[{"bbox": [132, 119, 780, 147], "category": "Text", "text": "2015, yet agriculture remains among the priorities of the Government²."}, {"bbox": [132, 159, 992, 186], "category": "Text", "text": "A change of approach can be noticed in the strategic choices adopted by the new Government."}, {"bbox": [130, 196, 1101, 591], "category": "Text", "text": "The previous Government promoted a strong regulatory public intervention in agriculture, especially through subsidies and measures, with a particular focus on increasing production and productivity of traditional crops. This approach succeeded in making Sri Lanka self-sufficient in rice although it did not prove to be sufficient to create the foundation for an overall transformation in the agriculture sector. This is particularly relevant for the former conflict affected areas and the Central and Uva Provinces where traditional agriculture coincides with higher levels of poverty when compared to other Provinces. Since 2009, former conflict-affected areas have strongly benefitted from reconstruction, rehabilitation and livelihoods programmes. However the interventions in agriculture were scattered and localized and lacked a sectorial approach. Small-holder farmers received extensive support to develop their productive capacities but at a small scale and without a strategic commercial approach behind. As a result, these areas are lagging behind in terms of capacity to diversify the production to more value-added crops and link to the local and international markets. Further, most of the challenges faced and key issues in the agriculture sector remained unresolved, namely the low nutritional status of the agriculture community, unseen role and potential of women in agriculture, weak linkages with the private sector and low resilience to the adversities of climate change."}, {"bbox": [130, 602, 1101, 838], "category": "Text", "text": "The new Government has been working in defining its main programmes and strategies. The Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, is currently working on the new National Development Policy for Sri Lanka together with a Public Investment Programme (PIP) for a period of three years (2017 - 2019). The policy will include all agriculture sub-sectors (including fishery, livestock, plantation, crop agriculture). In regards to crop agriculture (falling under the responsibility of the *Ministry of Agriculture*), the PIP gives priority to the commercialisation of the agriculture sector with eco-friendly innovative technologies that will contribute to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth ensuring food security and food sovereignty of the nation and to sustain the driver for competitiveness of agriculture and agro-based products in the international market."}, {"bbox": [130, 838, 1101, 996], "category": "Text", "text": "The former President had taken a personal lead in setting the priorities of the Government in the area of agriculture and has launched, as a first step, a three-year *National Food Production Programme (2016-2018)*, focusing on import substitution by what could be cultivated domestically to promote self-sufficiency and reduce budget deficit. This programme is meant to deal with the \"most urgent\" production needs but it does not address the deeper issues in the sector and the implementation strategy on how to reach the ambitious targets is not clear."}, {"bbox": [130, 1007, 1101, 1140], "category": "Text", "text": "The former Ministry of Primary Industries had also developed the concept of creating Agriculture Development Mega Zones. With this approach the Government gives attention to crops which can have a high export value by initiating and developing public-private partnerships and enhance private sector participation in production and market value chains. The farmers are planned to be supported with new technologies, facilities, inputs and capacity building."}, {"bbox": [130, 1151, 1101, 1230], "category": "Text", "text": "The Ministry of Agriculture plans to revise the *National Agricultural Policy (NAP)* with technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). The preparation of the policy is at a very early stage and the structure has been shared for consultation³."}, {"bbox": [130, 1242, 1101, 1484], "category": "Text", "text": "Update on the public policy assessment in June 2020: above mentioned *National Agricultural Policy (NAP)* has not been adopted as its focus was too narrow. Instead, with support of the EU-funded Technical Assistance to the Modernisation of Agricultural Programme, the Government of Sri Lanka in consultation with private sector and farming community stakeholders has prepared an Overarching Agricultural Policy (OAP) including a draft implementation strategy. The OAP has been ready for adoption since 2020, seeking to stimulate coordination among all stakeholders involved in its implementation. The OAP has been developed in the context of fiscal austerity and assumes that not more public funds will be allocated to the agricultural sector in the coming years compared to 2019. Thus, the funding for the reforms has to come from re-allocations, savings, donor funds and first and foremost private sector investments. The OAP has"}, {"bbox": [130, 1514, 1101, 1603], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² President Manifesto: http://www.priu.gov.lk/presidential manifestos/Manifesto-EN.pdf Speech of the President at the opening session of the new Parliament: http://www.president.gov.lk/news/policy-statement-delivered-bv-president- maithripala-sirisena-addressing-the-8th-parliament-of-sri-lanka-on-september-1-2015/. Speech of the Ministry of Finance for the presentation of the budget 2016: http://www.treasury.gov.lk/news-and-events/676-budget-2016.html"}, {"bbox": [130, 1602, 790, 1625], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ http://www.agrimin.gov.lk/web/index.php/en/special-messages/717-agriculture-policy"}, {"bbox": [609, 1697, 624, 1718], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "4"}]