The Regional Demo Day of the GoviLab AgriTech Accelerator, held on March 2, 2025, at the Farm Mechanization Training Centre in Anuradhapura, marked a successful milestone in advancing Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector. The event brought together over 3,000 participants, including farmers, government officials, private sector representatives, and the public, to witness the demonstrations of ten innovative Agri-Tech solutions developed by local startups.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Dr. Susil Ranasinghe and Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, who emphasized the significance of modernizing Sri Lanka’s agriculture. Dr. Ranasinghe highlighted how such initiatives could revolutionize the sector, improving productivity and sustainability.
The GoviLab AgriTech Accelerator, implemented by Hatch Innovation in partnership with Sarvodaya, is part of the IDAT (Inclusive Digital Agriculture Transformation) project supported by The Gates Foundation. Mevan Peiris, CEO of Hatch, emphasized that Sri Lanka has the talent to develop world-class Agri-Tech solutions and that the accelerator’s goal is to empower smallholder farmers with tools to improve productivity.
The showcased innovations included drones for optimizing paddy and coconut cultivation, sensors for agricultural input and greenhouse management, localized seeding machines, small-scale cashew processing machines, and mobile/web-based platforms for farm management and market access. Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of Sarvodaya, stated that fostering innovation and digital transformation would strengthen the agricultural sector and ensure a sustainable future.
The event featured live demonstrations, knowledge-sharing sessions, and onboarding of farmers to integrate the new technologies into their operations. The technologies presented showed great promise in improving productivity, reducing costs, and minimizing post-harvest losses. The Demo Day highlighted the importance of partnerships between startups, government agencies, and farming communities to foster a brighter future for Sri Lankan agriculture.
