[{"bbox": [354, 115, 1097, 437], "category": "Table", "text": "<table><tr><td>Gender equality (including Women In Development)</td><td>☐</td><td>X</td><td>☐</td></tr><tr><td>Trade Development</td><td>X</td><td>☐</td><td>☐</td></tr><tr><td>Reproductive, Maternal, New born and child health</td><td>X</td><td>☐</td><td>☐</td></tr><tr><td><strong>RIO Convention markers</strong></td><td><strong>Not targeted</strong></td><td><strong>Significant objective</strong></td><td><strong>Main objective</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Biological diversity</td><td>X</td><td>☐</td><td>☐</td></tr><tr><td>Combat desertification</td><td>X</td><td>☐</td><td>☐</td></tr><tr><td>Climate change mitigation</td><td>X</td><td>☐</td><td>☐</td></tr><tr><td>Climate change adaptation</td><td>☐</td><td>X</td><td>☐</td></tr></table>"}, {"bbox": [130, 499, 235, 522], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## SUMMARY"}, {"bbox": [130, 536, 1099, 694], "category": "Text", "text": "The presidential elections in January 2015 and the subsequent formation of a National Government in August 2015 created new space for policy/sectorial dialogue and cooperation between the Government and the international community. The political leadership in the country changed in 2019 and 2022, yet agriculture remains a key priority. The Government's interest in the modernisation of the agriculture offers a good window of opportunity for engaging the EU in the sector and starting a policy dialogue linked to the EU focal sector \"integrated rural development\" for the MIP 2014-2020."}, {"bbox": [130, 705, 1099, 891], "category": "Text", "text": "The Government prepared with the WB's support, a programme to modernise the agriculture sector which aims on the one hand at increasing private investments in the agriculture sector to expand the competitiveness of export oriented farmers while on the other hand at creating the enabling conditions for small holder farmers in poverty stricken districts to move towards a more sustainable, resilient and productive agriculture. The programme will be funded through a loan from the WB, matching grants provided by the private sector and EU funds. The total contribution to the modernisation of the agriculture programme provided by the WB and EU will be approximately EUR 140 million."}, {"bbox": [130, 901, 1099, 981], "category": "Text", "text": "The present document refers more in detail to the part that will be funded by the EU, which is supporting the programme component focused on small holder farmers that is fully in line with the priorities defined in the EU food security policy."}, {"bbox": [130, 992, 1099, 1099], "category": "Text", "text": "The action *Overall 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."}, {"bbox": [130, 1110, 766, 1138], "category": "Text", "text": "The intervention will be structured around the following components."}, {"bbox": [130, 1149, 1099, 1307], "category": "Text", "text": "1. One component will be implemented through the WB and will operate at provincial and district level with the final beneficiaries. This component will assess constraints and needs of small holder farmers and will design and implement together with competent provincial institutions and private sector, measures (such as advisory services, farmer organisation, technology, infrastructure etc.) to enable small holder farmers, their families and communities to benefit from a more sustainable, productive and competitive agriculture."}, {"bbox": [130, 1318, 1099, 1450], "category": "Text", "text": "2. One component will be implemented directly through a service contract. The technical assistance will operate mainly, but not exclusively, at the national level and will provide 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."}, {"bbox": [130, 1475, 1099, 1607], "category": "Text", "text": "The EUR 4 million top-up of component 2, which was added as part of the Covid-19 response package for Sri Lanka, will be implemented through FAO to enhance short, medium and long-term food (focus on paddy) production, climate resilience and food security by supplying farming inputs and trainings on agro-ecological approaches to smallholder farmers. In the short-term, to address urgent needs in the agriculture sector in the country, the EU will temporarily support the supply of farming inputs (fertilizers, seeds)"}, {"bbox": [608, 1696, 623, 1717], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "2"}]