported by an online information system which is accessible to producers as well as the traders. The priority information will be shared to minimize unnecessary intervention of middleman to have a fair- trade benefits both producers and consumers. 2. Background
The National Policy Framework-(NPF) ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendours’ worked
out a programme of actions aiming to achieve a fourfold outcome: a productive citizenry, a happy family, a disciplined society and a prosperous nation, that will be built with the maximum participation of our people.. Accordingly, the overarching
Agriculture Policy has prepared to shift the Sri Lanka’s Agriculture sector to modernize set of priorities and values to stimulate productivity growth for a broadened
1 | P a g e nutritional food production, while embarking on new opportunities for farm income. It also incorporated the recurring and emerging challenges importantly global and national which influence the agriculture development, considering the roles that agriculture plays in the economy. .
3. Scope of the OAP
The Overarching Agricultural Policy (OAP) embraces all sub sectors and key institutions in triple A economy (Agriculture, Aquaculture and Animal Husbandry) which includes food crops, plantation, livestock & fishery (excluding marine fishery) and also allied services; irrigation, agrarian development and environment.
4. Policy Principles
The OAP stands on five principles which underpin policy thrust areas and the strategies.
➢ Prosperous farmer community ➢ Revitalized rural economy ➢ Ensuring food & nutrition security and food safety ➢ Keeping pace with global economies ➢ Promoting climate resilience and environmental sustainability Figure one illustrates detail of Policy Principles.
Having analyzed development trends, present scenarios & future prospects, lessons learnt from successful and innovative global approaches and best practices in agricultural development, 10 thematic areas have thus been identified where necessary effort is required for improving and strengthening the Agriculture sector.
➢ A Food Secured Nation ➢ Advanced Technology for Agriculture ➢ Production Support and Service Delivery ➢ Sustainable Water Resource Management ➢ Sustainable Land Management ➢ Development Support to Value Chain Actors ➢ People Centric Governance ➢ Fair and Vibrant Agricultural Trade Environment ➢ Safeguarding the Nation’s Natural Resources ➢ Overcoming Climate Change Challenge
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Policy Principle – Figure one
• Increase productivity through high tech agriculture, quality inputs and ontime availability. 1.Prosperous farmer community • Enhance farmer welfare via strengthening of the social security system for farmers and targeted incentives
• Enhance market linkages through providing market information via e-platform, improve inter/intra connectivity, system of pre- 2. Revitalised rural economy contract arrangement
• Effective Post-harvest management through providing better logistic arrangement
• Promote Agro tourism
• Achieving self-sufficiency in major food crops.
• Creating strong institutional structure 3. Ensuring food & nutrition security and food safety • Maintaining food quality/safety standards; Organic, GAP and GMP
• Connecting farmer communities to the global value chain
4.Keeping pace with global • Increase competitiveness by value addition and branding on to economies inherent comparative advantage.
• Exploring the advantage of Geographical Indication(GI)
• Reaching the untouched niche markets
• Promoting climate resilience; Climate resistant cultivars, green 5. Promoting climate resilience and agriculture, cascade development sustainable environment • Sustainable environment; healthy land , Catchment protection, soil rehabilitation and minimize the usage of harmful chemicals
Each thematic area defined particularly base on the policy directions and the trust areas. Policy directions embarked on now and in next few years will play a huge role in creating food security for vast population, improving the quality of life, overcoming the climate pressure while generating sustainable productivity growth and creating a modern, efficient and resilient agro- food system which can contribute to inclusive growth. Further, policy thrust have been identified for each policy directions which will ultimately transform to the strategic action to be implemented which have potential to remedy of the deficiencies of the current system.
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5. Thematic Areas, Policy Statements and Policy Thrust Areas i. A Food Secured Nation
Policy Statement: Maximize the contribution of agriculture to food security through a multi- sectoral approach.
Policy Thrust Areas: ➢ Adopt farming systems approaches for maximum productivity and farm incomes. ➢ Introduce and implement appropriate technologies and strengthen regulatory mechanisms to improve quality and safety of food. ➢ Promote organic and functional foods. ➢ Mainstream nutritional considerations in the food production strategies. ➢ Develop effective institutional mechanisms for moderating production planning. ➢ Introduce practical home-gardening technology targeting urban, semi-urban consumers ii. Advance Technology for Agriculture
Policy Statement: Promote appropriate agricultural innovation and technology transmission through investments in research, education, training and partnerships for sustainable agricultural production.
Policy Thrust Areas:
➢ Increase resource allocation for agricultural research, including through mobilizing private-public partnerships in agriculture research and investment. ➢ Restructure and transform the NARS for increased effectiveness and efficiency. ➢ Develop a comprehensive human resource and capacity building programme covering all national and provincial agricultural institutions. ➢ Review and strengthen systems for more effective linkages between research (knowledge generation) and extension (knowledge dissemination). ➢ Institute systems for performance review of research and extension programmes, organisations and systems. ➢ Strengthen systems for and stakeholder involvement in strategic planning and oversight of research and extension systems. ➢ Job-oriented and conitnuing eduction and training that leads to creation of professonally qualified service providers.
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iii. Production Support and Service Delivery Policy Statement: Ensure efficiency and effectiveness of production support and service delivery, to enhance competitiveness in agriculture, safeguarding the farming community.
Policy Thrust Areas: ➢ Review mechanisms for efficient and effective delivery of inputs (such as hybrid seeds) to producers. ➢ Create a conducive environment for the private sector to provide accountable, responsive service delivery systems where it has comparative advantage. ➢ Facilitate and support creation of business-oriented farmer organisations (such as production cooperatives) in agriculture and to form joint business ventures. ➢ Introduce systematic and evidence-based approaches in designing and implementing agriculture incentives. ➢ Modify the incentive framework for agriculture to increase affordability of ‘modern, high-end’ technologies. ➢ Improve targeting of social protection programmes for the deserving segments in the agriculture sector iv. Sustainable Water Resource Management
Policy Statement: Enhance capture and rational allocation of water for agriculture through participatory management while applying appropriate technologies and regulatory and conservation measures.
Policy Thrust Areas:
➢ Improve efficiency of irrigation water use. ➢ Increase sustainable water capture on-farm and retention in the soil. ➢ Implement measures and practices to reduce pollution of water sources. ➢ Use river basin-level planning in the restoration and management of water sheds and water resources. ➢ Improve coordination across all institutions responsible for managing water and increase stakeholder participation. ➢ Protect quality and improve sustainable use of ground water by introducing legislation and institutionalizing community-based management.
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v. Sustainable Land Management
Policy Statement: Improve health, productivity and sustenance of agricultural land by updating institutional and regulatory framework governing land administration and improving planning to ensure land allocation to its best use, speedy land transfer, and prudent management
Policy Thrust Areas:
➢ Promote measures to increase land productivity by supporting integrated agricultural practices that enhance nutrient recycling, reduce soil erosion and land degradation. ➢ Adopt measures to arrest loss of high-quality agricultural lands due to conversion. ➢ Create enabling legal backdrop to consolidate land by facilitating expedient transfer of rights to users of land from holders of land permits/grants to energize investment climate. ➢ Introduce science-based and transparent land classification and approval procedure for the cultivation of more economical crops in the paddy lands. ➢ Enact a regulatory framework to limit sub-division of agricultural lands below the current levels. ➢ Ensure rational and sustainable use of land through land use planning to support agricultural development. ➢ Mainstream a comprehensive approach to arrest and combat land degradation that includes research, extension and management and assistance programs.
vi. Development Support to Value Chain Actors Policy Statement: Encourage agricultural diversification in value chains through a balanced and streamlined approach using public and private goods and services to promote commercial agriculture. Policy Thrust Areas: ➢ Release more resources for diversification by rationalising land use by mechanisms which would boost production and productivity enhancement. ➢ Provide programmes to encourage investment for diversification into higher valued commodities. ➢ Encourage and support the development of value chains, based on forward and backward linkages and promoting the interest of farmers.
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➢ Modify the incentive framework for agriculture to make adoption of ‘modern’ technologies affordable. ➢ Facilitate easier access to value chain support services (such as credit, standardisation, certification and branding). ➢ Facilitate strategic collaborations among stakeholders towards improving the performance of commodities/industries (in particular: rice, export crops, tea, rubber, coconut, other export crops, cinnamon, pepper, fisheries, milk production, meat and eggs for export, and sugar) vii. People Centric Governance
Policy Statement: Ensure a strong institutional mechanism and coordination for agriculture development at national and sub national levels with wider stakeholder participation.
Policy Thrust Areas:
➢ Improve sector and sub-sector planning and coordination among central government Ministries and between central government and provincial ministries. ➢ Increase participation of stakeholders, i.e. farmers, private sector and academia in formal institutionalised dialogue at sector and sub-sector levels involving central government and provincial ministries. ➢ Increase allocation of resource for agriculture sector activities from the Central Government to the devolved structures, PCs or local governments. viii. Fair and Vibrant International Agricultural Trade
Policy Statement: Promote international trade in compliance with national and international obligations and standards, while addressing the needs of domestic producers and consumers.
Policy Thrust Areas:
➢ Create an effective legislative and regulatory environment to enable connecting agricultural exporters with global and regional value chains ➢ Develop management procedures and processes to minimize costs and delays in trade transactions. ➢ Develop effective institutional mechanisms to overcome procedural and information barriers that limit exports. ➢ Provide required infrastructure and capacity building in deficient areas. ➢ Improve predictability and transparency of the trading environment.
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➢ Upgrade national quality certification processes to international standards. ix. Safeguarding the Nation’s Natural Resources
Policy Statement: Promote and support exploration, conservation and utilization of natural resources for sustainable farming.
Policy Thrust Areas: ➢ Promote sustainable management of ecosystems involving crops, livestock, aquatic resources and native biodiversity through appropriate regulations. ➢ Promote eco-friendly farming systems for sustainable and efficient agricultural production. ➢ Include spatial and regulatory considerations in planning agricultural production systems to minimize human animal conflict. ➢ Conserve native/wild genetic diversity for future innovation. ➢ Take measures to increase forest cover and protect sensitive ecosystems.
x. Overcoming Climate Change Challenge
Policy Statement: Increase climate-resilience of agriculture sector through appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures while addressing loss and damages caused by climate- induced disasters.
Policy Thrust Areas:
➢ Mainstream climate action in policies, regulations, programmes and plans in the entire agriculture sector. ➢ Adopt suitable coping strategies and system improvements to increase resilience of the agriculture sector against the emerging climate impacts. ➢ Increase awareness and provide supportive investments for adaptation to build capacity of the farming community. ➢ Take measures to reduce risks from potential disasters related to agriculture ➢ Capture opportunities that arise from climate changes to maximize competitive and comparative advantage in international trade.
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Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 5 Overview on recent value chain studies carried out in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Overview of Sri Lanka Value Chain Studies Title Author Value Chain Year Methodology Key findings Source Analysis of cinnamon, pepper and cardamom value IPS, Jica Cinnamon, pepper, 01/03/2017 VCA method of USAID Lack of skilled labour, high cost of labour and planting materials, pest & diseases, low productivity, no access to more land, unstable market prices, high cost of chains in Sri Lanka cardamom transport, high cost of maintaining quality standards, market concentration. More emphasis on quality needed
Analysis of the fisheries sector in Sri Lanka Guided Arunatilake a.o, USAID fish 01/03/2008 VCA method of USAID fisheries need niche markets and product categories, new technology and support services, revising trade and export policies and developing infrastructure, private Case Studies for Value chain Development in sector need more acces to credit and encouraged to do more inter-firm cooperation Conflict Affected Environemnts
Pepper Market Survey Desjardins pepper 01/06/2018 Survey Sri Lankan buyers not quality conscience, no brand awareness Traditional Rice Value Chain Analyis Desjardins rice 01/06/2018 Survey and secondary sources Gender analysis info provided, two financial institutions provide access to finance. Financial products need improvement, more training of rice service providers and market study is needed Strengthening Value Chains in Sri Lanka's Stamm a.o, DIE all crops 01/03/2006 VC Approach Outgrower schemes most important for relational chains but investment is high and high risk, social inclusiveness in vertical linked networks is low mainly due to lack of Agribusiness information transfer to farmers but better in the relational chains, outgrowers schemes have the highest potenital for growth
Value Chain of High Value High Perishable Hathurusinghe, HARTI vegetables 01/04/2015 Survey and secondary sources High growth of production of high value vegetables, cost of production less than 15%nof retail price, short value chains, new generation of farmers into this business Vegetables following VCA approach because of high profit margins, innovation through new varieties, significant impact on poverty reduction, increasing urban demand
Value Chain Analysis of key F&V products in Sri PWC, ADB pineapple, mango 01/07/2017 secondary information and some Lack of good planting material, low technical know how, high post harvest losses and low quality of produce. Low wages, less involvement of women Lanka intervieuws
Value Chain Analysis in Dairy Sector Kilinochchi Achchutan a.o dairy 01/06/2012 qualitative study using value financial and educational problems of ppl in district obstructing investment in dairy. Cooperative society not enough technological capabilities to preserve milk and no District Sri Lank chain analysis value addition strategy Value Chain Exercise Kurunegala - Anthurium Smeets. ILO flowers 01/11/2007 EG VCD methodology coordination between organisations should improve, EDB should be involved, project selection should be improved, address the local and global governance of the TAMAP_VC production for exports export anthurium value chain, more focus on the local market needed and build business association, remove unnecessary intermediaries
Value Chain of Pineapple and Banana Hathurusinghe, HARTI pineapple, banana 01/03/2012 Survey and secondary sources badly ripening technology and handling in trade, processing companies have insufficient raw materials, limited access to credit, high costs. Public-private dialogue following VCA approach needed
Green Chilly Value Chain Anuradhapura District ISB, ASMP chilly 01/08/2019 VCD methodology Big local demand, farmer investment in chilly quite high, pest and disease problem, extension and research weak, volatile prices on markets Green Cucumber Value Chain Batticaloa ISB, ASMP cucumber 01/08/2019 VCD methodology Production for only one buyer under contract farming, highly GAP efficient but year round production not possible due to climate, productivity increase necessary
Groundnut value chain Mullaitivu ISB, ASMP groundnut 01/08/2019 VCD methodology high unmet demand on local market, quality and availability of seed is problem, poor farm management, no sorting and grading by farmers, knowledge gab, no collective action of farmers, Guava Value Chain Anuradhapura ISB, ASMP guava 01/08/2019 VCD methodology poor farm management, low quality seeds, pest and disease, low quality product, handling and processing underdeveloped, limited market possibilities, Study on Value Chain Analysis of the Processed ILO Fisheries, Fruits and 01/05/2018 Sustainable Livelihood Approach The project area is in the Northern Province and the study was done to sellect the value chains for phase two of the project. On the basis of people engaged, growth Food Sector - Phase 1 Report Vegetables potential, capacity and willingness of actors crab, groundnut, sea cucumber, coconut, prawns and passion fruits were selected. Value Chain Assessment in the Northern Province of K Islam, ILO Fisheries, Fruits and 01/08/2018 Sustainable Livelihood Approach This study further details the previous report of ILO. The selected value chains were further studied. Major findings are: 1) Groundnut has unmet demand in local market Sri Lanka Vegetables but availability of quality seed low,; 2) passion fruits has good opportunities for growth in export markets as processed products, 3) sea cucumber needs more technical knowhow with producers; 4) coconut has good growth potential with needs technical knowledge in irrigation, 5) prawn and crab suffered from over harvesting but both have good potential when farmed in sustainable way. For all these value chains the global enabling environment looks good. Female participation in these value chains is high but for fisheries confined to processing.
