Sri Lanka strengthens quality seed availability

From left FAO Assistant Representative (Program) Nalin Munasinghe; Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Minister K. D. Lalkantha, Director General of Agriculture Dr. W.A.R.T. Wickramaarachchi, and Seed and Planting Material Development Centre Director S. Satheeswaran, launching the CROPIX Seed Production, Certification and Traceability System

From left: Seed Certification and Plant Protection Centre Director, Y.M.H. Liyanage, Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Ministry Additional Secretary (Agri Technology) Dr. W. M. U. K. Ratnayake, Director General of Agriculture Dr. W.A.R.T. Wickramaarachchi, Seed Producer representing the Farmer Organisation J.M. Ananda Jayathika Bandara. Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Minister K. D. Lalkantha, Farmer S.N.C.W.M.R.K. Kandegedara, FAO Assistant Representative (Program) Nalin Munasinghe, Seed and Planting Material Development Centre Director S. Satheeswaran at the launch of the CROPIX Seed Production, Certification and Traceability System

•  Launches digital seed production, certification and traceability system with support from FAO

The Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Ministry and the Department of Agriculture, with the technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), has launched the CROPIX Seed Production, Certification and Traceability System, a major step towards modernising Sri Lanka’s seed sector through digital innovation.

The new system strengthens seed production and certification processes by improving transparency, efficiency, traceability, and coordination among stakeholders across the seed value chain. It forms part of the broader Crop Resources, Optimising operations, through Precise Information eXchange System (CROPIX) digital agriculture platform and supports Sri Lanka’s efforts to build a more resilient, efficient, and farmer-centric agricultural sector.

Quality seeds are fundamental to increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening food security, and improving farmer livelihoods. 

However, Sri Lanka’s seed sector continues to face several challenges, including delays in seed production and certification processes, limited access to quality-assured seeds, fragmented information systems, and limited traceability across seed distribution networks. Addressing these constraints is particularly important at a time when farmers, public institutions and private sector actors require faster, more reliable and better-connected services to respond to changing production and market needs.

The newly launched CROPIX Seed System addresses these challenges through an integrated system linking seed growers, seed handlers, laboratories, field officers, administrators, and other agricultural information systems. The platform enables real-time monitoring of seed production and certification activities while improving access to reliable seed-related information. By digitising key workflows, the system reduces duplication, supports faster verification and approval processes, and provides a more consistent flow of information from field registration to certification, laboratory testing, seed availability, and distribution.

From a technical perspective, the CROPIX Seed System is designed as an integrated digital platform that combines centralised data management, role-based user access, web-based workflows, and interoperability features. Through APIs, the system can exchange information with related agricultural databases and digital services, helping create a more connected digital agriculture ecosystem. Its traceability functions allow seed lots to be followed across critical stages of the production and certification cycle, while digital records, dashboards, and real-time reporting tools strengthen evidence-based planning, monitoring, and decision-making. This architecture also provides a foundation for future expansion, including analytics, mobile-enabled field services, and integration with wider Digital Public Infrastructure initiatives.

The system supports improved coordination between the Seed Certification Service (SCS) and the Seed and Planting Material Development Centre (SPMDC) and is technically aligned with Sri Lanka’s Digital Economy Blueprint, which was initiated by the Ministry of Digital Economy.

Speaking at the launch event, Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Minister K. D. Lalkantha said: “The modernisation of Sri Lanka’s seed sector is essential to ensuring national food security, improving agricultural productivity, and strengthening farmer livelihoods. The launch of the CROPIX Seed Production, Certification and Traceability System marks an important milestone in our efforts to build a more efficient, transparent, and technology-driven agriculture sector that better serves farmers and all stakeholders across the seed value chain.”

FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Vimlendra Sharan said: “Digital innovation has a critical role to play in transforming agrifood systems and improving the delivery of services to farmers. FAO is pleased to support Sri Lanka in advancing digital agriculture solutions that strengthen seed systems, enhance traceability and transparency, and improve timely access to quality seeds. This initiative demonstrates the strong commitment of Sri Lanka towards building more resilient, efficient, and sustainable agrifood systems.”

The CROPIX Seed Production, Certification and Traceability System is expected to benefit farmers through improved access to quality seeds and real-time information, while enabling government institutions and private sector stakeholders to make more informed, data-driven decisions. The system also enhances transparency and accountability throughout the seed production and certification process.

The initiative contributes to Sri Lanka’s broader digital agriculture agenda and aligns with national efforts to strengthen Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and agriculture interoperability frameworks.