COLOMBO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The first targeted experience-sharing workshop organized by China Aid Training Alumni (CATA) Sri Lanka was held in Colombo on Monday, focusing on ways to increase rice yields and promote agricultural development in the country.
Organized by CATA Sri Lanka with support from the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka's Department of Agriculture, the workshop, themed "Rice Yield Increase Management for Sri Lanka," focused on high-yield rice varieties, seed technology, sustainable soil and water management, integrated pest and disease management, agricultural mechanization, post-harvest technologies, as well as policy and institutional support.
Sanjeewa Wimalagunarathna, president of CATA Sri Lanka, said in his welcome remarks that the event was the first experience-sharing workshop of its kind launched by the organization this year, describing the participating alumni as "pioneers" of the initiative.
He said the workshop would serve as a pilot for similar programs in the future and encouraged the alumni to provide frank and practical input based on both what they had learned during training in China and Sri Lanka's actual conditions, so that their experience and suggestions could be genuinely useful.
The representative of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka said agriculture has long been an important area of practical cooperation between China and Sri Lanka.
She expressed hope that the alumni would make good use of the knowledge and experience they had gained in China and become a backbone force in Sri Lanka's agricultural development, while continuing to serve as ambassadors of friendship between the two countries, integrating their personal growth with national development and contributing to deeper bilateral cooperation.
During the workshop, Sri Lankan alumni shared techniques and practices they had learned in China in areas including high-yield varieties, water management, integrated pest management, mechanization and post-harvest technologies.
Participants were also divided into working groups to discuss seed technology and varietal improvement, sustainable soil and water management, integrated pest and disease management, mechanization and modern farming practices, post-harvest storage and marketing, as well as policy and institutional support.
Each group was tasked with developing a practical implementation roadmap containing specific recommendations, timelines, responsible institutions and required support. The roadmaps were then presented to relevant stakeholders for discussion and feedback, with a follow-up mechanism also envisaged by the organizers.
Rice is a staple food in Sri Lanka and plays an important role in the country's food security. Sri Lanka's annual paddy production reached about 5.05 million metric tons in 2025, up 7.6 percent from the previous year, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
China and Sri Lanka have continued to expand cooperation in human resources development and capacity building in recent years. China has organized aid-funded training programs for Sri Lankan participants from government departments, research institutions, business associations and enterprises.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, nearly 14,000 Sri Lankan political and business representatives have participated in China-aid training programs in China over the years. In 2025 alone, approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan trainees participated in nearly 100 training programs, including 19 bilateral programs tailored to Sri Lanka's specific needs. ■