Passion Fruits Moneragala ISB, ASMP passion 01/08/2019 VCD methodology low quality of seedlings, volatile prices on markets but profitable business, high initial investment, no formal collection system, prices offered by processors are too low due to low quality of the produce (little juice in the fruits)
Vegetable Value Chain Study TAMAP vegetables special 01/04/2019 VCA4D methodology Middle East most promising export market for Sri Lanka, SL is high cost producer, low compliance with quality standards, cooling facilities are limited, lack of availability attention for bell pepper of hybrid seeds, import and export regulations are complicated, bureaucratic and change regularly, collector have the highest margin in value chain and big onion
Fruits Value Chain Study TAMAP fruits special attention for 01/05/2019 VCA4D methodology Middle East most promising export narket, limited supply of produce with export quality, SL high cost producer, cooling facilities are limited, access to agro inputs pineapple and mango difficult, complicated export regulations, processing industries struggle to get enough raw material and production costs are high, margin for mango farmers highest in export and wholesale to retail channel and for pineapple farmers in wholesale to retail channel Aquaculture Value Chain Study TAMAP Inland fisheries with 01/05/2019 VCA4D methodology Shrimps have diseases problem, local market main market for shrimps, farmers gross margins in shrimps and ornamental fish are high, polution is problem and special attention for business is looking for prestine locations in the East of SL, sector needs best practise certification system, in the wholesaleto retail channel shrimp farmers obtain a hrimps and ornamental 16% share of the value created in the chain fish Apiculture Value Chain Study TAMAP honey 01/08/2019 VCA4D methodology Low productivity, apiculture side activity of farmers, chinese honey on local market low priced due to adulteration, disease problems have occurred recently, processing technology of low quality, vertical and horizontal linkage in the value chain is now gaining ground opening up new local markets, gross margin calculation for larger beekeepers shows that honey production is contributing about 25% to the household income, farmers obtain a 7% share of the value created in the company to retail chain
Dairy Value Chain Study TAMAP dairy 01/07/2019 VCA4D methodology low productivity per farm and per cow, high cost of fodder and limited land for fodder production, no payment according to quality of milk, low quality of extension service, no eartagging, low success in AI, limited links between research and extension, erradic import policy milk powder and government pricing system, https://www.eusl- overambitious development program has put smallholders in debt. no livestock markets for old cows and male animals. In the fresh product chain farmers obtain a 17% ruraldevelopment. share of the value created in the chain while in the milk powder product chain farmers obtain a 8% share of the value created in the chain org/reports- documents/
Palmyra Value Chain Study TAMAP palmyrah 01/08/2019 VCA4D methodology Palmyrah Development Board mainly administrator not marketing and production supporter, under the current set up the sector doesn't manage to capitalise. Lack of tappers and strict regulation of use of trees reduces productivity, value addition in the sector is low and tappers get about 10% of the value created in the toddy products chain, only jaggery gives a high share of farmers in the value created in the chain
Floriculture Value Chain Study TAMAP floriculture with particular 01/03/2020 VCD4D methodology SL high cost producer, no plant breeders rights act and outdated quarantine laws constrain access to high quality inputs and equipment, weakly organised business, focus on cutflowers and tissue labs don't manage to get enough business, low mechanisation of the sector, restricted access to land, local market suppliers loose control over product during live plants transport, registered companies face fierce competition from unregistered companies, in the export oriented floriculture farmers get about 17% of the value created in the live plants business and 7% in the foliage business, in the local market oriented floriculture farmers get about 18% for dominant products (Gerbera and CHrysantemum) and 26% for rose and 68% for Lillys
Essential Oils Value Chain Study TAMAP cinnamon oil and citronella 01/03/2020 VCD4D methodology cost of labour for extraction, most operators have outdated equipment only 10 modern companies, pest and disease problems, quality problems due to blending practises, very little government support for the sector, SL is international market leader in cinnamon oil supplying about 25 to 30% of the global market. For the dominant product on the international market (cinnamon leaf oil), farmers get about 16% of the value created in the chain. the share of farmers in the value of citronella oil is higher both on the local and export market
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 6
Summary of the study on sustainable and organic agriculture in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Annex 6: Summary of the Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture TAMAP Study
Annex 6 : Summary Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture Study
TAMAP value chain studies indicated that organic farming may provide additional benefits to farmers and the environment. Therefore, TAMAP decided to commission a specific study on organic farming. This study was carried out by an international expert in organic production and certification together with a national expert in agricultural value chains. The TAMAP team studied organic vegetable, fruit and spice value chains in Sri Lanka.
Background In 2017 an estimated 69.8 million hectares were under organic management in 181 countries. Between 2016 and 2017, the global area under organic agriculture increased by 20% and currently 1.4% of the total agricultural land is under organic cultivation. 14 countries have more than 10% of their agricultural land under organic management, while the average share of organic agricultural area in total agriculture land in the EU is 7.0%. Currently, an estimated number of 2.9 million farmers worldwide are involved in organic agriculture of which 80% are located in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Most of them are smallholder farmers.
Principles of organic farming The main methods of organic farming are 1) increase and maintenance of soil fertility, 2) crop protection by preventive measures and 3) diversification of vegetation in the field. Organic farming is low in external inputs but demanding in know-how. It is not merely a replacement of chemical inputs with organic inputs, but a change of the whole farming system. Long-term studies in tropical agriculture revealed that organic farming generates yields comparable to conventional farming and generates higher farmer revenues.
Standards and certification In 2018, 93 countries had organic legislation, but not all countries had implemented the legislation. Some countries have no legislation but a national or regional standard. Sri Lanka is in process of drafting a legislation. Many countries allocate substantial resources to check farmers and certification bodies but assign very little resources to control the market places. Products need to be certified according to the standard of the country of importation. On 1st January 2021, a new EU regulation will come into operation. All products will have to comply fully with the EU regulations. Whether Sri Lanka has a national regulation and standard or not will have no impact on export marketing. Certification can only be carried out by EU approved certification bodies. Furthermore, for export to the US or Japan, certification bodies must be approved by the competent authority.
International markets The largest market for organic products is the US followed by Europe. In Europe, Germany has the highest market share in organic products. The expected global Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of demand figures between 16% and 18%. The global organic food market is expected to reach a value of Euro 236 billion by 2022 and further accelerated growth is expected
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after 2022. The relative share of North America and Europe in global sales is declining while high growth rates are especially anticipated in Asia-Pacific. In 2018, the organic spice market had a value of about Euro 246 million and is expected to reach Euro 366 million in 2026. Turmeric is the main product followed by pepper. India and Indonesia are the major producers of organic spices.
Organic farming in Sri Lanka The agricultural land area under organic farming has increased substantially in Sri Lanka from 4,128 ha in 1998 to 165,553 ha in 2017. The number of organic farmers doubled over the same time period. Currently, Sri Lanka has about 8,700 organic farmers, 224 organic processors, 311 organic exporters and 230 National Organic Program (NOP) of US certified exporters. Organic tea and coconut are mainly produced on large scale farms while organic vegetables and spices are mainly produced by smallholders. Organic fruits are produced both by large farms and by smallholders. Sri Lanka is among the Asian countries with the largest organic farming lands and the highest share of organic land in total agricultural land. The volume of organic exports from Sri Lanka increased from 4,216 MT in 2007 to 44,300 MT in 2018 MT and the value of organic exports reached Euro 259 million in 2015.
Legislation on organic farming in Sri Lanka The “Export Development of Organic Products Regulation” under the Export Development Act No. 40 of 1979 was approved in 2014. The Export Development Board (EDB) has been appointed as the competent authority housing the National Organic Control Unit (NOCU). Moreover, a draft Sri Lankan standard “Requirements for Organic Agriculture Production and Processing” was produced. The Sri Lankan Regulation is currently under revision and has not yet been implemented. Products that are sold in the international market as ‘organic’ must comply with the organic regulation in the respective export market. Products for the domestic market will have to comply with the national standard or any recognised international standard and will have to be certified by a certification body, which is registered under NOCU. All certification bodies must be accredited by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB) or any international accreditation body. International certification bodies are required to have an office and a representative in Sri Lanka.
Organic certification in Sri Lanka For the international market, the main standards and certificates are EU Regulations, NOP of the US and JAS of Japan. These are based on Third Party Certification. Eight international certifiers operate in Sri Lanka. But Control Union certifies about 95 % of all organic operations. The German control bodies, Lacon and the Guatemalan Maycacert started just recently. Some operators are also certified according to private standards, such as Demeter and Naturland of Germany, BioSuisse of Switzerland and Organic Farmers & Growers of the UK. In addition, a few operators are certified according to the Korean, Indian and/or Chinese Organic Standard.
The domestic market is not yet regulated as the national regulation is not implemented. The national regulation indicates that all organic produce should be certified by an accredited certification body registered by NOCU. Certification for the domestic market is currently done by international certification bodies, SriCert, Biocert, Sri Lanka Standard Institute or Participatory
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Guarantee System (PGS) certified bodies. PGS is based on group certification and is not mentioned in the regulations. Group certification is practised for example for smallholders in organic spice farming. Such systems can be of paramount importance for other organic smallholders as well. The fact that PGS is not included in the national regulations is a major disadvantage for smallholder farmers, who are supplying consumers in short and transparent supply chains.
Support to organic farming Companies with contract production systems provide extension services to organic farmers via their farmer groups. The public sector is hardly involved in organic extension services but all agricultural universities such as Peradeniya, Wayamba, Uva Wellassa, Ruhuna, Jaffna and Rajarata University of Sri Lanka teach organic farming. No specific organic vocational training programme exists in Sri Lanka. One-day (short) trainings for organic farmers are conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Centre for Excellence for Organic Agriculture. The micro finance bank organization SANASA manages six-months practical organic training courses through their centers such as EFAT – Ecological Farm & Agricultural Training. The Department of Agriculture, Centre for Excellence for Organic Agriculture in Makandura, Gonawila conducts research activities in organic farming focusing on organic fertilization. Furthermore, the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) conducts some organic farming research.
Availability of organic inputs Large organic companies cooperating with smallholder groups produce compost on a large scale. The compost is sold to their contract farmers. No other high quality organic fertiliser is available. Currently, the compost production can’t meet the demand and the quality of the compost needs improvement. All farmers and company representatives mentioned to the TAMAP team that there is no need for organic pesticides production as farmers can produce allowed organic farming pesticides themselves. Organic pesticides production may eventually be needed for vegetables farming for the domestic market.
Successful business models For export of organic produce, successful Sri Lankan business models are generally short with a maximum three members, i.e. • Exporter / processor – farmer groups • Exporter / processor – own production – farmer groups • Exporter – processor – farmer groups • Exporter / processor – integrator (medium sized farmer) – farmer groups Export companies manage the entire supply chain. They set up an own advisory/extension service and an internal control system (ICS) for group certification, pay for inspection and certification and are the certificate holder.
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In the domestic market three main models for successful organic production and marketing exist. They are: • Farm gate sales and home deliveries of organic fresh produce • Supply to supermarket chains and other retail shops • Supply to Good Market1
Case studies in organic farming Organic smallholder producers mainly work in three value chain types: vegetables, fruits and spices. Tea and coconut are mainly grown on large farms. Coconut is frequently intercropped with fruits and spices. Vegetables are mainly grown for fresh consumption, while fruits are mainly for processing where a considerable amount is being exported as value added products. Spices are mainly for exports while some products are available in the local market as well. Organic vegetable value chains are mainly oriented at the local market with limited exports. Producers targeting the local market obtained their certifications from Sri Cert and Sri Lankan Standard Institute (SLSI). Organic vegetables are farmed in a mixed cropping system not as a monocrop system. Currently about 10 to 15 vegetable varieties are produced in Sri Lanka. Organic vegetable value chains are short in terms of the number of stakeholders involved in the value chain. The average organic vegetable farmer operates around 5 acres of land or approximately 2 ha. Dependence on the public transport system to take produce to the market is the major constraint. Public transport doesn’t provide cooled transport and handling of delicate crops like organic vegetables lead to further losses. In addition, the supplier still needs to arrange transport from the central bus or train station. Major supermarket chains have their own organic stalls and buy regularly through their collecting centres. Supermarkets work closely with the organic vegetable producers to make sure that certifications are in place and products are not mixed with non-organic produce. Supermarket collection centres are equipped with a cold transportation system and produce is transported to their outlets within several hours. Producers bring their organic vegetables uncooled to the nearby collecting centres. Several hotels, especially in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Kandy districts have established organic farm fields to supply organic produce to their consumers. On average a plot size for a crop is not more than 0.25 acres and is divided into many smaller plots according to planting dates, to guarantee all year around harvests. This prevents the use of large and heavy machinery. Watering, organic fertilizer and pesticide application, weeding and harvesting are mostly done manually. The organic vegetable farmer has slightly higher financial return on investment than the conventional farmer, but especially in vegetable farming the external (environmental) costs of conventional farming are much higher than those of organic farming. Organic fruits are mainly grown for processing with only a very limited amount of organic fruits being sold fresh. Organic fruits are produced in an intercropping farming system (multi crop system). Approximately 10% of the organic fruits are produced in highly diverse complex cropping systems such as the “Kandyan Home Garden Systems.” Fruits that are grown organically in Sri Lanka are pineapples, mango, papaya, banana, passion fruits, soursop and watermelons. All
1 Good Market is a social business organisation started in Colombo in 2013. Suppliers can request to offer their products at the weekly markets or to be sold in the shop. Currently, the number of vendors selling their goods in the markets and shop is 160.
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these fruits are perennials. They can be harvested at least once a year while some such as mango, passion fruits and papaya have multiple harvests. Producers in export-oriented organic fruit value chains have organic certifications such as EU and NOP. Local market-oriented value chains work with Sri Cert and SLSI certificates. Some producers operate under group certification but most organic fruit growers are certified as individual farms. The processed organic fruit products are juices, fruits pulps, dried fruits (assorted products with spices and honey), pickles and chutney. These processed fruit products are mainly exported. Organic fruit value chains are shorter than organic vegetable value chains with only a few stakeholders involved. The large scale extensive organic fruit producers use drip irrigation with solar pumps, as well as machinery to prepare land and to apply organic fertilizers and organic pesticides, and imported protective bags against fruit fly attacks. These large producers generally use organic fertilizers and organic pesticides. The smallholders of the Kandyan Home Gardens generally don’t use so much organic fertiliser. Large scale organic pineapple production is concentrated in Gampaha and Kurunegala districts. Organic banana, papaya and passion fruit production is located in Anuradhapura, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi districts. The smallholder farmer’s Kandyan Home Garden organic fruit systems, operate in Kandy and Matara districts. The organic fruits farmer has a higher return on investments than the conventional farmer excluding the external (environmental) costs of conventional farming. Organic spices are mainly grown for the export market. The organic spice exports from Sri Lanka mainly include turmeric, pepper, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. Organic spices are produced in mixed cropping systems intercropped with coconut and tea. The organic spice sector uses “Spice gardens” as a major marketing strategy. Organic spice farms under the Kandyan Home Garden system are certified through group certification. Two types of smallholder farmer organizations are eligible for group certification categories (1) An association or cooperative of farmers holds the organic certificate and organizes the ICS (ICS is the operator), (2) A trader or processor contracting smallholder farmers holds the certificate and organizes the ICS (ICS is the operator). Sometimes the ICS operator does not own the certificate and certification is paid by a trading partner in Europe. Trading channels in the organic spice value chain are short. Organic pepper is mainly grown in Matara and Kandy districts and organic cinnamon mainly in Galle, Matara and Kalutara. Spices such as lemon grass and moringa leaves are grown in Matara and Hambantota districts. The organic spice farmer has a higher return on investments than the conventional farmer even excluding the external (environmental) costs of conventional farming. Small-scale organic spice farms use family labour while the large-scale organic farms use hired labour on a seasonal basis. Hired seasonal labour is paid a daily wage. However, workers at the processing facilities (such as drying facilities, extraction facilities and pack houses) are permanently employed and receive monthly salaries. Cooperation among producers is higher in the organic spice value chain than in fruits and vegetables. Organic spice farmers either operate as a farmer organization or as a supplier to a processor under a contract agreement.
