Japan-funded ‘Climate Promise’ project empowers farmers

UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota hands over solar-powered technologies to the farming community

Sri Lanka’s farming community will now have access to crisis relief support with the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Climate Promise initiatives, funded by Japan, unleashing a green revolution in the North.
In a significant development for the renewable energy sector, the Climate Promise project, backed by the Japan Supplementary Budget, celebrated the handover of renewable energy technologies to farmer organisations in Sri Lanka’s Northwestern province. 
The project titled ‘Enhancing Food and Energy Security Through the Promotion of Green Technologies and Renewable Energy for Wider Uptake Among Vulnerable Smallholder Farmers in Sri Lanka’ aims to provide crisis relief support to marginalised farmer demographics in the country’s dry-zone farmlands. 
This initiative highlights the growing focus on sustainable practices and the role of businesses in addressing climate change challenges.
“I believe that this support will help farmers deepen their understanding of the importance of sustainable agriculture in consideration of the global environment and will also provide an opportunity for them to put green farming into practice, which is an important milestone in the promotion of renewable energy utilisation in the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka,” said Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Mizukoshi Hideaki.

The official handing over event included the transfer of solar-powered cool rooms, milk can coolers, solar PV systems for milk chilling centres and farmer training centres, backpack sprayers, large and small-scale solar-powered water pumps and moth-repellent kits to 49 farmer organisations, benefitting around 20,000 farmers. 
These cutting-edge technologies aim to revolutionise farming practices, ensuring sustainability and promoting eco-friendly alternatives. 
Further, a five-tonne solar-powered cool room was inaugurated, emphasising the commitment to enhancing food and energy security in the region. The facility will serve as a vital resource for farmers to store and preserve their produce efficiently.