Text and Pic by Mahendra Randeniya ✍️

The 15th anniversary of the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) in Sri Lanka was celebrated at the National Agriculture Information and Communication Centre in Gannoruwa under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Agriculture Namal Karunaratne.

KOPIA is an agricultural innovation partnership programme launched by the Republic of Korea to promote agricultural development in 22 countries around the world. In Sri Lanka, the programme focuses on advancing agriculture and rural development through agricultural innovation.

Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea signed the agreement establishing the KOPIA programme on December 19, 2011. The 15-year project is scheduled to conclude at the end of December 2026. The 15th progress review and anniversary event was held on August 4 with the participation of Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne, KOPIA Sri Lanka Director Dr. Park Jung Sik, Korean agricultural scientists, Director General of Agriculture Dr. Tushara Wickramaarachchi, the Deputy Director General, and provincial directors of agriculture.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Minister Karunaratne said the Minister of Agriculture had intended to attend the event but was unable to do so due to parliamentary commitments. He said he was pleased to participate in the anniversary celebrations.

Reflecting on South Korea’s remarkable development, the Deputy Minister noted that villages in Sri Lanka were once compared to Korea when referring to underdeveloped areas. Today, however, South Korea has become one of the world’s most advanced nations. He commended the Republic of Korea for sharing its success by extending financial assistance and technical expertise to developing countries, including Sri Lanka.

He said Sri Lanka inherited a country that had suffered setbacks in many sectors and expressed appreciation for Korea’s continued support. Of the 17 KOPIA projects implemented in Sri Lanka, 15 have been completed while two are currently in progress. He appealed to the Korean Government to continue its friendship and cooperation beyond the current programme.

KOPIA Sri Lanka Director Dr. Park Pyung-Sik said the programme, established in 2005, supports agricultural development in 22 countries by providing financial assistance, modern agricultural technology, and technical expertise. He said KOPIA had been assisting Sri Lanka since 2011 in developing agriculture, rural development, and agricultural administration. Recalling South Korea’s own transformation from a war-ravaged and impoverished nation through the adoption of modern technology and agricultural innovation, he said the programme aims to promote agricultural development while contributing to global peace and prosperity.

Director General of Agriculture Dr. Tushara Wickramaarachchi said KOPIA had invested US$4.444 million (approximately Rs. 1.332 billion) in 17 projects over the past 15 years. He said the programme had facilitated the services of 48 agricultural specialists, trained 58 young researchers, and conducted 73 advanced technical advisory programmes.

Between 2012 and 2026, 194 Sri Lankan officials were sent to South Korea to receive advanced technical training and gain practical experience. The programme has supported the production of rice, potatoes, green gram, soybeans, and big onions, as well as seed production for chilli, tomato, and onion. These initiatives have helped increase crop yields by nearly threefold and have been successfully implemented across Sri Lanka’s three major agro-ecological zones and 46 agro-ecological sub-zones.