Government and organic agriculture The Ministry of Agriculture has so far not shown a keen interest to develop this sector. Standards and legislation were developed without private sector consultation. The national standards seem to be not in line with the needs of the Sri Lankan organic farming sector supplying to the local market. Organic farming supply lines for the local market remain underdeveloped with low levels of investment in research, training and extension. IFOAM is recommending that the government should be primarily an enabler, and only secondarily a controller . In addition, policy design and implementation should be done in a public-
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private partnership following a multi-stakeholder approach. IFOAM has developed a guideline for governmental support to organic farming and a tool kit for standard development. 16 Asian countries have united and founded ALOGA (Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture) to encourage dialogue and cooperation among Asian local governments for the development of organic agriculture and its related industries.
Recommendations Organic farming of vegetables, fruits and spices increased rapidly in Sri Lanka. Such farming is financially viable for farmers, with similar financial returns as conventional farming at much lower external (environment) costs. The TAMAP team recommends that Sri Lanka develops a comprehensive strategy with an Action Plan for the development of its organic farming sector. Private sector stakeholders (producers, processors, traders, exporters etc.) should be consulted and involved in the strategy and the Action Plan, as most of the organic farming expertise is in the private sector. The Action Plan needs to be clear on the scope of regulations (standards and their intended use) whether the regulations are for the domestic market, the export market or both. TAMAP further recommends that: • Standards and regulations are reviewed and adapted to the local conditions and local market requirements. The current standards and regulations were developed for the export market. An initial standard should focus on local market development. It should be relatively easy and straightforward for producers and certified bodies to apply to these standards and regulations; • Sri Lanka should become a member of ALOGA (Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture).
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Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 7
Minutes for Programme Steering Committee No. 5 for the Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme (TAMAP) in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Minutes (draft) for the 5rd TAMAP Programme Steering Committee meeting on 13 February 2020
Minutes for Programme Steering Committee No. 5 for the Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme (TAMAP) in Sri Lanka Held in Randora Auditorium, Ministry of Finance, Economy and Policy Development, Colombo 01on 13 February 2020 from 02:30 pm to 3:30 pm
1 Opening Remarks The Secretary to the Treasury opened the meeting with remarks on the purpose of the meeting, which was to discuss the overarching agriculture policy (OAP). He indicated that the new government has a national policy document, the National Policy Framework (NPF): Vistas of Prosperity and for Splendour, that covers all sectors of the economy and not just agriculture. So, the focus has to be on aligning the draft OAP with the NPF. He stated that it was important to bring together key stakeholders, such as the NPD, the ERD, MoA and other agriculture sector members to review the draft OAP to see how it deviates from the NPF and then get the OAP aligned. He indicated that this should be done quickly. There were 27 participants at the PSC meeting representing key stakeholders. For details see participation list.
Presentations and subsequent discussions Agenda Item Discussion held and actions proposed Explanations/ / Issue way forward/ responsibility Presentation The presentation entitled “Update on Overarching Agriculture Policy Not applicable by Team (OAP) for the 5th TAMAP Programme Steering Committee 13 February Leader 2020” provided background on TAMAP, a detailed justification why an Overarching Agriculture Policy is required for Sri Lanka, highlighted the content of the draft OAP document and addressed the issue of aligning the draft OAP with the NPF. Discussion Mr. Kumarasiri, DG NPD: NPD will organise stakeholder meetings to NPD supported on aligning facilitate the alignment of the draft OAP with the NPF. Aligning the draft by TAMAP will the OAP and OAP to the NPF should not be too much of a problem. However, the convene asap a the NPF challenge will come when moving from policies in the aligned OAP to meeting with key subsequent strategies and action plans, which will require prioritising stakeholders to the actions that are advanced, and also implementable during the term draft finalise the of the government. OAP alignment process Dr. De Silva Addl. Secretary/ Ministry of Agriculture: The MoA has been involved in the process of developing the draft OAP and while that document is okay it now needs to take on board the priorities put forward by the new government, as presented in the NPF. The draft OAP should be reviewed for alignment with the NPF and then areas of divergence can be addressed. Dr. Attigala, Secretary to the Treasury: The policy should encourage young people coming into agriculture. Finalising the OAP should be done quickly, then the issue of financing the actions can be addressed. Mr. Frank Hess of the EUD: The EUD wants to make clear the constraints it is operating under. The EU wants to provide budget support for the sector, which would provide some of the financing for actions. However, the EU requires a sector policy to be in place in order to give budget support and this is the basis for the EU stressing the importance of an approved policy. The EUD is of the view that aligning and finalising the OAP can be done in parallel with work on developing the strategy. We are happy to assist in these processes.
1 | P a g e Minutes (draft) for the 5rd TAMAP Programme Steering Committee meeting on 13 February 2020
Agenda Item Discussion held and actions proposed Explanations/ / Issue way forward/ responsibility Dr. Olaf Heidelbach of the EUD SL: The OAP has had wide Se above involvement of stakeholders and public consultations so that there should be high ownership of the existing document. Dr. Pradeepa de Silva from University of Peradeniya: OAP development followed a broad consultative including the Provinces. It lists thrust areas under 10 thematic areas that were identified by stakeholders as priority actions needed. They can be aligned with NPF priorities to move forward. Mr. Ratnayake/Deputy Secretary to the Treasury: We should proceed by comparing the two documents (NPF and OAP), filling the gaps and then submitting the aligned policy document to the Cabinet. When developing the strategy document, we have to be careful so that we do not give a wrong impression of cost. Furthermore, the areas covered in the NPF have to be given priority in terms of implementation and resource allocation. This in turn would mean that areas not covered in the NPF, but in the OAP, can be still implemented, but will not necessarily have priority. Secretary to the Treasury: The issues in agriculture are well known to all. Finalise the OAP as soon as possible, review with relevant stakeholders and forward for Cabinet approval. Decision 1 The OAP document would be aligned with the NPF and finalized as soon NPD and as possible for possible submission to the Cabinet in March. TAMAP will convene a meeting asap Any other The Team Leader, TAMAP informed the PSC of TAMAP events Not applicable Business planned for February and March. The PSC was informed of: 1. Two value chain workshops, one in Kandy and one in Colombo, scheduled end of February. 2. 3 Logical Framework workshops scheduled for March in Colombo, Hambantota and Polonnaruwa 3. A gender symposium scheduled for 13 March at Waters Edge 4. An organic workshop scheduled for 17 March. Comments from PSC. The Secretary to the Treasury stressed the importance of holding the symposium at a location that facilitates participation of working women against in Colombo that tend to attract mostly activists based in Colombo. DG NPD remarked that the aim should be to finish all workshops by the end of March
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Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 8
Symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion
Workshop Proceedings Document
- Aanisha Cuttilan
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Contents
1. Introduction ...... 3 2. Key Findings from Presentation Bodies ...... 3 2.1 Notable Remarks from the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) presented by Ms. Asumptha Jayartnam ...... 4 2.2 Notable remarks from Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR) presented by Ms. Kala Peiries .. 4 2.3 Notable remarks from the Gender Responsiveness Analysis of 2018 Agriculture Budget presented by Ms. Sriyani Perera ...... 5 2.4 Notable remarks from the Panel Discussion ...... 5 2.4.1 Mrs. Jayantha Illankoon, Additional Director General – Development, Department of Agriculture ...... 5 2.4.2 Eng. Badra Kamaladasa, Former Director General of Irrigation, Ministry of Irrigation ...... 6 2.4.3 Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne, Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) ...... 6 3. Conclusion and Way Forward...... 7
2 | P a g e 1. Introduction
The European Union-funded Technical Assistance to the Modernization of Agriculture Program (TAMAP) in collaboration with the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR) organized a symposium on Supporting Agricultural Productivity through Gender Inclusion in commemoration of the International Women’s Day 2020. The symposium took place on Friday the 13th of March 2020 and was facilitated by Master of Ceremonies and Panel Discussion Moderator, Aanisha Cuttilan. Below is an outline of the major findings, recommendations and way forward as termed by the workshop facilitator. 2. Key Findings from Presentation Bodies
A total of six presentations were made on the day of the Gender Symposium by different affiliated bodies speaking on various aspects of gender in the agricultural sector of Sri Lanka. They are as follows: 1. Country Gender Assessment of Agriculture and the Rural Sector in Sri Lanka presented by Ms. Asumptha Jayartnam of the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2. Consideration of Gender Related Aspects in Agricultural Policies presented by Ms. Kala Peiries of the Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR) 3. Gender Responsiveness Analysis of 2018 Agriculture Budget presented by Ms. Sriyani Perera, EU Consultant and Gender Specialist 4. Ways in Which Gender Inclusive Planning and Budgeting Can Increase Agricultural Productivity presented by Mrs. Jayantha Illankoon, Additional Director General – Development, Department of Agriculture 5. Gender Inclusion in Irrigation and Natural Resource Management presented by Eng. Badra Kamaladasa, Former Director General of Irrigation, Ministry of Irrigation 6. Data Driven Agriculture – the Importance of Sex-disaggregated Data in Gender Equitable Planning and Budgeting presented by Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne, Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
3 | P a g e 2.1 Notable Remarks from the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) presented by Ms. Asumptha Jayartnam • Rural youth are stepping down from Agriculture and making their way to more comfortable, better paid white-collar jobs • There are 4 million rural households in Sri Lanka. Of these, 19% - 23% are female-headed with the unpaid family members being 78.9% female and 21.1% male. (Sri Lanka Labour Force Survey 4th Quarter – 2018) • Women’s limited control over resources, services and technologies reduce their agricultural productivity • Limited know-how and equipment increases food losses in production, harvesting and post- harvesting activities • In the stages of crop production, labour intensive duties such as preparation of the land, fetching water for fertilizer dilution, and fertilizer application are mostly carried out by male figures whereas duties that don’t require technological know-how are carried out by women such as manual planting and weeding. The same is applicable to the harvesting procedures. • Male figures also dominate the sale of produce • We really have not invested in changing the minds of target communities or giving them a proper idea on gender, in the local context, nor have we done this with counterparts. Because of this, officers are not completely against empowering women, but do require a mindset change for us to see any visible progress. • Alcoholism is not a factor with implications as once thought.
2.2 Notable remarks from Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR) presented by Ms. Kala Peiries • Within each key policy area, gender equality should be considered at all stages of the policy cycle inclusive of policy formulation, definition of policy goals and impact indicators, budgeting, capacity development of relevant actors, monitoring and evaluation, and policy adaptation • In spice based industries such as cinnamon, women’s participation is high, but the commercialization of the product is done by men • Most of the social protection schemes such as the EPF and ETF do not cover women who are in the informal agricultural sector and are thereby unaccounted for • Women workers are not protected by labor laws and the national maternity protection legislation, in many places, excludes agricultural workers as they are considered more or less as informal workers. As a result, women in the Agriculture Sector have little or no protection. • The agriculture sector of Sri Lanka operated a lot on gender blindness • Changes taking place in agriculture has different impacts on rural transformation at various levels inclusive of the use of technology and knowhow, market dynamics, change of roles in agriculture and credit worthiness
4 | P a g e 2.3 Notable remarks from the Gender Responsiveness Analysis of 2018 Agriculture Budget presented by Ms. Sriyani Perera • Women have limited access to extension services, training and skill development, technology, research and development markets – both local and export markets have women in lower level of value chain • At the Ministry of Agriculture 75% of senior staff are males • At the secondary level, 77% of staff are females (Development Officers mainly) and at the primary level, 13% are females and 87% are males (Drivers, electricians etc.) • At the Department of Agriculture, the female senior staff is more than the male staff, and only in the category of primary staff the male number is almost double of female number. (in the case of laborers, drivers, watchers, machine minders ) • There are no institutional mechanism for gender mainstreaming and gender responsive budgeting • There is a lack of gender analysis as part of project proposal development • Except mushroom cultivation all other projects are gender neutrall. However, being gender neutral does not address gender discrimination • Women specific allocation is not gender responsive budgeting • Non-availability of sex-disaggregated data makes it difficult to determine the realities of the agriculture sector • There is a lack of outcome and impact monitoring to capture change
2.4 Notable remarks from the Panel Discussion 2.4.1 Mrs. Jayantha Illankoon, Additional Director General – Development, Department of Agriculture • Modern developments show us that machinery is being replaced with hard labor in the agriculture sector of Sri Lanka • In the year 2019 there were 269 male and 205 female enrollments for the NVQ level 5 & 6 Agriculture Diploma. Though there are still enrollments, there is not enough youth getting involved in agriculture • The department of agriculture has 3198 employees at institution level of which 1,873 are female • The primary responsibility for childcare and domestic duties on women directly influence the type of work that women can participate in and the location where work occurs
5 | P a g e 2.4.2 Eng. Badra Kamaladasa, Former Director General of Irrigation, Ministry of Irrigation • There are many societal stigmas surrounding women such as menstruation wherein a menstruating woman isn’t allowed on to the field, the same way a menstruating woman isn’t allowed into a kovil duty to cultural beliefs. This restricts the ways in which women can work and lowers productivity. • Women don’t play a supporting role anymore but play an active role, especially in the field • Women are often times kept out of decision making meetings through humiliation and degradation – if a woman were to show up without their ‘male guardian’, she is shamed into leaving the meeting before anything productive is done • These decision making meetings are often hosted right after field work. This means that the male farmers arrive at the meetings drunk on most days. Involving women in meetings such as these will solve these problems and increase productivity. • Gender stereotypes in agriculture include o The lack of female role models o Negative influence of female peers o Lack of encouragement to go in to the field of agriculture o Active discouragement and harassment of women who try to get too involved o The lack of acceptance of women in most areas of agriculture o Women in rural areas face a sense of isolation
2.4.3 Dr. Bilesha Weeraratne, Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) • There are four Sustainable Development Goals that have direct implications on gender equality in the agriculture sector. Namely: o SDG 1 - No Poverty o SGD 2 – Zero Hunger o SDG 5 – Gender Equity o SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth • The agricultural household population in Sri Lanka consists of 51% females and 49% males • Of the agricultural household population, 81% are male-led and 19% are female-led • Sri Lanka consists of 77% male agricultural operators and 23% female agricultural operators • When divided by gender, the monthly wages of daily wage earners in 2017 were as follows: o Female wages: LKR 12,046 o Male wages: LKR 24,236 • According to the preliminary results from the IPS survey in 2020, 77% of land in Sri Lanka is owned by males and 23% of land is owned by females • On a national level, male citizens have a significantly higher computer literacy level and digital literacy level. However, there is no data available on the numbers in smaller scales making it close to impossible to scope the reality of the conditions in Sri Lanka
6 | P a g e 3. Recommendations
1. Assistance with assets such as boats should be also granted to women. 2. Sri Lanka need to recognize women as equal entities in all types of registration and recognition 3. Holistic learning opportunities need to be given equally to both men and women in mixed settings. This should include appropriate machinery/technology training, as well as marketing 4. In formulating policies, the recommendations of sectoral gender analysis should be followed 5. The policies should be clearly communicated to the officers at different levels of the organizational hierarchy and they should be trained to handle all gender concerns 6. Policies should be formulated with gender sensitivity by considering the factors which can “influence and assure “ the change expected in a sector based on the prevailing gender dimensions 7. A way forward needs to be determined by focusing on what women are good at, and thereby allocating roles such as these to them. Some strengths identified include: a. Multi-tasking b. Communication c. Team work d. Financial management 8. Sri Lanka needs small scale, concrete data, or data that is already collected needs to be made freely available to the public through digital means in order to trouble shoot problems more accurately
4. Conclusions and way forward In his wrap up remarks, the TAMAP team leader, Dr. Christof Batzlen concluded the following: In order to ensure adequate consideration of gender related issues, gender responsive strategies must be incorporated on all levels in all project proposals since the promotion of gender specific responses has not succeeded in eradicating gender inequalities. Mainstreaming (integration of )gender should be pursued on all levels, however on a less technical approach which in most cases cannot be understood and often leads to mental fatigue on gender issues a more “common sense” approach need to be applied. The fact that there are contrary / conflicting data and opinions on gender related aspects such as “women have little access to credit” and “on obtaining credit, women do not face problems” is another reason to compile gender disaggregated data to ensure that statements derived from the data are accurate and correct.
