In brief
In southern Sri Lanka, Chinese and Sri Lankan officials launched a three‑day tropical‑fruit training program aimed at improving banana, pineapple, and mango production. The course builds on successful China‑FAO South‑South cooperation projects that previously boosted yields and cut fertilizer use.
In the southern province of Sri Lanka, a three‑day tropical‑fruit training program has just begun, drawing agricultural technicians, researchers, students and local fruit farmers to a central venue for instruction by Chinese experts.
The session, co‑organized by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences and the foreign affairs office of China’s Hainan Province, will cover advanced seedling propagation and high‑efficiency production techniques for banana, pineapple and mango, the three tropical fruits that dominate the local market.
The training includes lectures from Chinese specialists and field‑study opportunities where participants will observe sample plots that use fruit bagging, precise drip irrigation and other methods introduced through prior China‑FAO cooperation projects.
Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka Wei Huaxiang, who hosted the launch ceremony, said the course would strengthen bilateral ties and provide sustainable solutions to Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector.
"We hope this training will expand exchanges and cooperation in tropical agriculture, bring benefits to the people of Sri Lanka, and contribute to the sustainable development of our agriculture," said Huaxiang.
W.L.O. Manel, an agricultural official of the Southern Province, described the training as a milestone for future cooperation between the two countries.
"This marks the beginning of broader prospects for agricultural cooperation between China and Sri Lanka," Manel said.
Earlier in the decade, from April 2023 to September 2025, Chinese experts participated in the China‑FAO Sri Lanka South‑South Cooperation Project. The project deployed 10 demonstration sites where farmers learned fruit bagging and precise drip irrigation. According to project reports, banana output rose by 70 percent, mango yield grew by over 50 percent, and fertilizer use fell by 72 percent.
Participants in the current training will learn how to replicate those improvements in their own fields. The emphasis on banana, pineapple and mango reflects the fruit’s importance to Sri Lanka’s economy, as the country imports many tropical fruits and aims to boost local production to meet demand.
The program’s three‑day schedule will involve morning classroom sessions followed by evening workshops on the ground. Trainees will hear about soil preparation, pest management, and post‑harvest handling, as well as data‑driven irrigation scheduling that reduces water use.
Beyond technical skills, the training seeks to build networks between Sri Lankan and Chinese professionals. Delegates will be paired with Chinese mentors who can provide ongoing technical support after the course concludes.
Officials on both sides expect the training to create a pipeline of expertise that will help Sri Lankan farmers raise yields and reduce costs, thereby increasing profitability and sustaining the workforce in rural communities.
As the program proceeds, updates will be released on how many farmers have adopted new techniques and whether the early gains seen in the 2023‑2025 project are replicated at scale.
