🌾 Climate-Agri Advisory Boosts Sri Lankan Rice Yields

A five-year collaboration between the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Sri Lanka’s Department of Agrarian Development has successfully scaled an Agro-Climate Advisory Lab in Nagollagama, Kurunegala, significantly boosting agriculture productivity. • Key Impact & Yield Figures: Supported farmers harvested 226 kg more rice per acre, securing an extra Rs. 27,100 (~US$ 82) in income per acre. An intensive cohort utilizing climate-resilient paddy seeds from CIC Holdings saw an increase of 390 kg per acre, yielding Rs. 46,800 (~US$ 141) in additional income against just Rs. 6,000 (~US$ 18) in input costs. • Massive Scale-up: The program expanded 100-fold in a single year, moving from a small pilot to disseminating over 125,000 localized, twice-weekly SMS advisories to nearly 10,000 farmers during the 2026 Maha season. • Institutionalization & Regional Potential: Backed by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and CGIAR, the model transitioned from a pilot into a permanent institutional structure under the Department of Agrarian Development. Due to its success, neighboring service centers in Mahawa and Polpithigama have requested replication, and IWMI is now positioning Nagollagama as a model for South-South learning in Zambia and Pakistan.