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Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 9
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training under social distancing conditions and online training
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training under social distancing conditions and online training
1 INTRODUCTION ...... 2 2 PROPOSED TRAININGS TO BE ORGANISED BY END OF DECEMBER 2020 ...... 2 3 TRAINING OPTIONS ...... 3 3.1 Conventional training under social distancing conditions ...... 3 3.2 Online training ...... 3 3.2.1 Online logframe training ...... 4 3.2.2 Online farmer and SME training in business development ...... 4 3.2.3 Online training for the policy analysis training ...... 5 4 CONCLUDING REMARKS ...... 5
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training and online training Page i
1 INTRODUCTION
In the third year of TAMAP’s work in Sri Lanka, a series of trainings and capacity building exercises were and still will be conducted until December 2020. In February 2020, two value chain trainings for stakeholders from the public and private sector were organised in Colombo and in Kandy (no further trainings planned on this particular subject) and two trainings on logical framework were conducted in Colombo and in Polonnaruwa in March 2020. At least three more logframe trainings were planned for March and the subsequent months, but due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, the subsequent country-wide lockdown and strict curfew, no training activities, workshops and meetings could be organised after 13 March 2020. From the worldwide lockdowns attributed to Covid-19 the necessity emanated to organise online meetings, workshops, trainings and also schooling. Sri Lanka has been no exception in that and the entire country experienced a 8 weeks lasting strict curfew from 13 March to 11 May 2020. While from 11 May, the curfew was lifted in most of the areas of the island, the curfew has prevailed in Colombo and adjacent areas, however under less strict conditions. Keeping social distancing and wearing masks among others, however is mandatory. Sri Lanka has a very dynamic environment and changes can happen very quickly. At the time of writing this brief strategy note, in all districts of Sri Lanka apart from Colombo and adjacent areas, meetings could be organised with up to 20 people respecting social distancing conditions. As such, there is principally at this juncture no need for online training for the trainings TAMAP envisages to conduct until end of 2020. However, if a second wave of Covid-19 hits Sri Lanka, then strict curfews will be expected. In view of that, this brief strategy note presents two options for trainings TAMAP could conduct until end of 2020: a) conventional trainings under social distancing conditions and 2) online training, either entire online or blended training (online with some face to face events).
2 PROPOSED TRAININGS TO BE ORGANISED BY END OF DECEMBER 2020
The following trainings are planned to be organised until December 2020: At least three logframe and M&E trainings, mainly for GoSL officers in the south, central and northern part of Sri Lanka (outside of Colombo). The recommended number (from the pedagogical point of view) of participants is around 20 participants to make the training successful. Four policy analysis trainings targeting GoSL officers on central and provincial level, private sector representatives and members of the CSOs. These trainings are planned to be organised and delivered at the Universities of Peradeniya, Rajarata, Uva Wellassa and Jaffna (all outside of Colombo). The recommended number of participants (from the pedagogical point of view) might be between 20 and 25 participants to make the training successful. Training of extension officers and (lead) farmers and food processing SMEs in farming as a business and essentials in small business administration and finance. Each target group would be trained in 2-day trainings. The recommended number (from the pedagogical point of view) of participants is somehow between 20 and 30 people. In total up to 12 trainings are planned (6 for each group).
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training and online training Page 2
Training in Statistics of Agriculture Research and Production Assistants (ARPAs), officers from the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and also from the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) in various subjects to improve the quality of data to be collected for the next agricultural census in 2022. Details have not been thoroughly discussed but a realistic number of trainees could be around 100 in 4-5 trainings outside of Colombo. It should be noted that this training requires more stakeholder consultation and discussions and the actual training might start in 2021. At the time this training might start, Covid-19 might not be an issue anymore.
3 TRAINING OPTIONS
In this section we outline two major options for training: conventional training under social distancing conditions and online training. Main focus is put on the three trainings which are currently under development. The training in statistics will not be explained but it would not differ much in terms of design, logistics and requirements from the farmer/SME or policy analysis training.
3 . 1 Conventional training under social distanc i n g c o n d i t i o n s
Since all trainings will be organised outside of Colombo, curfew restrictions are not applicable and the trainings will be organised either in lecture halls of the four universities, in in-service trainings centres operated by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Development, provincial offices or in hotels. The maximum number of participants will be 20 including the trainers. Social distancing conditions will be respected such as wearing face masks, keeping 2 m distance, use of sanitisers and adequate handwashing facilities. In general, conditions will be applied as per prevailing GoSL instructions. Assuming that the number of people to be trained will not decrease, the total costs of these “conventional trainings” will be higher compared to the time before Covid-19 since less trainees can be trained in one event and more training events have to be organised to cater for the anticipated number of trainees. Moreover, some additional costs will occur due to compliance with the social distancing conditions.
3 . 2 Online training
Contrary to the conventional training, the three trainings (logframe, policy analysis and farmer/SME training) might differ in terms of equipment and requirements. Furthermore, it should be noted that online meetings and trainings require much more attention and participants get quicker tired than in conventional events. As a rule of thumb, the duration of online training per day should not exceed 4 hours. Apart from an entire distant online training, the costs of the proposed (semi) online trainings might be higher than conventional trainings since more money has to be spent for IT equipment including licensed software, refreshments but also higher costs for trainers / facilitators and workshop assistants since among other more trainings need to be organised to reach the same number (as for pure conventional training) of trainees. Details costs can be developed in a second stage after receiving comments on this draft strategy note.
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training and online training Page 3
3 . 2 . 1 Online logframe training
The logframe training is very complex in conducting online. Logframe trainings are very interactive and the outcome of these trainings relies very much on motivation and commitment of the group members in developing concise flow charts, problem trees, etc.. As such we prepared two preliminary options which are further explained in Annex 1.
3.2.1.1 Option 1: entire distant training
Option 1 constitutes an entire distant solution where all participants are separated from each other. This would mean that all trainees attend the training at home or from their offices and will listen to the presentations by the trainer using software such as ZOOM or BigBlueButton and will work in virtual groups (5 members per group) using virtual flip charts. If the virtual flipchart / whiteboard is associated with challenges faced by the trainees, then the trainer could physically develop and assembles the charts based on the group work instead and shares the outputs with the various groups for comments and improvements. The trainer / facilitator could guide and monitor 3 groups during these sessions. Apart from high technical requirements (software with virtual whiteboard and flip chart), participants might not be so much motivated to attend with full concentration by sitting alone at home or in their office. According to our opinion, this Option 1 constituting an entire distant training is not the preferred option for complex trainings such as logframe.
3.2.1.2 Option 2: semi distant training
This option constitutes a mix of distant training and physical attendance where we have three physical locations with 5 trainees each working together in group work. The locations could be either conference rooms in the respective offices or a venue in a hotel. Each location has a larger screen allowing the participants to keep social distance and to see the trainer and the other two groups without visual problems. The software which is suitable for this kind of training is ZOOM or Microsoft TEAM. The trainer / facilitator makes his / her presentations which can be seen simultaneously by the three groups at different locations. In each location there is a physical white board and flip chart and the trainees develop their problem analysis, problem trees together and fix their cards at the flip charts and whiteboards. The entire process is recorded through the software so that the trainer as well as the other two groups can follow the group work and the group presentations. In our opinion, this semi distant online training would be the more suitable option and it can be expected that participants are more motivated to work directly with the colleagues. Therefore, it is also expected that the quality of the output is better than the sole distant online training option.
3 . 2 . 2 Online farmer and SME traini ng in business development
Like Option 2 of the logframe training, we prefer a semi-online training where one online training session is connected to up to three training locations. The trainer / facilitator works from his/ her home office. The training locations can be either an Agrarian Service Centre, an in service training centre or a hotel. Each venue has a large screen, adequate computer, microphone, camera and physical flip chart and white board. Since many farmers or SME operators have limited experience
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training and online training Page 4
in handling the IT equipment, it is proposed that each venue is supported by a workshop assistant operating the IT equipment and guiding the trainees in the group work. The number of trainees per venue should not exceed 10 participants and the duration of the training per day should be restricted to maximum 4 hours. The trainings are fully conducted in Sinhala and in Tamil. The number of trainees per location can be flexible as per prevailing instructions (thresholds) by GoSL in terms of maximum group size per event.
3 . 2 . 3 Online training for the policy analysis training
Without going into details, the policy training can be also organized (like the logframe training) as entire distant training or as semi distant training. Option 1: complete distant training where the trainees attend the training from their home offices or their offices. More sophisticated software will be required to make provision for online virtual flip charts and drawing boards as well as to split virtually in different groups. The required technical support for the resource persons will be provided by the PGIA through which the trainings are offered. The budget will be revised to accommodate hiring of technical assistants to support the resource persons. The disadvantage is that trainees, who are senior government officers, might not be so motivated since they cannot directly communicate with the colleagues. This option, hence is not recommended for the first training (and also not preferred for the three remaining trainings) which is a training of trainers. Option 2: semi distant online training where the majority of resource persons work from either PGIA, Rajarata, Uva-Wellassa or Jaffna and the trainees are distributed in 3 venues in groups up to maximum 8 people. One of the groups will be gathered at the same venue as the resource persons. The venues can be conference rooms at the university, conference rooms in the provincial offices or hotels. Social distancing will be respected and the three groups are always together: for the presentations made by the resource persons and also for the working groups. Adequate licensed software, good audio-visual equipment including large screens plus physical flip charts and whiteboards are required. The other resource persons will connect through ZOOM or TEAM. Option 2 will be a better option for policy analysis online training since it can be expected that it will generate the best output of the training due to higher motivation and commitment of the participants.
4 CONCLUDING REMARKS
Though, or also because, TAMAP, has limited experience with online trainings, it is proposed that if the situation allows, one should go for conventional trainings under social distancing conditions and online training should be the last option. If online training has to be pursued, then TAMAP favours a semi-distant approach where at least group work can be done in smaller groups sharing one venue. It is expected that output and outcome of the trainings will have a better quality since trainees will be more motivated and committed to brainstorm in a physically existing group than in a solely virtual environment where each trainee is isolated. Detailed costs can be compiled after having received comments on this document.
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training and online training Page 5
TAMAP strategy note for conventional training and online training Page 6
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 10
Logframe training (main) report
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202
De-Briefing Note 2 Workshops on Logical Framework Approach (Colombo March 4 – March 7, 2020 and Polonnaruwa, March 10 – March 13, 2020)
1. Workshop 1, Colombo March 4 – March 7, 2020
1.1 Background and Objectives of the Workshop
Target audience of the two workshops were Senior Public Officers involved in preparation of projects and programmes in the agricultural sector.
The two training workshops focused on
• improvement of participants capacities to design relevant and effective interventions (projects and programmes), based on a structured planning process (specific objective/training outcome).
Participants should be provided with/refresh + improve knowledge to
• Better understand the importance of problem and stakeholder analysis and skills to conduct one.
• Application and use of a methodology (the log-frame approach) for assessing the existing situation and causes of a given problem.
• Transform problems into actionable interventions to address clearly identified problems.
• Develop and use of the log-frame as a tool for designing, implementing and monitoring interventions, projects and programmes (training results/outputs).
The training intends to contribute to
• Successful projects and programmes in the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka
• Improvements in the Agricultural sector/for people working in the agricultural sector
• Contribution to SDGs 1, 2, 5, 12, 15 (overall objectives/impact).
The training was based on the European Commission (March, 2001) Manual on Project Cycle Management.
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TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202
1.2 Participants
32 participants (16 male/16 female; 31 participated in test-in/ 29 tested-out) from DNP, Ministry of Finance, and Ministries for Agriculture, for Livestock and for Cooperatives Development participated in the training. (see Annex 1)
All of them participated continuously and dedicated to the subject. The opportunity to work on own project ideas was highly appreciated, the overall training design and setup – a good mix between theory in-puts through powerpoint presentations (see Annex 7) and (planning) team sessions proved to be useful and effective.
The mix of participants – planners, project proposal assessors, project proponents, project implementers – was very conducive for this type or training: experiences could be shared, different perspectives on projects could be clarified as well as different information requirements for evaluation but as well for proper implementation of projects.
As a side effect, the proposal template of DNP as well as the Operational Manual, Project Submission Format (based on Logical Framework) of DNP was further explained and communicated.
Participant’s previous knowledge and training on the subject was quite different: a smaller number of participants who had already participated in similar training sessions were faced with a larger number of participants who were systematically introduced to the subject for the first time. Due to mainly terminology differences between Logframes used by different national and international agencies and organizations, the workshop facilitated a harmonized understanding for all – and a good understanding of how it is applied by DNP.
(English) language skills of participants were different, however, since during team sessions participants could communicate in the mother tongue, this could be compensated to a high degree.
Due to the overall size of the training group it was decided to split into 5 planning teams- which required significant time for presentations of and feedback on the step-by-step developed projects of the teams. However, there was at no point a problem with punctuality and time- discipline of participants – which can be seen as an indicator for their high motivation.
1.3 Logistics – organizational set-up
Originally the training was planned for a duration of 5 days, due to time constraints it was reduced to 4 days by extending daily work hours.
The workshop was delivered by an international PCM and LFA expert supported through a national co-trainer.
The training venue was equipped with screen and beamer for powerpoint presentation, and with flipcharts for supporting visualization of team discussions.
Coffee/tea breaks and lunch was provided close to the training room.
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TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202
A folder with the all powerpoint presentation, DNP template and manual, and the EC-PCM manual was handed out to the participants.
1.4 Results
Overall, the WS achieved very good results:
As shown in the test-in vs test-out evaluation (see Annex 2), the workshop has produced a good increase of knowledge of the overall approach and concept, and – in particular – has further strengthened the capacity with regard to needs assessment and problem analysis. ‘Customer’/beneficiary orientation and the technical requirements for indicators (as pre- condition for a robust monitoring scheme) have been discussed and further clarified.
Table 1: Comparison between entry and post training test
Number of respondents PRE 52 Number of respondents POST 49
Entry Test Results Post Training Test % change compared to entry test
% % change in % wrong % correct % wrong % change in correct Total % Total % correct answers answers answers wrong answers answers answers Questions / Modules Logframe Training Colombo 45% 55% 100% 73% 27% 100% 64% -52%
Logframe Training Polonnaruwa 56% 44% 100% 76% 24% 100% 35% -46%
TOTAL (Average from all) 49% 51% 100% 75% 25% 100% 51% -50%
Participants from Colombo increased the number of correct answers by 64 % whereas the participants from Polonnaruwa increased it by 35 %. This has to be seen in the context that the Colombo participants started on a lower level (45% correct answers compared to 56% correct answers in the entry test. In the post-training test, 76% of the answers were answered correct by Polonnaruwa participants while 73% were correct answered by Colombo participants.
Assumptions and particularly risks, risk assessment and risk monitoring were relatively new topics for most of the participants: assessment of external risks and conditions during design and planning as well as risk mitigation and preparation for risk management was an important issue during the final discussions.
Different tools to design and further develop projects were not only introduced, but practically applied and tested:
The five project teams, which were constituted at the beginning of the workshop, were made up of agricultural experts and planning experts, which allowed for in-depth exchange on both, quality requirements for project design and planning (and criteria for proposal assessment), and on the specific challenges of the specific constituency (the farmers) which are addressed by the agricultural experts. Four of the five projects (see Annex 3) on which the teams worked continuously throughout the workshop aim to improve the production and marketing of agricultural products of various value chains, one aims to improve infrastructure for agriculture. Interestingly, problem analysis (and as a consequence as well proposed outputs and planned activities) aiming at improving quality and marketing of the different agricultural products varied
3
TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202 significantly – which indicates a thorough knowledge of the regional and social conditions. 1In line with the job profiles of the participants, the five projects were planned as rather small scale and shorter interventions.
Another important result of the workshop was the strengthening of professional relationships and networks: the different (public) stakeholders and actors involved into agricultural policy worked intensively for four days and developed projects together. They now know the requirements for project design and planning better - and have developed a common understanding of the relevant quality requirements.
