Excellence awards in Agricultural Research
The National Awards for Excellence in Agricultural Research Ceremony for the years 2023 and 2025 was held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Colombo, under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Organized biennially by the Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP), the awards aim to encourage and motivate agricultural researchers to achieve excellence in their fields, support their professional development, and recognize their valuable contributions to advancing the national agricultural sector.
This year’s ceremony honored outstanding achievements in agricultural research across three main categories: forest plantation cultivation, export-oriented crops, and non-crop cultivation, including floriculture, livestock, fisheries, and aquatic resources, for both 2023 and 2025.
Addressing the event, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha emphasized that the country’s dependence on imports of essential food items and the resulting heavy financial burden on consumers remain key challenges for the agricultural sector.
The Minister noted that researchers bear a vital responsibility to contribute scientifically toward identifying strategies for agrarian modernization, fostering young agri-entrepreneurs, enhancing value addition in agricultural products, and promoting export-oriented agrarian development.
The Minister further urged that the findings of such research be effectively communicated to policymakers and relevant stakeholders to ensure their practical implementation at the ground level.
Minister Lalkantha also extended his appreciation to the Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy for its dedicated role in advancing agricultural research in the country. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering a farming development model that ensures national food security, reduces import dependency, uplifts the livelihoods of farming communities, and promotes environmentally sustainable practices.
The event was also attended by Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Viddyarathna, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation Aravinda Senarath Witharana, and Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation D.P. Wickramasinghe, along with senior government officials, Chairman of SLCARP Prof. R.S. Dharmakeerthi, University Vice-Chancellors, researchers, academics, and private sector representatives.