By Giriraj Amarnath, Niranga Alahacoon and Chaminda Ekanayake
Agriculture in Sri Lanka is undergoing a transformative journey amidst numerous challenges, including the impacts of COVID-19, a controversial fertilizer ban, the struggles faced by smallholder farmers and increasing climate extremes such as floods and droughts. In response to these pressing issues, Sri Lanka’s Department of Agrarian Development (DAD), in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Unmiti Pvt. Ltd., launched the GeoGoviya Smart Farming Platform initiative in 2022. The name comes from the word goviya meaning farmer in the Sinhalese language. The platform was then upgraded in 2023 to reflect improved technologies and infrastructure. This allowed its use to expand across public and private sectors and institutionalizing the platform as the National Digital Agricultural Data Platform.
GeoGoviya empowers farmers with data-driven insights, enhancing productivity, resilience and sustainability as it addresses the needs of Sri Lanka’s agricultural community. It integrates advanced climate services, geospatial analytics and smart farming technologies and provides real-time data on weather patterns, land use, soil conditions, crop health and water availability. This enables farmers to make informed decisions tailored to their specific agricultural needs. Using GeoGoviya, DAD is expected to revolutionize crop management through advanced data collection and analysis, securing the future of farming in Sri Lanka.
The platform also provides drought monitoring, and early warning systems through the South Asia Drought Monitoring System (SADMS) Platform. It uses geospatial mapping for efficient land use, soil health assessments and crop monitoring. Farmers receive tailored recommendations for irrigation schedules, pest management and fertilizer application through user-friendly dashboards designed for smallholder farmers with limited digital literacy.
GeoGoviya also supports real-time monitoring and reporting providing DAD with a farmer and land registry. The platform supports comprehensive field data collection with geo-tagging, QR code identifiers and offline data sync capabilities.
In an era where climate change and resource constraints threaten agricultural sustainability, GeoGoviya is transforming the sector with data-driven decision-making. By equipping users with real-time insights, the platform enhances resource allocation and policy-making. With a database of 1.82 million paddy land records and 1.42 million farmers, it serves as the backbone of CultivateX, a product developed by IWMI that delivers customized agro-climate advisories. By integrating agronomic recommendations from Sri Lanka’s National Agriculture Information and Communication Centre, these advisories help farmers mitigate climate risks and adopt resilient farming practices.
GeoGoviya has also streamlined financial assistance, eliminating duplicate records and saving Sri Lanka just over US$ 1.6 million, ensuring faster, more accurate cash transfers. Its user-friendly mobile and web applications improve access for smallholder farmers. Blockchain-based land registries, Keyhole Markup Language databases and screening algorithms enhance resource transparency and efficiency. Policymakers use GeoGoviya’s analytics to develop evidence-based agricultural strategies. By integrating technology with sustainability, GeoGoviya is optimizing farm operations, strengthening resilience, and paving the way for a climate-smart future.
GeoGoviya Platform has already made significant strides in transforming Sri Lanka’s agricultural landscape. As it continues to evolve, its potential to scale beyond Sri Lanka offers a blueprint for climate-smart agriculture globally. IWMI will continue to support the initiative through CGIAR Climate Action Science Program to leverage innovations and technologies that benefit smallholder farmers and develop a scalable model for other countries. By harnessing the power of data and technology, GeoGoviya is not just a platform—it is a movement towards a more resilient, productive and sustainable agricultural future.