1.5 Feedback and Recommendations
In an open feedback round at the end of the training, participants were asked to provide comments for further improvement of the training: It was positively mentioned
• The training delivered lots of content and knowledge • Additional material was provided to benefit others involved into planning, • it significantly improved the understanding of the proposal format of NPD • it was designed along a high degree of practical exercises and opportunities to digest • Filled knowledge gaps • Highly motivated and got more motivated during the training • Good to share experiences from different perspectives • Before: completely new to the subject – now informed and first practice • More technical persons became familiar with planning tools. Further, participants recommended
• Have a fully developed training example from Sri Lanka context • Disseminate presentations in advance • Improve presentations, font size, readability of slides • Work as well on bigger interventions during training/management of big budgets e.g. irrigation, have 2 training examples (big and small projects) • Work as well on indicators for non-tangible outcomes, practice more in indicators with a specific training example • Last afternoon too fast – more time on project management tools, exercises on tools • More on monitoring + evaluation • Show an agriculture project in NPD format (good practice example) • Necessary to follow up after some time – present and work on different submission formats • Have an example from a research project • Involve technical staff into assessments of proposals – as well to apply the knowledge, as part of further capacity building • Inform and convince heads of departments – their support is needed to implement knowledge.
1 Project 1 “Increase the market share for Sri Lankan Cinnamon in high-end markets”,Project 2 “Increase the local production of Big Onion”, Project 3 “Improve the living standards of Banana farmers”, Project 4 “Improve the livelihood of Lagoon Fishing communities”, Project 5 “Construction of Irrigation reservoir and land development”
4
TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202
Based on the experience gained during training and discussions with participants, it is recommended (trainer recommendation)
• To further promote and facilitate design and planning sessions in interdisciplinary planning teams
• To encourage early involvement of planning experts (DNP) into design and planning exercises
• To further strengthen both, the quality assurance AND support role of DNP, probably with QA focal points, project quality network in the relevant organisations
• To publish good practice examples
• To further work on capacity building for risk assessment and risk monitoring, for participatory monitoring. Check mechanisms for flexible reaction during implementation of projects.
• Last but not least: involve superiors of the technical staff into capacity building on project and programme management. They need to be informed and motivated to allow and encourage ‘their’ staff to make use of what they have been trained on.
2. Workshop 2, Polonnaruwa, March 10 – March 13, 2020
2.1. Background and Objectives of the Workshop
See 1.1
2.2 Participants
21 participants (12 male/9 female; 21 participated in test-in/ 20 tested-out) from relevant regional institutions from Eastern Province (12) and from North-Central Province (9)2 participated in the training. (see Annex 4)
Different to the workshop in Colombo, all participants were hosted in the conference hotel, so they spent as well evenings together, and probably discussed and deepened some training content. Similar to the workshop in Colombo, all of them participated continuously and very dedicated to the subject. The opportunity to work on own project ideas was highly appreciated, the overall training design and setup – a good mix between theory in-puts through powerpoint presentations (see Annex 7) and (planning)team sessions proved to be useful and effective.
The mix of participants – planners, project proposal assessors, project proponents, project implementers – was very conducive for this type or training: experiences could be shared, different perspectives on projects could be clarified as well as different information requirements for evaluation but as well for proper implementation of projects. Different to the training in Colombo, more participants with direct involvement into project implementation, with experience in project management during implementation were present.
2 District wise: Anuradhapura – 8, Polonnaruwa – 1, Trincomalee – 5, Batticaloa – 5, Ampara - 2
5
TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202
Not all participants were familiar with the DNP proposal template and quality criteria for selection and approval of projects. Thus, as a side effect, the proposal template as well as the Operational Manual, Project Submission Format (based on Logical Framework) of DNP was could be further explained and communicated.
Participants’ previous knowledge and training on the subject was quite different: a small number of participants who had already had an introduction into Logical Framework (at University, by other donors), whereas the majority was familiar with project management for implementation, but had never been exposed to a systematic training. For some of them, the Logframe Approach and the logframe matrix was completely new.
(English) language skills of participants were very different, however, since during team sessions participants could communicate in the mother tongue, this could be compensated to a high degree.
Due to the smaller size of the training group it was decided to split into four planning teams- which gave more time for in-depth feedback on the projects and for plenary discussions. There was at no point a problem with punctuality and time-discipline of participants – which can be taken as an indicator for their high motivation.
2.2 Logistics – organizational set-up
Originally the training was planned for a duration of 5 days, due to time constraints it was reduced to 4 days by extending daily work hours.
The workshop was delivered by an international PCM and LFA expert supported through a national co-trainer.
Both training and accommodation of participants were organized in a conference hotel. The training room was adequately equipped and sufficient space for splitting into buzz groups and working groups was available.
A folder with the powerpoint presentation, DNP template and manual, and the EC-PCM manual was handed over to the participants.
2.3 Results
Overall, the WS achieved good results:
As shown in the test-in vs test-out evaluation (see Annex 5), the workshop has produced a significant increase of knowledge of the overall approach and concept. The slightly weaker increase in knowledge (compared to the Colombo workshop) can be attributed to the fact that Polonnaruwa participants started on a higher level in terms of correct answers. High importance was given to strengthening the capacity for carrying out an in-depth needs assessment, stakeholder analysis and problem analysis. ‘Customer’/beneficiary orientation and the technical requirements for indicators (as pre-condition for a robust monitoring scheme) have been introduced.
6
TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202
More attention was given to explaining the DNP proposal template, trainers went through it step by step and illustrated, how the information from and results of the different analytical steps feed into the template.
Similar to the workshop in Colombo, the function of assumptions and particularly risks, risk assessment and risk monitoring were relatively new topics for most of the participants: assessment of external risks and conditions during design and planning as well as risk mitigation and preparation for risk management was an important issue during the final discussions.
Different tools to design and further develop projects were not only introduced, but practically applied and tested:
Four project teams, which were constituted at the beginning of the workshop, worked on diverse projects, which reflected well the different fields of work of participants 3(see Annex 4). The mix between planning experts and subject matter (agricultural) experts was perceived positively. All four projects seemed to be very mature, close to or in the phase of proposal preparation and writing. The message ‘first develop a logframe (systematically), then write your proposal’ was well received.
Another important result of the workshop was the strengthening of professional relationships and networks: the different (public) stakeholders and actors involved into agricultural policy worked intensively for four days and further developed their projects together. They know now the requirements for project design and planning better - and have developed a common understanding of the relevant quality requirements.
2.4 Recommendations
In an open feedback round at the end of the training, participants were asked to provide comments for further improvement of the training:
• Very good overall arrangement and course set-up • The most important: application of the concept learned • High degree of group work, application exercises is very useful • Working group composition along divisions/offices/sectors of work was very good • Refreshed knowledge through practising • Knew logframe before, but now I can use it • Sharing of experience with colleagues was very important
• Completely new to me – now: very important for reporting, preparing ToRs for feasibility studies • Completely new – now idea on the planning process • Completely new • Learned new tools and methods, very useful for agriculture planning
3 Project 1 “Promoting TJC Mango production for Export Market”, project 2 “Construction of new DS Office”, project 3 “Promotion of safe vegetable production through protected agriculture”, project 4 “Promoting Solar Power for Mechanization of the Agriculture Sector”
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TAMAP Logframe Training – Findings from Colombo and Polonnaruwa Trainings March 20202
• Very useful for proposal writing • Have an improved proposal now • Improved proposal writing • Useful as well for proposal writing in other areas, e.g. for poverty alleviation • New NPD format is distributed • Until now we were only implementers, now we are as well proposal writers • Contributes to better M&E.
Participants recommended
• include more information on financial issues • Bring it even closer to the NPD format (one proposal/good example in NPD format • Spend more time on Theory of Change and strategy analysis • More on evaluation. In addition, one participant provided as well an individual written feedback:
• Created a better knowledge about LFA • Better understanding of problem tree, objective tree and risk assessment • Provided clear definitions regarding the NPD proposal format • Be able to formulate the specific objective and overall objective and have a clear understanding of the above • We got the knowledge on stakeholders and partners, and understand the different roles, in particular of partners • Clear definition of indicators • Acquired knowledge on risks and assumptions. In addition to the trainer recommendations from the Colombo workshop, it is recommended
• To familiarize regional staff with different national and international funding schemes, their requirements and priorities. A commented glossary, which explains the LFA related terminology used by different bilateral and international donors would be useful.
3. Annexes: Annex 1: List of Participants Workshop Colombo Annex 2: Entry-exit test Colombo Annex 3: Photo documentation projects Colombo Annex 4: List of Participants workshop Polonnaruwa Annex 5: Entry-exit test Polonnaruwa Annex 6 : Photo documentation projects Polonnaruwa Annex 7: Powerpoint presentations
8
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 11
TAMAP Govipola Launch Event compiled by Ngage
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
TAMAP Govipola Launch Event 28th January 2020
Media Coverage and Value Delivery Report 29.01.2020 - 07.02.2020
Bates Strategic Alliance and Strategic Alliance PR MEDIA PUBLICITY REPORT VALUE INDEX EU TAMAP – January 2020 PRINT MEDIA PUBLICITY REPORT
Activity: TAMAP launches Govipola; an improved Market Information System and Trading Platform for Agriculture Col. Cm Advertising Publication Date Circulation Width Cols. Length cm Size (Col Cm) Rate Value (Rs) Ceylon Today 29-01-20 49,000 8 10 80 550 44,000 Cont. Page 49,000 6 23 138 250 34,500 Daily Mirror 29-01-20 85,000 7 15 105 480 50,400 Daily FT 30-01-19 35,000 3 49 147 415 61,005 Daily News 31-01-19 95,000 10 13 130 480 62,400 Tamil Mirror 31-01-19 35,000 8 13 104 350 36,400 Virakesari 31-01-19 100,000 6 9 24 450 10,800 Sunday Thinakaran 02-02-20 60,000 7 14 24 200 4,800 Sunday Thinakkural 02-02-20 115,000 4 23 92 540 49,680 Sunday Morning 02-02-20 200,777 7 38 266 600 159,600 Sunday Morning 02-02-20 200,777 7 35 245 600 147,000 Adha 06-02-20 75,000 4 22 88 475 41,800 Dinamina 06-02-20 65,000 5 23 115 450 51,750 The Island 07-02-20 69,000 6 15 90 320 28,800
TOTAL 782,935
ELECTRONIC (TV) MEDIA PUBLICITY REPORT Earned Media Channel Title Duration Value (Rs) TV Derana Main News 2 Mints 1,060,800
TOTAL 1,060,800
ONLINE MEDIA PUBLICITY REPORT Online Media Date Total Ceylon Today 29-01-20 20,000 Daily FT 30-01-20 20,000 Press Reader 30-01-20 20,000 Sunday Morning 31-01-20 20,000 Biz Report (S) 01-02-20 20,000 Lunu.lk (S) 05-02-20 20,000 Prime News (S) 05-02-20 20,000 Adaderana (S) 05.02.20 20,000
TOTAL 160,000
GRAND TOTAL FOR ALL MEDIA 2,003,735 ONLINE APPEARANCES – WEB LINKS
Coverage Appeared in: Date Online (Link) Ceylon Today 29.01.20 https://ceylontoday.lk/print-more/50781
Press Reader 29.01.20 https://www.pressreader.com/
Daily FT 30.01.20 http://www.ft.lk/agriculture/TAMAP-launches-Govipola-improved-market-information-system-and- trading-platform-for-agriculture/31-694642 Sunday Morning 31.01.20 http://www.themorning.lk/brunch-page-10-govipola/
Biz Report (S) 01.02.20 https://bizreport.lk/2020/01/31/%e0%b6%9a%e0%b7%98%e0%b7%82%e0%b7%92%e0%b6%9a%e0%b 6%bb%e0%b7%8a%e0%b6%b8%e0%b7%8f%e0%b6%b1%e0%b7%8a%e0%b6%ad%e0%b6%ba- %e0%b7%80%e0%b7%99%e0%b6%b1%e0%b7%94%e0%b7%80%e0%b7%99%e0%b6%b1%e0%b7%8a/ Lunu.lk (S) 05.02.20 http://lunu.lk/%e0%b7%81%e2%80%8d%e0%b7%8a%e2%80%8d%e0%b6%bb%e0%b7%93- %e0%b6%bd%e0%b6%82%e0%b6%9a%e0%b7%8f%e0%b7%80%e0%b7%9a- %e0%b6%9a%e0%b7%98%e0%b7%82%e0%b7%92%e0%b6%9a%e0%b6%bb%e0%b7%8a%e0%b6%b8% e0%b7%8f%e0%b6%b1/ Prime News (S) 05.02.20 https://primenews.lk/2020/02/05/tamap/ Adaderna (S) 05.02.20 http://biz.adaderana.lk/%e0%b6%9c%e0%b7%9c%e0%b7%80%e0%b7%92%e0%b6%b4%e0%b7%9c%e0 %b6%bd-app-%e0%b6%b4%e0%b7%84%e0%b7%83%e0%b7%94%e0%b6%9a%e0%b6%b8- %e0%b6%af%e0%b7%92%e0%b6%ba%e0%b6%ad/ TV NEWS CLIP – LINK
Coverage Appeared in: Date Electronic (TV) Tv Derana (30’55” onwards) 30.01.20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtmUqmiCtKI&feature=youtu.be&t=1835 Farmers go high-tech with new agri app Date: 29.01.2020 Publication: Ceylon Today Pg: 01 Cont. 07 Local farming community receives fresh impetus with ‘Govipola’ ICT solution Date: 29.01.2020 Publication: Daily Mirror Pg: 05 TAMAP launches ‘Govipola’; improved market information system and trading platform for agriculture
Date: 30.01.2020 Publication: Daily FT Pg: 06 Govipola app to support farmers Date: 31.01.2020 Publication: Daily News Pg: 02 Govipola app to support farmers Date: 31.01.2020 Publication: Tamil Mirror Pg: 15 Govipola app to support farmers Date: 31.01.2020 Publication: Virakesari Pg: 13 Govipola app to support farmers Date: 02.02.2020 Publication: Thinakaran Pg: 31 Govipola app to support farmers Date: 02.02.2020 Publication: Sunday Thinakkural Pg: 19 Govipola 2.0: A digital market place for traditional agriculture Date: 02.02.2020 Publication: Sunday Morning Pg: 04 Govipola the online farmers’ market Date: 02.02.2020 Publication: Sunday Morning Pg: 10 Govipola app to support farmers Date: 06.02.2020 Publication: Adha Pg: 13 Govipola app to support farmers Date: 06.02.2020 Publication: Dinamina Pg: 20 TAMAP launches ‘Govipola’ ; an improved market information system and trading platform for agriculture Date: 07.02.2020 Publication: The Island Pg: 03
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 12
Summarised outcome of the E-Agriculture workshop organised on 25th June 2020
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Report of the Workshop on E-Agriculture 25th June 2020
Jointly Organized by the
"Technical Assistance to the Modernization of Agriculture Programme (TAMAP) in Sri Lanka & Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI)
Room Mont Blanc, Mövenpick Hotel, Colombo
1. The TAMAP in collaboration with HARTI organized a half-day workshop on E-Agriculture and Digital Market Platforms in the Mövenpick Hotel, Colombo on 25th June 2020.
2. The workshop was aimed to bringing in existing E-Agriculture and Digital Market Platform providers as well as interested parties and users of these E-Agriculture systems together to do a stocktaking on who is doing what and how.
3. Further, the important stakeholders such as GoSL (Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development) and FAO were invited to provide a feedback on future plans to develop E-Agriculture systems in Sri Lanka. Several Digital Market Platform providers showcased their products and informed of the challenges faced by the sector.
4. A panel discussion followed the presentation session with a view to look into strategies to unlock key bottlenecks for E-Agriculture sector development.
5. The plenary sessions and the panel discussion was moderated by Prof. Buddhi Marambe of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya.
6. The workshop was held in a hybrid mode with participants at physical presence and online, depending on their choice. The agenda of the workshop is presented as Annex 1 and the list of participants in Annex 2. The number of participants representing the government sector was 14, private Sector 22, and development partners were 9 summing up to 45 participants physically joining the workshop. 95 people were following the workshop on ZOOM and facebook.
