KOPIA introduces South Korea’s rice cultivation technology to Sri Lanka

Wednesday, 13 July 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Untitled-9 The KOPIA (KOrea Program on International Agriculture) Sri Lanka Centre established a model farm village for rice production at Rajanganaya in partnership with the RRDI (Rice Research and Development Institute) Bathlagoda of the Department of Agriculture, to improve productivity and quality of rice in the region by utilising Korean agricultural technology. The partnership is based on the MOU signed between the Ministry of Agriculture of Sri Lanka and the Rural Development Administration of Korea.

Under this KOPIA project, farmers were requested to cultivate in large plots with deep plowing and to employ organic manure and transplanting mechanisation. At the end of the first season, a remarkable increase in rice productivity has been observed.

As part of this project, a Korean mechanic expert visited Sri Lanka from 9 to 13 May this year. He demonstrated how to use the transplanting machine at the Rajanganaya farm village, and held a workshop at the RRDI Battalagoda, titled ‘How to Use Machine Transplanting Methods for Rice,’ to educate farmers and agricultural officials how to lower labor force and improve rice quality through mechanisation in the agricultural sector. The workshop also helped a Sri Lankan agricultural company, which showed a keen interest in purchasing the transplanting machines, to get information about agricultural machinery companies in Korea.

The project will also send two Korean rice experts to Sri Lanka for one month in mid-July. They are planning to share their expertise in crop and post-harvest management of rice. Meanwhile, two Sri Lankan officials in the agricultural sector will be invited to visit the National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, South Korea from 30 July to 5 August, to participate in a training program on high-quality rice production technology.