Sri Lanka has made significant strides in transforming its agriculture sector with the official launch of several key initiatives: the Agriculture Enterprise Architecture Framework, the Agriculture Interoperability Framework, Data Sharing Policies, and CROPIX—a national digital platform for crop data and decision-making.
The event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and funded by the Gates Foundation, introduced a cohesive digital infrastructure aimed at modernizing agricultural governance. This initiative seeks to enhance service delivery and support evidence-based decision-making across the sector.
These initiatives collectively form the core of Sri Lanka’s emerging Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture. They aim to address persistent challenges such as fragmented data systems, institutional silos, and limited data sharing across government entities.
During the event, Hon. K. D. Lalkantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, emphasized the strategic significance of the launch. “Today marks a decisive shift in how Sri Lanka governs and supports its agriculture sector. By introducing a unified Enterprise Architecture, Interoperability Framework, and clear Data Sharing Policies, we are laying the foundation for a truly data-driven agriculture system that serves farmers, institutions, and decision-makers alike. CROPIX will enable us to move from fragmented information to informed, timely decisions that strengthen food security and farmer livelihoods,” he stated.
Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, highlighted the role of agriculture in Sri Lanka’s broader digital transformation. “For years, Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector lacked a complete, reliable registry of farmers, lands, and crops—fragmented across systems with duplication and gaps. The solutions launched today change that, introducing a unified, API-driven platform for trusted data-sharing. This will enable smarter policies, targeted services, and innovations like agritech, precision farming, and digital marketplaces—delivering real digital value to those who feed the nation and driving our digital economy forward,” he said.
Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy, underscored the initiative’s relevance to the country’s broader digital transformation efforts. “By applying enterprise architecture, interoperability, and trusted data-sharing principles to agriculture, we are ensuring that digital transformation delivers real value on the ground. This approach enables scalable, secure systems that connect farmers to institutions, data to decisions, and policy to impact,” he noted.
The Agriculture Enterprise Architecture Framework offers a strategic blueprint to align people, processes, data, and technology across agricultural institutions, ensuring digital investments are interoperable, scalable, and future-ready. Complementing this, the Agriculture Interoperability Framework and newly introduced Data Sharing Policies facilitate secure, standardized, and trusted exchange of agricultural data across ministries, departments, and digital platforms.
At the heart of this digital ecosystem is CROPIX—Crop Resources, Optimizing operations, through Precise Information eXchange System. CROPIX operationalizes the architecture and interoperability frameworks by integrating a national crop registry, cultivation and production data, forecasting tools, extension services, near real-time field reporting, APIs, and Open Data. Through its web platform and mobile applications, CROPIX connects farmers, extension officers, planners, and policymakers around a single, trusted source of agricultural data.
Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, emphasized the initiative’s broader significance. “This launch represents more than the introduction of digital systems; it marks a transformation in how data are governed, shared, and used across the agriculture sector. By establishing strong digital public infrastructure for agriculture, Sri Lanka is positioning itself to respond more effectively to climate risks, improve service delivery, cater to dynamic market demands and make evidence-based decisions that leave no farmer behind. FAO is proud to support this journey towards a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agriculture sector,” he said.
The launch is expected to accelerate the institutional adoption of digital tools within the Department of Agriculture, promote responsible data sharing across government, and foster a culture where near real-time data informs planning, policy formulation, and investment decisions. Ultimately, this ensures that farmers are the primary beneficiaries through improved services, timely information, and more responsive, evidence-based support.
This milestone marks not just the introduction of new systems, but the beginning of a collaborative national journey towards a resilient, inclusive, and data-driven future for Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector.
Photo: (Left – Right) Dr. W.A.R.T. Wickramaarachchi, Director-General, Department of Agriculture; Mr. D. P. Wickramasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation; Mr. Dhammika Ranatunga, Commissioner General, Department of Agrarian Development; Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Acting Secretary for the Ministry of Digital Economy; Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy; Mr. Marc-André Franche, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka; Hon. K. D. Lalkantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation; Mr. Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives; Dr. Hans Wijayasooriya, Chief Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka on Digital Economy; and G. B. Rohitha Rathnasiri, Farmer Representative from Kurunegala unveiling the Agriculture Enterprise Architecture, Agriculture Interoperability Framework, and Departmental Data Sharing Policies at the event.