1 Workshop Proceedings:
7. Christof Batzlen delivered the welcome address on behalf of the TAMAP and HARTI while highlighting the importance of E-Agriculture in Sri Lanka’s development agenda.
8. Sebastian Balcerak of TAMAP presented a plenary on “What is E-Agriculture? Overview on various E-Agriculture systems and Applications in the Global World”. While identifying the market players, Mr. Balcerak highlighted the fact that E-Agriculture addresses the market exclusion of small actors and give them access to informed decisions. From policy perspectives, E-Agriculture is the most promising alternative to existing agriculture policies as it allows to substitute measures targeting market failure with data, network effect and technology.
9. Xuebing Sun presented the FAO’s Digital Agriculture Strategy, Approach and Plan. While highlighting on the importance of digital agriculture, Mr. Sun illustrated the potential benefits of digital agriculture across value chains and the need for a national approach in this regard. Further, Mr. Sun highlighted the framework for Development of a National Digital-agriculture Strategy which is composed of (1a the vision and strategic recommendations, (b) the action plan, (c) the Monitoring and Evaluation framework and (d) a digital platform is only the first step towards realizing the transformative potential of ICT in agriculture.
10. S. Periyasami, the Director of the National Agriculture Information and Communication Center (NAICC) of the Department of Agriculture presented the Sri Lanka National E- Agriculture Strategy and Action plan 2016. With the achievement on development of few mobile apps (Crop Forecaster, Krushi Advisor, Sri Lanka Paddy Fertilizer), Mr. Periyasami highlighted the lack of leadership in the top level Steering Committee appointed under the National E-Agriculture Strategy, to implement the identified actions.
11. Professor Ranjith Premalal de Silva, the Director/CEO of the HARTI, presented the issues and expectations of Digital Marketing Platforms. Prof. De Silva has structured his presentation on farmer’s perspective, buyer or consumer perspectives, middlemen, e-product deliverables and assessing technological backdrop.
2 Stocktaking Session 12. Suren Kohombange (Croptronix Pvt. Ltd.) introduced ‘Govipola’ (Figure 1) the Sri Lanka’s first and the largest online agriculture trading platform.
Figure 1. Screenshot of Govipola digital platform.
13. With a modest launch in October 2018, ‘Govipola’ has evolved (Figures 2 and 3) with EU, Lanka Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Processors, and Exporters Association (LFVPPEA), university of Moratuwa, Central Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka telecom, Dialog Axiata PLC, Cargills Bank, and SDB Bank as current partners, and Oki-Doki as the future logistics partner. The ‘Govipola’ has had a larger community reach and has identified the absence of a logistic partner as a major drawback for improving its outreach.
14. Govipola is happy to integrate to a national platform on e-agriculture
Figure 2. Govipola Seller Distribution Figure 3. Govipola Buyer Distribution
3 • In 2020/2021, Govipola management has its development targets to integration logistic Services, expand the current agent network to support onboarding /training of farmers and ensure quality produce delivery to buyers, establish grading / quality ratings on the platform, Integrate to other value chains and launch the Fruit and vegetable digital index in collaboration with University of Moratuwa and other stakeholders. Further, in 2021/2022, Govipola management has set their targets to have 5% of the total produce in Sri Lanka to be traded on the Govipola platform, expand Govipola model to the regions, establish MoUs with leading locals and global buyers, integrate to national digital ID and proposed digital supply chain frameworks and establish a participatory guarantee organic certification process.
15. Nayana Dehigama (EPIC Technology Group) introduced Helaviru, not an app., but a digital ecosystem that enables trading of Agro-produce, Farm Products and Commodities among diverse stakeholders on a seamlessly connected supply-chain (Figure 4).
Figure 4. A Screen shot of Helaviru digital platform
• A platform that where development was initiated in 2018 with the support from the Agriculture Sector Modernization project (ASMP) supported by the World Bank, the Hela viru provides numerous benefits to the producers/growers, aggregators, wholesalers, supermarkets, industries, exporters, transport service providers, government and the industry. The platform has made sure that all actors in the supply chain has been given an opportunity to do trading, but any unethical practice be eliminated so that trading is effectively facilitated. Application of technology is promoted through this digital ecosystem.
• The Helaviru digital platform has strategic partnership with Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank, Sri Lanka Telecom and Industrial Service Bureau (ISB) for further strengthening its outreach program. Mr. Dehigama also identified the need of logistic partners as key to
4 success in E-Agriculture networking. The platform is planned to go online latest by end of July 2020.
16. Charitha Ratwatta Jr. (Dialog Axiata PLC) presented the ‘Govi Mithuru’ digital ecosystem (Figure 5), which was initiated about 5 years ago, and currently with more than 600,000 registered farmers (Figure 6). The platform provides services such as customized, time-coded, critical advice, daily voice calls, focus on crop security and productivity, and health and nutrition advice from Ministry of Health, focusing on 25 crops and dairy production. The technical advices regarding the 25 crops are provided based on the recommendations of the mandated government departments. The services are rendered to the registered customers at a nominal cost of Rs 1 per day per crop.
17. A key initiative taken is to promote low capital intensive technologies among farming community.
Figure 5. The Govi Muturu service for the dairy farmers
Figure 6. Distribution of Govi Mithuru
5 • Govi mithuru and other related services such as ‘Saru’, ‘Saviya’ has partnered with a large number of national and international agencies in its expansion efforts. Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development, Ministry of Health, Department of Export Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Department of Animal Production and Health, Industrial Technology Institute, Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, University of Peradeniya, University of Ruhuna, University of Moratuwa, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, GSM Association, Center of Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), Market-Oriented Dairy (MOD), Department for International Development (DFID), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are some of the key strategic partners.
• The Govi Mithuru is targeting to expand further to become a one-stop solution to provide higher yields (40%-200%) to farmers through automation, climate independence, safety net (Insurance), digitized training, access to markets and steady income.
• Ignorance of farmers in receiving calls, reluctance of farmers to use short message services (sms), limited phone usage in rural areas, many ‘hardest to reach’ segments, unwavering farmer pride, etc., have been identified as challenges in further expansion of the clientele in the digital platform.
18. J.K. Herath (HARTI) presented the ‘Supiri Pola’ digital market platform (Figure 7). Developed in 2010 but upgraded recently, the web platform is still at its younger stage and attracting customers with easy settlement plan agreements with Cargills Bank.
Figure 7. Screen shot of Supri pola website
• The app provides market information and the future development will include to link all players in the supply chain to make it a comprehensive trading environment.
6 Q & A session
19. A brief Q & A session was conducted after the presentations in the stocktaking session. The Chairman/ICTA responding to a query stated that the organization is ready to assist and facilitate a common digital platform for agriculture. The ICTA is currently developing a platform bringing in 54 sectors, and agriculture is a main component. The ICTA also plans to provide a digital ID for people of Sri Lanka.
20. The administrative structure is in place at the ground level, and ICTA is planning to network the Grama Niladhari (the lowest administrative level) and other ground level staff into the digital development. This will be a good initiative support one of the most important constraints the agriculture sector place, i.e. marketing. The ICTA invites the private sector to join hands in the e-agriculture development in a heterogeneous environment. It is important that the functional group should be linked well with the operational group, in order for e- agriculture to move forward.
21. In response to a query on contract enforcement, Helaviru platform has adopted a SMART contracting system by integrating a block chain infrastructure to the platform. This has helped in covering the legal aspects through the Electronic Transaction Act of Sri Lanka,. A rating system has also been adopted to categorize clients (farmers) so that the opportunity given for participants to interact with clients with different trustworthiness. Govipola recognizes the importance of providing a guarantee mechanism (e.g. guarantee fund) and thus there is a role the government could play in this regard to have an institutionalized system. Govi Mithuru has tried to solve the market place issues over the years, but is a tough issue to address. In a heterogeneous system, an aggregator would help to minimize the risk for all players across the supply chain.
22. Absence of data sharing mechanisms among agencies was identified as one of the major drawbacks in the successful operation of the digital technical and market platforms. Many participants expressed their views on this matter highlighting the need to develop trust in the overall process, especially in data sharing for the benefit of all.
23. The need for a holistic approach for e-agriculture was highlighted at the Q & A session. It is important to engage input suppliers as partners to operate projects at the ground level to develop trust.
24. In responding to a query on the most important aspect to be addressed in the future e- agriculture strategy, Heleviru highlighted the need to create agro-entrepreneurship, to attract younger generation to agriculture and technology infusion. Govipola highlighted the need to have a framework built to interact with each other, with trust. Govi mithuru highlighted the need to have trust in e-agriculture systems and among players without fake
7 barriers. The support of the government partners is essential in this endeavor. Supiripola visions to train the community in providing logistical support to make e-agriculture endeavor a success.
Panel Discussion
The panel discussion commenced after the presentations in the stocktaking sessions. The panelists were Dr. Ajantha De Silva (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development). Mr. Suren Kohombange (Croptronix Pvt. Ltd.). Mr. R.S. Herath (HARTI) and Mr. Charitha Ratwatta Jr. (Dialog Axiata PLC). Many members who joined the sessions online have submitted their views during the panel discussion. The overall outcome based on the discussions held and queries/comments received are summarized below.
(1) Data Collection, Sharing (making data/information available in public domain) and traceability
The Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development is currently in the process of moving towards developing a sound policy on data/information sharing to support digital agriculture expansion in Sri Lanka. The Ministry to recognize that all stakeholders will have a role to play. The Government will take all measures to facilitate the process especially by providing and sharing information. All participants did welcome the initiative and consider this as a strong encouragement by the government to support all entities that operate in virtual platforms related to agriculture. Issues related to reliability of data available to public were discussed. It was agreed that digital agriculture platforms need to be supported by accurate data/information for their success in operations. Use of ICT tools to generate data is extremely useful. Further, data and information sharing should be by all parties.
Data collection will be done through the mandated agencies, where the Ministry of Agriculture has now signed MoUs to ensure data sharing will take place. The Ministry has geo- tagged paddy farmers at present. There are certain information in relation to national security, the Ministry will take every precaution in releasing such data. Hence, the Ministry will release processed data (information) to the public domain.
Historically, data sharing has been a difficult target to achieve. However, establishment of an agriculture nerve center or a comprehensive digital platform will help in achieving these targets. Traceability of products is important in the present day context. E-Agriculture platforms should connect different Ministries where the clients (farmers) would get the benefit. In this connection, digitization of land is currently in process which will help the land use planning in the future. The efforts of ICTA for having a digital ID for people will also help in further development of E-Agriculture.
8
(2) One-stop digital platforms (holistic approach provided in platforms)
The Ministry of Agriculture is in line with this concept and will be taking all efforts to link and network all players in the system. The Ministry has already initiated a real-time GIS platform collect information. This facility will be open to public in the future with all related information will be available and accessible. It is indeed important to blend technical aspects with marketing in the e-agriculture platforms.
(3) Competition between state and private sector agencies in e-agriculture
It was of the general opinion that healthy competition would help the digital agriculture platforms to prosper. There is no necessity to limit to a single e-agriculture systems for Sri Lanka, but allow competent agencies to involve in the operations. There seems lots of interest generated on digital platforms especially owing to the experience during COVID-19 pandemic where the food supply chain was heavily affected. Considering the need, and while recognizing of the benefits of healthy competition, investments on digital platform would attract many investors including government, private sector and development partners. However, unnecessary duplication of efforts should be avoided and amalgamation or inter- linkages is suggested where possible, for sustenance of the industry is suggested. Openness in competition and regulation with a level playing field are important aspects so that the market forces can work well. In this respect the government will have to play the regulatory role, especially by coming up with a sound and a consistent policy that will encourage entrepreneurs and will be adopted across sectors and institutions.
(4) Unsatisfactory connectivity-related issues affecting developments in e-agriculture
Any digital platform will work well with high quality connectivity. An important issue, but with the cheapest data services in the regions, the country has a problem in terms of quality of the connectivity but not the coverage. This is an issue at present, with many barriers in investing to improve the quality of the connectivity owing to low return to investment.
(5) Making digital platforms attractive to users
E-Agriculture systems have not been popular in Sri Lanka. Hence, getting people on board and keep the client with the platform in the long run are the two major challenges. Customizing the platforms (for relevance) with affordability and accessibility, while having a good connectivity are the difficult issues. Availability and affinity will keep the customer in the long run. Tech-savviness and tech-awareness of the client is the key to success, but this is a challenge with ageing farming community.
9 Considering users as the primary capital of the digital platforms, it is important that the digital platforms provide a variety of services focusing on technical and marketing aspects. Providing a digital ID to the farmers was proposed as an attractive proposition to provide support through digital platforms for the clients.
(6) Is E-Agriculture the only solution for agricultural development?
E-Agriculture is not the only solution, but an innovative way to support agricultural development in the country, especially strengthening the supply chain. The small players should also be considered and their livelihood should be ensured. E-Agriculture or E-Market place is just a facilitator to agriculture, using relevant technology, in the modern era. Solutions for small players can also be sought through E-Agriculture systems, and they should not be considered a threat.
(7) Role of middleman
This is considered a sensitive issue and participants agreed that middlemen across the value chain should not be eliminated due to the presence of virtual agriculture platforms. Such elimination should take place when the middlemen move into the unethical practices, such as price fixing. Even a large company can play the role of a middlemen. In an E-Market systems, there will be middlemen created and the role middlemen will play may change to be an aggregator. However, involvement of the middlemen in the system would be used for most crucial agricultural operations. The systems should be regulated so that the middlemen’s role play will be more beneficial to the system.
(8) Capacity Building of Human Resources
Narrowing down the digital divide is crucial. In this connection, human resource development/capacity development is essential across the value chain, especially in ensuring accessibility and operation of digital platforms in agriculture. Investments on digital systems will have a direct impact on attracting youth into agriculture. The investments in ICT-based technological tool will make the younger generation up-skilled, by using the technological tools made available.
(9) Next step forward to make the E-Agriculture a winner
• Need continuation of the communication among parties who are genuinely interested in E-Agriculture. • Efforts to be taken to ensure more opportunities for Farmer and entrepreneurs through E-agriculture systems
10 • E-Agriculture has come to stay. Demand for digital technologies is increasing rapidly. Societal dynamics have changed. Hence, there is a need to have a quick re-assessment of the situation and plan for implementation of simple solutions first. • Environment to continue with E-Agriculture has been set. The government support is guaranteed through a level playing field. The need is to have a comprehensive platform.
Closing Remarks
Closing remarks were delivered by Olaf Heidelbach. The summary is as follows:
There was an open and frank discussion with lots of enthusiasm. It was also good to learn the work that has been done and accomplished in the past in E-Agriculture by the state and private sector organizations. As for future E-Agriculture Strategy, there is a need to identify and recognize the entity/entities that can best perform in given actions, rather than the state attempting to do the majority of work as identified in the E-Agriculture Strategy 2016. Limitations in funding and human resources in the state sector, have created an opportunity for the private sector to play an enormous role in E-Agriculture. It is clear that the government is prepared to play an enabling role and also a regulator in terms of data protection, quality controller, while providing a level playing field.
Today’s workshop was mainly on online trading/marketing. However, E-Agriculture is much broader subject. Hence, there is a need to continue this dialogue further on the use of online agriculture services.
