Hiru News：FAO’s South Cooperation Project with China leads to 300% increase in pineapple yield
A transformative South-South Cooperation initiative between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of China, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture of Sri Lanka has delivered strong results in strengthening Sri Lanka’s fruit value chains.
The two-year project, which ended this year, was implemented with the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) and achieved major productivity, quality, and capacity gains for banana, mango, and pineapple production across ten model farms in Colombo, Kurunegala and Anuradhapura districts.
Key achievements include boosting productivity: Pineapple yields tripled to 55 t/ha with high-density planting of 25,000–32,000 plants per acre, compared to 4,000 plants per acre traditionally. Advanced pruning and fruit bagging techniques increased export-grade mango production to 90 percent. Banana tissue-cultured seedling production doubled, with costs reduced by 30 to 40%.
Over 2,000 farmers and officers were trained at 10 model farms, and six training videos were produced and integrated into national curricula, supporting long-term dissemination of improved practices.
A landmark achievement was the establishment of a state-of-the-art Banana Tissue Culture Laboratory at the North Central Provincial Department of Agriculture. This facility supplies disease-free, high-yield planting materials to farmers across three provinces, reducing dependency on distant suppliers, lowering transport-related losses, and ensuring steady access to affordable, quality inputs.
The project placed strong emphasis on inclusivity, with women comprising 40 percent of trained beneficiaries. Targeted training addressed gender-specific challenges in agriculture, ensuring women farmers gained equal access to new technologies and practices.
“China is proud to partner with Sri Lanka in advancing agricultural innovation through this South-South Cooperation initiative. By sharing knowledge and technology, we are helping farmers achieve higher yields, better quality, and stronger livelihoods,” said H E Qi Zhenhong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Sri Lanka.
“The success achieved in Sri Lanka is not only improving the lives of farmers today but is also shaping a stronger, more resilient fruit value chain for the future,” said Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Dong Moli, Division Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, said, “These achievements clearly demonstrate that South–South Cooperation is not only a channel for technology transfer but also an important pathway for building a country’s own development capacity, fostering knowledge sharing, and promoting multiple benefits.”