‘GoviLab’; a tech program to transform agricultural sector

From left: Sarvodaya President Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath, Hatch Chief Program Officer Mevan Peiris, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Independent Consultant Chandita Samaranayake – Pic by Lasantha Kumara 

By Divya Thotawatte 

Sarvodaya, in partnership with Hatch, recently launched ‘GoviLab’ Agritech Accelerator, an initiative to elevate and modernise Sri Lanka's agriculture sector, adopting a holistic approach. 

The Accelerator was launched as a key part of Sri Lanka's Inclusive Digital Agriculture Transformation (IDAT) strategy, a one-of-a-kind national initiative by the Sri Lankan Government together with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and PwC India. GoviLab is aimed at identifying and prioritising key challenges within Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector like ensuring food security and address them through the empowerment of smallholder farmers by cultivating a digitised agricultural ecosystem that contributes significantly to the IDAT project. 

Technology Minister Kanaka Herath said, “Nearly30% of the population engages in agricultural activities but as we know, the contribution to the national GDP is less than 10%. So there is a significant gap in the efficiency of the sector. 40% of the produce gets wasted due to wildlife encounters and transportation resulting in multiple handoffs. Therefore, the end consumer price is 4-5% times the farm gate price.” 

He explained that reducing waste and modernising the agricultural sector of the country would contribute to an improved GDP where the income of farmers would increase while consumer prices reduce. 

“The Inclusive Digital Agriculture Transformation (IDAT) is the national strategy to drive this and is the vision for a more resilient, efficient and equitable agriculture landscape in Sri Lanka. GoviLab AgriTech Accelerator is a key activity within this overall plan,” he said, stressing the need to focus on the accessibility and affordability for small and medium sized farmers. 

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Independent Consultant Chandita Samaranayake said addressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers was the key focus of the GoviLab AgriTech Accelerator program. 

It is intended to utilise a holistic approach to uplift Sri Lanka's agriculture industry by identifying and supporting startups with innovative solutions. It will include working with various stakeholders, as well as other international development agencies, the private sector and the Government to scale the country's agri-technology and start-up ecosystem to support smallholder farmers.

The first phase of the program will involve stakeholder consultations and focus group discussion to identify specific challenges faced by smallholder farmers and how these converge with Government priorities. The first cohort of the “GoviLab” AgriTech Accelerator will select 10 startups through a competitive application process. For over a 6-month acceleration period, selected startups will undergo a comprehensive scale-up process, complemented by a capacity-building grant.

This program seeks applications from startups that have developed and tested technological solutions, specifically aimed at bolstering Sri Lanka's agriculture industry. By addressing critical challenges faced by the farming community, participants in the program become integral players in a collective effort

to drive  a positive change in Sri Lanka's agricultural landscape.

The application process is now open, and interested startups can submit their proposals for consideration. For more information contact [email protected]