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12
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 13
Monitoring of short-term assignments in accordance with the four results
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
13_Annex_12_Monitoring_Experts_Workplan_according_to_results.xlsx
TAMAP Short Term Consultant Monitoring and Work Plan according to RESULTS to be accomplished
Type of NKE DRAFT ToRs Expert FINAL Report/Document International Sri Lankan STATUS Name of Expert Origin of Expert according to EU Period Report/Document RESULT finalised Days sent to EUD SL Expert International terminology sent to EUD SL RESULT 1: Overarching Agriculture Policy developed Assignment: Developing overarching agriculture policy, Sep 2018 - June 6 versions implementation strategy and detailed action plan finished Vagn Mikkelsen International SNKE X 75 75 2019 developed including budget Required OUTPUT 1. Desk study assessment of major policies in SL Sep 2018 - June Buddhi Marambe National JNKE X 100 100 2. Best practices review and application for SL 2019 3. OAP and implementation strategy Assignment: Review and assess agriculture extension James Biscoue / Sep 2018 - May finished International SNKE X 70 05/06/2019 70 service and improve its functionality Dammika K. CARR 2019 Required OUTPUT 1. Critical analysis of extesnion service 2. Revew of alternative extension models within SL 3. Ranking of extension models Sep 2018 - May Shanta Emitiyagoda National JNKE X 72 72 4. Model for preferred extesnkon model 2019 5. Indicative budget for recommend extension service 6. Roadmap for change into recommended service 7. Performance M&E framework for extension Assignment: Political Economy Assessment Sri Lanka & Alexander O'Riordan & PEA draft sent 5 Final PEA sent on 12 April finished International SNKE X 58 Feb-Aug 2019 58 Advocacy Strategy Marc Cassidy April 2019 2019 Required OUTPUT 1. Desk study assessment of major policies in SL Advocacy report Final Advocacy Reprot Gerry Jayawardena International SNKE X 10 Feb-Aug 2019 10 2. Best practices review and application for SL sent in June 2019 sent in August 2019 3. OAP and implementation strategy
Required OUTPUT 1. Analyse and identify the key features of the political economy context of Sri Lanka; 2. Map out the various stakeholders, their interests, power relations and decision making; 3. Provide insights into why particular agricultural policies, Subhashini programmes and reforms may not be achieved through International SNKE X 41 Feb-Aug 2019 41 Abeyasinghe technical and financial solutions alone; 4. Identify the key political dynamics in relation to agriculture; 5. Suggest potential areas and opportunities for change; and 6. Examine Development Partners’ motivations and engagement in the sector
Assignment: KE 2 replacement: support developing the March 2019-Jan Mar-19 Dr. Nihal Atapattu International SNKE x 330 330 implementation strategy for OAP 2021 Assignment: Assessment of Public Finance Management September - finished Hennie Mater International SNKE X 35 35 System towards budget support October 2019 Required OUTPUT 1. Concept note 2. draft report on eligibility assessment September - Dr. Prianga Dunusinghe National JNKE X 25 25 3. Presentation with key findings October 2019 4. Final report 5. Article for visibility and communication
Ananda Mallawatantri Vagn Mikkelsen Assignment: Developing the Overarching Agriculture Andrew Jacque Dec 2019 - April finished International SNKE X 155 95 60 Implementation Strategy Jim Parker 2020 Subhashini Abeyasinghe
Required OUTPUT 1. Draft OAIS 2. Stakeholder Consultaton 1 Buddhi Marambe Dec 2019 - April 3. Draft Final OAIS finished National SNKE X 45 45 Chandana Jayawardena 2020 4. Stakeholder Consulation 2 5. Detailed Costing 6. Final OAIS and stakeholder consutlation 3
TOTAL # WDs R1 333 683 RESULT 2: Policies for Modernisation, Diversification, Export Promotion implemented
1. VC Vegetables 1. VC vegetables final 15 sent 15th March April 2019 2019 2. VC Fruits 3 May 2019 2. VC fruits 15 April 3. VC Aquaculture 5 May Assignment: Value Chain Development, Food Technology Tuscarora, Martin Oct 2018 -Dec finished International SNKE X 122 2019 2019 122 Processing and Training Markhof 2019 3. Draft VC Aqua 2 4. Apiculture 15 June May 2019 2019 Apiculture 13 June 5 Dairy 1 Oct 2019 2019 6 Palmyra 2 Nov 2019 4 Apiculture 30 April 7 Floriculture 29 Feb 2019 2020 Required outputs: 5 Dairy 15 AUG 8 Essensital Oils 30 1. VCA Studies on i) high value rice, ii) dairy, iii) essential 2019 March 2020 oils, iv) fruits, v) aquaculture, vi) honey (11 months after Oct 2018 -Dec 6 Palmyra 11 Sep commencement) Jolly Thomas International SNKE 50 50 2019 2019 2. VCA Training manual (after 12 months) 7 Floriculture 1 Nov 3. Training in VCA (after 12 months) 2019 4. Innovative business models 8 Essential oils 3 Dec 5. Post-harvest technologies scan 2019 6. Final Report (after 13 months) Oct 2018 -Dec Overview on VC 31 7. Several working groups Chatura Rodrigo National JNKE X 239 239 2019 MAR 2020
Nov 2018 -DEC Assignment: Market Intelligence, Website finished Sebastian Balcerak International SNKE X 20 20 2019
Required outputs: 1. Report with recommendations for improved automated market information system and market place Dickwella Vidanage Nov 2018 -DEC 2. Design of software for an improved automated MIS National JNKE X 80 80 Pahan Prasada 2019 3. User manual for the software 4. Four Capacity building workshops a) After 2 weeks submission of work and action plan Thilakarathne Prasad Nov 2018 -DEC b) After 2 months proposal for design of MIS National JNKE X 150 150 Chathuranga 2019 c) At the end: final software, manual and final report
Monitoring STE and Work Plan 13_Annex_12_Monitoring_Experts_Workplan_according_to_results.xlsx
Type of NKE DRAFT ToRs Expert FINAL Report/Document International Sri Lankan STATUS Name of Expert Origin of Expert according to EU Period Report/Document RESULT finalised Days sent to EUD SL Expert International terminology sent to EUD SL Feb 2019 - May Assignment: Cold Chain Pre-Feasibility Study finished Johan van der Riet International Senior NKE X 48 48 2019 Interim Report 1 Required OUTPUT April 2019 Feb 2019 - May 1. Draft Pre-feasibility Study Jolly Thomas International SMKE X 25 25 2. Presentations in workshops 2019 3. Roadmap for full feasibility study 4. Final Pre-feasibility Study report that includes a concept note for a blending operation and that is in line with the EU Feb 2019 - May guidelines on blending operations . Chatura Rodrigo National JNKE X 25 25 2019 5. Scoping study for other potential investments in the agricultural and food processing sector Assignment: Commercial agriculture business models for JUN 2918 - NOV finished Adam Sendall International SNKE X 50 50 Sri Lanka 2019 Required outputs: 1. Report on Best Business Model(s) for commercial agriculture in Sri Lanka 2. Workshop on ways to scale-up the use of Best Business Model(s) JUN 2918 - NOV Draft Report June Final Report December 3. Training material related to the Best Business Model(s) Dharme Bandara National JNKE X 40 40 2019 2019 2019 4. Three training sessions (North, Centre, South) for farmers and extension workers 5. Farmer field schooling in best business models introduced to public sector extension service
Assignment: Support to organic farming and sustainable NOV 2019 - MAR pending Birgitt Boor International SNKE X 50 50 agriculture 2020 Required OUTPUT 1. Inception Report NOV 2019 - MAR Draft Report 6 April 2. Case study report Chatura Rodrigo National SNKE X 50 50 3. Training manual and Training 2020 2020 4. Final Report Assignment: Development and operationalisation of E- Agriculture in Sri Lanka including sustainability plans for started Sebastian Balcerak International SNKE X 20 JUN- Nov 2020 20 Requiredonline market outputs: platforms (Phase 1) 1. Report on demand for and supply of e-agriculture services in Sri Lanka Ruwindhu Peiris National SNKE X 50 JUN- Nov 2020 50 2. Bankable Business Plans for Govipola & LAPMC
3. 7 Trainngs conducted 4. Action Plan for e-agriculture in Sri Lanka Bandula Nissanka National JNKE X 95 JUN- Nov 2020 95
Assignment: (Online) Business training for farmers, to start Chatura Rodrigo National JNKE X 72 SEP 20 - MAR 21 72 extension officers and food processing SMEs in Sri Lanka Required OUTPUT 1. Training material 2. Training conducted Srikandavell Thavavel National JNKE X 20 SEP 20 - MAR 21 20 3. Training reports with participation lists 4. Final Report with recommendations
RESULT 3: Systems and practices for planning, budgeting and policy implementation improved
Assignment: KE 2 replacement: support in capactiting March 2019-Jan Feb 19 Dr. Andrew jacque International SNKE x 154 154 planning, budgeting and resource allocation 2021
NOV 2019 - DEC Assignment: Policy Analysis Training started Andrew Jacque International SNKE X 36 36 2020 Required OUTPUT Prof. Jeevika NOV 2019 - DEC National JNKE X 92 92 1. Training Programme Weerahewa 2020
Assignment: Logframe training (5 trainings) started Dr. Irene Lorisika International SNKE X 37.5 MAR - DEC 2020 37.5
Training reports for Required outputs: Colombo & Mr. Gemunu Wijesena National JNKE X 42.5 MAR - DEC 2020 42.5 1. 5 Trainings Polonnurawa trainings MAR 2020
TOTAL # WDs R3 228 135 RESULT 4: M&E systems for assessing OAP improved
TOTAL # WDs R4 OTHER INTERVENTIONS Feb 2019 - Jan Assignment: Assistant Coordinator started Anita Rumeshi Perera National Junior NKE X 48 48 2021
946 1,687 20 Expert days / months according to work work days Results months
Overview of origin of expert days as % RESULT 1 38.6% 1,016 50.8
International 36% RESULT 2 45.8% 1,206 60.3 Sri Lankan National 64% RESULT 3 13.8% 362 18.1 RESULT 4 Other TOTAL 100% 1.8% 48 2.4 intervention
Monitoring STE and Work Plan
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
Annex 14
TAMAP Visibility & Communications Strategy
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agriculture Programme in Sri Lanka
TAMAP - Progress Report No. 5 - Annexes
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MODERNISATION OF AGRICULTURE PROGRAMME IN SRI LANKA
TAMAP Visibility & Communications Strategy
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction 3
2 Outreach Strategy and Supporting Communications Materials 3
3 Communications Strategy Focus and Framework 5
4 Result Areas and Communications Tools 6
5 Target Stakeholders 7
6 Phased Communications by Result Area 8
7 On-going Assessment and Evaluation 12
8 Communications Materials – Production and Work Status 13
9 Mass & Social Media Tools – Use and Work Status 18
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1 Introduction The Visibility and Communications Strategy seeks to assist TAMAP in its Outreach Strategy and task, by identifying vital stakeholders and desired engagement with and responses from these groups, and designing, developing and producing communications materials to suit the informational and engagement needs vis-à-vis them. The Visibility and Communications Strategy also provides guidance on how the TAMAP Team may use the various communications materials produced to achieve its engagement tasks with its various stakeholders, at each stage of the process of achieving its four Key Result Areas.
The Visibility and Communication Plan includes outreach to a wider sector of stakeholders via affordable mass and social media channels. The Plan also sets out measures and responsibilities to evaluate the success of the Commu- nications and Outreach programme.
2 Outreach Strategy and Supporting Communications Materials
The objective of the Outreach Strategy is to increase buy-in from all stakeholders for sector reform and the adoption of a single policy framework for the agricultural sector [i.e. the Over- arching Agricultural Policy (OAP)] and to catalyse its implementation. The Outreach Strategy is informed by elements of inclusiveness, coalition building, publicity, development of a struc- tured process and capacity for policy dialogue.
The Communications materials that are being developed and channels that have been developed and used and their value is indicated below. Their specific use for communication with various stakeholder groups at each stage of the programme is also spelt out later in this document.
TAMAP OVERVIEW DOCUMENT: This document is deemed a basic requirement in present- ing the programme concisely to key stakeholders, and is to be developed as a 20-page booklet of the TAMAP mission and mandate and providing an overview of the programme, and will include the project's objectives, implementation plans, stakeholders, and benefits to Sri Lanka's agricultural industry. This is budgeted to be produced in English only.
VISUAL BRANDING: Visual representation of TAMAP is a vital part of presenting the Pro- gramme to stakeholders and to this end the Consultants (NGage) have designed a logo for TAMAP and developed an extended Branding Template which comprises additional elements to show the partnership between the EU, GOSL and Ecorys and the relation of the Programme to EU-Sri Lanka Rural Development Cooperation as well as the various verticals including food crops, plantations, livestock and fisheries covered by the project. The consultants have devel- oped various branding and applications for required stationery and collateral material. For brand visibility at key TAMAP events, three Pop-Up Banners have been designed and pro- duced, as well as Branded Dockets for use at such programmes and media events.
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BRANDED PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL: A variety of branded promotional material and give- aways was budgeted to connect stakeholders. While the diaries were deemed vital and pro- duced, other budgets are being evaluated for re-allocation as necessary for other important material such as the development of an OAP document.
NEWSLETTERS; Four Newsletters are to be developed over the period of the assignment to communicate progress of the Programme with stakeholders. This is being produced in all three languages and will be disseminated by the TAMAP Team.
POLICY DOCUMENTS: A major aspect of outreach activities will be targeted, well-researched status briefs on key policy and institutional issues (such as land policy or targeting of subsidies and support, or institutional reform) that seek to inform and provide a basis for stimulating discussions and decision-making among stakeholder groups. It is therefore essential for these extensive and research-heavy Policy Briefs to be converted from highly technical documents into more practical and concise and well-presented documents of 10-12 pages, with both text and visual representations of data (e.g. charts, graphs) that will lend itself for lay reading. Ac- cordingly, four such Policy Briefs are to be developed based on TAMAP requirements, pro- duced and printed in all three languages.
VALUE CHAIN BROCHURES: Value Chain Studies summarised into more concise brochures were designed with photos, produced and printed for 8 subjects. These were deemed im- portant communications and training pieces. This was an additional budget item and funds were moved from branded items (caps, cricket hats and T-shirts) to fund these.
AUDIO VISUAL MATERIAL (VIDEOS): Three types of videos have been envisaged and budgeted for the programme: (a) A TAMAP Overview Video, to complement the TAMAP Overview Booklet to help in intro- ducing the Programme to Stakeholders at various engagement events. (b) Five Key Sector Videos to communicate and catalyse thinking on issues, practices and solutions with regard to the overall Programme and vital aspects such as the past practices and existing status of Agriculture in Sri Lanka, the Way forward based on an Overarching Agricultural Policy and its benefits, land market reform, mainstreaming farming as a business, promotion of safe and pesticides free agriculture production, nutrition security via an improved diet, value chain study and policy analysis and planning. These are to be used at stakeholder engagement and education events and disseminated via social media. These will be finally packaged as DVDs for distribution to stakeholders, once they are all produced. (c) Four Sub-Sector short educative videos not exceeding 3 minutes each which could be used at seminars, events and training workshops to share views of stakeholders and key spokes- people, have been envisaged as mix of talking heads and B-roll footage, photos, graphs etc.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Four event based photography assignments have been planned to cover selected project events such as launch of policy or major training seminars to be held in Co- lombo and Kandy. A total of 200 high quality images are to be generated from the four events. These could be used in TAMAP publications and audio visual materials and are also for record.
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Wider mass communication to stakeholders is to be achieved via the following;
PRESS RELEASES: Ten Press Releases have been planned for the entire programme period to be developed to give publicity to TAMAP events and major announcements. These are to be developed in English with Sinhala and Tamil translations and disseminated to the Media with publication ensured in a minimum of eight newspapers.
MEDIA ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS: Arranging of five exclusive interviews or articles to enhance further elaboration on TAMAP activities and achievements and promote visibility in online and print media have been planned. While ‘exclusive’ interviews and articles will be published only in a single publication, all other media articles are to be produced in the 3 lan- guages.
MEDIA VISITS: Two Media Visits to cover conferences, workshops or events in Colombo were planned and have been executed.
WEBSITE: The website has been agreed on and developed as an overall platform for all EU sponsored Rural Development Programmes of TAMAP and other EU Partners. It is a trilingual website, and features information about the projects, intervention areas, coverage of news and events, reports and documents, videos and media releases, a picture gallery and contact in- formation. This is maintained on an on-going basis covering the 24-month project period.
SOCIAL MEDIA /FACEBOOK PAGE: A specific TAMAP Facebook Page has been developed to share TAMAP news and programme related educative material. Ten monthly posts are de- veloped and posted in all three languages. The Page is also used for live-streaming events. There is also a budget allocated promoting (boosting) videos, which may also be used for page and post boosts as necessary.
