National Awards for Excellence in Agricultural Research 2023 & 2025 Held Under President Dissanayake’s Patronage
The National Awards Ceremony for Excellence in Agricultural Research for the years 2023 and 2025 was held yesterday afternoon (23) 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, foster professional growth, and recognize their valuable contributions to the advancement of the national agricultural sector, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).
This year’s awards honoured outstanding achievements across three main categories:
- Forest plantation cultivation
- Export-oriented agricultural crops
- Non-crop cultivation such as floriculture, livestock, fisheries, and aquatic resources
Awards were presented for both 2023 and 2025.
Addressing the gathering, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha highlighted that Sri Lanka’s dependence on food imports continues to place a heavy financial burden on consumers, underscoring one of the sector’s main challenges. He stressed that researchers have a vital responsibility to help identify strategies for agricultural modernization, foster young agri-entrepreneurs, enhance value addition, and promote export-oriented growth.
The Minister further urged that research findings be effectively communicated to policymakers and relevant stakeholders to ensure practical implementation at ground level.
Minister Lalkantha also commended the SLCARP for its dedicated efforts in advancing agricultural research and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to developing an agriculture model that ensures food security, reduces import dependency, uplifts farmer livelihoods, and promotes environmental sustainability.
Also in attendance were 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, SLCARP Chairman Prof. R.S. Dharmakeerthi, university vice-chancellors, researchers, academics, and private sector representatives.
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