3 Communications Strategy Focus and Framework The Communications Strategy focuses on achieving the Objectives of the Programme, which are cyrstallised in the four Result Areas, and takes the form of a practical gudieline and framework with the following elements. (a) Result Areas of the TAMAP programme and what is needed from communications in each phase (b) Identified Target Stakeholders vital to achievement in each area (c) Facilitating communications items for each Result Area and Target Group (d) An Activity Plan for deployment and dissemination based on TAMAP Team Outreach (e) Evaluation measures and responsibilities
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4 Result Areas and Communications Tools
Result Area #1: An overarching agricultural policy in line with government development goals We highlight the communications and engagement challenges in achieving stakeholder awareness, response and engagement in contributing to the development of the OAP, and its buy-in by all concerned and adoption as Government policy.
Communications for this Result Area focuses on the process for the initial engagement of Government officials and other stakeholders for appreciating the need for an Overarching Agriculatural Policy and development of the OAP Document, including the sharing and finalising of the draft document.
The subsequent development and presentation of the OAP document to the highest levels of Government including the President, Prime Minister and relevant line Ministers and Ministry officials and its adoption as government policy, and the subsequent roll-out to all other stake- holders for their information and buy-in will also be the focus for this Result Area, using relevant tools and documents produced.
Communications tools to be used at this stage are the OAP document, OAP Video, TAMAP Brochure, TAMAP Video for direct communication as well as Earned Media, Website, Facebook posts and boosts, seminars with videos, and newsletters for wider dissemination.
Result Area #2: An enabling environment created and relevant policies for the mod- ernisation and diversification of agricultural production, as well as promotion of agri- cultural exports.
Communications and Outreach actions at this stage focuses on working with GOSL and other actors to create the enabling environment. It requires the engagement of relevant stakeholders and the discussion different topics of modernization, diversification and export promotion via seminar events, policy briefs, value chain brochures, audio-visual materials produced and ex- ternal communications channels such as social media, earned media and newsletters.
Result Area #3: Review of the existing planning, budgeting and resource allocation system at all levels
Result Area #4: The impact of implementing overarching agriculture policy through an improved statistical and data analysis system is monitored and assessed
Communications and Outreach for both these Result Areas needs to focus on training for the above capacity building. Essential Training Videos and material necessary for this need to be identified and produced. Updates on progress could be communicated via Newsletters, earned media, social media and the website.
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5 Target Stakeholders KEY STAKEHOLDER SEGMENTS KEY DECISION-MAKERS
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT - MINISTRIES Ministry of Finance, Economic & Policy Development Minister, Deputy, State Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Minister, Minstry Secretary, Development Director General of each Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minsitry Ministry of Plantation Industries and Export Agriculture DIVISIONAL SECRETARIATS Divisional Secretariats in the key Agricultural Districts Divisional Secretaries, Planning Officers
STATE INSTITUTIONS Tea, Rubber, Coconut & Rice Research Institutes Key Managers Export Development Board National Livestock Development Board Universities & Training Institutes INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS Exporters Association of Sri Lanka President & Members Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Lanka Fruit and Vegetable Producers Processors and Exporters Association Planters Association KEY COMPANIES Exotic Foliage Co. Key Directors & Managers Hayleys Agriculture CBL Agro Milco e-Agriculture and e-commerce technology partners such as those with apps such as Govipola, Govi Mithuru, Govi- Viru FARMERS & TRADERS Agricultural Cooperatives & Community Based President & Committee, Organisations Members Food Processors & Millers Best Practice, Large Scale & Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser & Input Providers Trader & Logistics Associations Agri-business Entreprenuers and Start-Ups
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Initial Tasks with each of these Stakeholders would be to Introduce TAMAP and the OAP concept, get appreciation, buy-in and necessary support and build a strong relationship. Some new efforts may be required with the change of Govenment and Ministers. Thereafter, keeping informed of progress, involvement in planning and training events and relevant dialogues becomes important. There should be a special focus on collating and developing databases of all such stakeholder groups. The TAMAP Overview Brochure, currently under development, and the TAMAP Overview Video would be useful tools together with branded materials (such as diaries), Thereafter, keeping them engaged through communications tools such as Newsletters.Social Media, Website, Earned Media is recommended.
6 Phased Communications by Result Area Our Framework identifies the Outreach and On-going Comminications tasks for each of the phased Result Areas by each of the identified Stakeholder Groups and the Comms Tools and Channels to be developed and used at each stage for communications and and visibility needs.
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KEY RESULT AREA #1 RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS OUTREACH TASK COMMS TOOLS & STAKEHOLDERS An overarching Central Government - Meet, introduce, explain project, OAP TAMAP Brochure & Video, agricultural policy in Ministries: concept and benefits, get support and OAP Document & OAP line with government Minister, Deputy, State commitment to embed in National Policy Videos. development goals Minister (as may be necessary with changes in new Newsletter, Press Releases. Government). Subsequently, keep informed of progress Minstry Secretary, Director Follow up to initial iinvolvement in OAP As above. Plus Stakeholder General of each Ministry development, to finalise and take steps Seminars, Website. for embedding in National Agricultiral Policy Divisional Secretariats in the Present finalised OAP Document, conduct OAP Document & OAP key Agricultural Districts: familiarization seminars and workshops Videos. Divisional Secretaries, to get buy-in to drive OAP at Divisional Newsletters, Press Releases, Planning Officers level. Keep updated. Social Media and Website. State Institutions: Tea, Present finalised OAP Document, conduct OAP Document & OAP Rubber, Coconut & Rice familiarization seminars and workshops Videos. Research Institutes, Export to sell value and specific benefits of OAP Newsletters, Press Releases, Development Board, National for each sector and get buy-in for their Social Media and Website. Livestock Development required roles. Relevant Value Chain Board, Universities & Training brochures. Value Chain Institutes Video. Key Managers of these Institutions Industry Associations: Sell value and specific benefits of TAMAP TAMAP and OAP Documents Exporters Association of Sri and OAP for each sector and get buy-in & Videos. Relevant Value Lanka, Ceylon Chamber of and agreement for collaboration from Chain brochures. Value Chain Commerce, Agri-Business sector. Keep updated. Video. Stakeholder Council, Lanka Fruit and seminars. Vegetable Producers, Newsletters, Press Releases, Processors and Exporters Social Media and Website. Association, Planters Association President, Executive Board and Members of these Key Companies and Sell value and specific benefits of TAMAP TAMAP and OAP Documents Technology Partners: Exotic and OAP for each sector and explore & Videos. Relevant Value Foliage Co., Hayleys areas for collaboration and joint Chain brochures. Value Chain Agriculture, CBL Agro, Milco promotion of partner programmes, Video. Partner seminars etc. initiatives and e-tools as catalysts for Newsletters, Press Releases, Technology partners of Dialog agriculture modernisation. Social Media and Website. Govi Mithuru, Govi Viru, Govi Feature these partners and their Pola etc. initiatives and best practices on the Key Directors, Managers & website and in the Newsletters. Project Leaders of these Farmers, Traders and Agro- Sell value and specific benefits of TAMAP TAMAP and OAP Documents Business Entrepreneurs: and OAP for each sector and enterprise & Videos. Relevant Value >Agricultural Cooperatives & and get commitment,and involvement; Chain brochures. Value Chain Community Based Share information and drive Video. Partner seminars Organisations collaboration through Association Newsletters, Press Releases, > Best Practice, Large Scale & Leaders; gather and collate database. Social Media and Website. Smallholder Farmers Keep involved and updated. > Agri-business Entreprenuers and Start-Ups > Food Processors & Millers > Fertiliser & Input Providers > Trader & Logistics Associations Farmers, Entrepreneurs, President & Committee and Members of Asssociations and Cooperatives 9
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KEY RESULT AREAS RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS OUTREACH TASK COMMS TOOLS #3 & #4 & STAKEHOLDERS #3 Review of the existing Central Government - Ministries: Get support for Policy Briefs, planning, budgeting and Minister, Deputy, State Minister, (a) installing planning, Newsletter, Earned resource allocation Minstry Secretary, Director budgeting and resource Media system at all levels General of each Ministry allocation systems at all #4 The impact of levels, and implementing (b) for implementing overarching agriculture improved statistical and data policy through an analysis system for improved statistical and monitoring and assessment data analysis system is Divisional Secretariats in the key Engage for mplementing Policy Birefs, Training monitored and assessed Agricultural Districts: (a) installing planning, Seminars and Divisional Secretaries, Planning budgeting and resource training videos. Officers allocation systems at all Newsletters,Social State Institutions: Tea, Rubber, levels, and Media, Website, Coconut & Rice Research (b) for implementing Earned Media. Institutes, Export Development improved statistical and data Board, National Livestock analysis system for Development Board, Universities monitoring and assessment & Training Institutes Key Managers of these Institutions Industry Associations: Exporters Get buy-in to participate in Association of Sri Lanka, Ceylon data sharing and support for Chamber of Commerce, Agri- (a) installing planning, Business Council, Lanka Fruit and budgeting and resource Vegetable Producers, Processors allocation systems at all and Exporters Association, levels, and Planters Association (b) for implementing President, Executive Board and improved statistical and data Members of these analysis system for Key Companies and Technology monitoring and assessment Partners: Exotic Foliage Co., Hayleys Agriculture, CBL Agro, Milco etc. Technology partners of Dialog Govi Mithuru, Govi Viru, Govi Pola etc. Key Directors, Managers & Project Leaders of these Farmers, Traders and Agro- Business Entrepreneurs: >Agricultural Cooperatives & Community Based Organisations > Best Practice, Large Scale & Smallholder Farmers > Agri-business Entreprenuers and Start-Ups > Food Processors & Millers > Fertiliser & Input Providers > Trader & Logistics Associations Farmers, Entrepreneurs, President & Committee and Members of Asssociations and Cooperatives 11
7 On-going Assessment and Evaluation On-going assessment of the progress of the Outreach programme and what communications material would be required for up-coming activity should be agreed on and developed to be available in a timely manner. Below are some questions for assessment and evaluation, to be done by the Ecorys Team, NGage Team and jointly.
RESULT AREA QUESTIONS FOR ONGOING ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION ASSESSMENT BY OF OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS Result Area #1: An 1. 1. How successful was the process of engaging relevant stakeholders Qualitative assessment by overarching agricultural policy and compiling the Draft OAP? What modes of engagement were used? ECORYS Team in line with government Which worked better? What engagement and response issues were development goals faced? How were they overcome? Were all relevant stakeholders involved, or were some vital groups left out or non-responsive? 1.2. How effective were the communications tools used to share the Draft Assessment based on OAP and get responses and contributions? How many responded to the responses received - Ecorys full page advertisement and social media promotion? What was the Team. Social Media analytics - reach and engagement for the Facebook promotion? NGage Team. 1.3 How was the Final OAP structured and presented thereafter? How was Qualitative assessment by it shared and with whom? With whom has it yet not been shared? ECORYS Team. Joint Especially, key government decision-makers and new officials after the assessment and change of government? Has it been presented to the President, Prime development with NGage Minister and relevant line Ministers and Ministry officials? If so, what was Team. their response? Has successful buy-in occurred? If not, what needs to be done in the near future to achieve buy-in and adoption as government policy, and as replacement for silo-policies? What communications tools can be used to support these essential personal presentation encounters with critical government decision-makers? (Recommendations – OAP document, OAP Video, TAMAP Brochure, TAMAP Video). 1.4. Following the acceptance of Government, how will the OAP be rolled Qualitative assessment by out to all other stakeholders for their information and buy-in? ECORYS Team. Joint (Recommendations – Earned Media, Website, Facebook posts and assessment and boosts, seminars with videos, newsletters.) What responses are expected development and use of from these different stakeholders? Who will personally follow up with specific communications each stakeholder group through TAMAP Outreach efforts? How will they tools by NGage Team. be prepared to present and sell the OAP concept and overcome objections and contrary views? Result Area #2: An enabling 2.1. What Outreach actions are contemplated to work with GOSL and Qualitative assessment by environment created and other actors to create the enabling environment? How will the different ECORYS Team. Joint relevant policies for the topics of modernization, diversification and export promotion be assessment and modernisation and communicated? Who are the key stakeholders in this? How will they be development with NGage diversification of agricultural engaged? What communications tools could be helpful in this? Team. production, as well as (Recommendations – policy briefs, videos on each topic, value chain promotion of agricultural brochures, earned media on implementation, social media, newsletters.) exports. Result Area #3: Review of the 3.1 What training has to be provided to whom for this? What training Qualitative assessment by existing planning, budgeting videos and material could be produced to facilitate this? Also update on ECORYS Team. Joint and resource allocation progress via Newsletters, earned media and social media. assessment and system at all levels development with NGage Team. Media Analytics and Earned Media Value Index - NGage Team. Result Area #4: The impact of 4.1 What training has to be provided to whom for this? What training Qualitative assessment by implementing overarching videos and material could be produced to facilitate this? Also update on ECORYS Team. Joint agriculture policy through an progress via Newsletters, earned media and social media. assessment and improved statistical and data 4.2. Communicate the impact of OAP Implementation to the public and development and use of analysis system is monitored all stakeholders. Use of earned media, social media and website to do specific communications and assessed this. tools by NGage Team. Media Analytics and Earned Media Value Index - NGage Team. 12
It is acknowledged that the Deliverables as specified and budgeted for under an ‘Incidentals Budget’ may not be sufficient to fulfill comprehensively the communications needs of the TAMAP programme with its extensive stakeholder base, in terms of its total scope, quantities and language breakdowns needed for dissemination, and with limited use of mass media (only as earned media, not paid media), and limited media events. It is therefore acknowledged that the Consultants (NGage) will recommend the best use of the specified and budgeted Deliverables – in terms of the important and strategic use of earned media and social media (within budgets for boosting) through a planned and agreed activity plan and execute dissemination to be in line with the Result Areas of the TAMAP Programme and its Outreach Activity. The Client’s role in providing necessary informational inputs about the programme and its progress and forthcoming needs via verbal and written briefings, feedback to the specific production and media proposals made by the Consultants, in providing and obtaining timely approvals (from GOSL, funding and other partners) is vital for the Consultants to fulfill its mandate and expectations effectively. The Consultants will provide its professional expertise and necessary resources including third party collaboration (media, production houses etc.) to design, develop and produce the deliverables and provide direction within the strategy and in the day-to-day recommendations it makes, both of which are important modes of consultancy. It will emphasise the need for thematic focus and clear messaging in what is to be produced, so that effective communications with the relevant stakeholder targets is achieved with every production. It is noted that a successful working relationship has now been established and work is proceeding well.
8 Communications Materials – Production and Work Status HOUSE STYLE - BRANDING TEMPLATE & LOGO DESIGNS – COMPLETED
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TAMAP LOGO
BRANDED MATERIAL - COMPLETED Letterhead, Namecard, Docket, Powerpoint slides, Diary, Notepad, Pull-up Banners
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NEWSLETTER – SAMPLE PAGES 1/3 issues published in all 3 languages; WIP on second issue
VALUE CHAIN BROCHURES – 8 COMPLETED
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AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIAL – VIDEOS 2/5 Key Sector Videos completed (see below), WIP on third (Value Chain); TAMAP Overview Video to be developed once related brochure is completed; WIP on 1/4 Sub-sector Educative Videos
PHOTOGRAPHY 2 / 4 Assignments completed.
9 Mass & Social Media Tools – Use and Work Status WEBSITE – Development completed, now online and regularly updated
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FACEBOOK PAGE – Online and updated with monthly thematic, news, and curated posts in all three languages
Sample Curated and Thematic Posts (On Gender, Modernisation, Technology Input etc.) – in all 3 languages
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EARNED MEDIA - 4/10 Press Relases completed, WIP on the fifth. SAMPLE CLIPPINGS
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EARNED MEDIA – 2/5 Exclusive Articles completed, WIP on the third.
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