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Harvesting from the heart

In the face of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, women farmers remain determined to produce for their families and communities

Por United Nations Development Programme

11 de November de 2022

Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector is a cornerstone in the country’s economy, supporting many rural small-scale producers. The current crisis has limited their capacity to cultivate, leaving resource poor farmers with little or no options to recover.

Harvesting from the heart

Harvesting from the heart

Harvesting from the heart

S.M. Pradeepa Nilmini is one of many farmers in Sri Lanka who face this plight. From Gal Oya, in the North Central Province of the island nation, Pradeepa is the only hope for her family. Her husband lost his job during the pandemic and turned to accepting paying clients in their family tuk-tuk. But due to the economic crisis and the shortage of fuel, this too has now come to a standstill. He now relies on the ad-hoc manual labour jobs he manages to find in town, making Pradeepa the primary bread winner for the household.

When S.M. Pradeepa Nilmini's husband lost his job due to the pandemic, the family had to survive on a single source of income. Photo: UNDP Sri Lanka

A mother of three, Pradeepa hopes for better days. Her eldest moved away after marriage, her second is set to sit for his GCE Advanced Level examinations, and her youngest is moving into grade 10 next year.

“This situation has left me helpless," Pradeepa said. "I have struggled to afford the tuition lessons that my son goes for as he prepares for his exams in the commerce stream. As a mother, this breaks my heart.”

Due to skyrocketing food prices, Pradeepa says she needs to earn a minimum of Rs. 2,500 (nearly US$7) a week to make ends meet, something she didn’t have to face before.

It's the worst economic crisis the country has ever seen, stemming from mismanagement of macro-economic policy, coupled with a ban on fertilizer, lack of fuel stocks in the country, all compounded by the effects of COVID-19. Farming families were left on the losing end, undermining food security for everyone.

“In the past, after the Maha cultivation season, we would harvest around 100 stacks of paddy. But this time around, we only managed to receive a harvest of 36 stacks,” Pradeepa notes.

Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector is a cornerstone in the country’s economy, supporting many rural small-scale producers. Photo: UNDP Sri Lanka

In June 2022, UNDP Sri Lanka launched the ‘Private Sector Facility for Sri Lanka’ project to channel funds towards the health and food sectors, two areas most affected by the economic crisis. The facility consists of three avenues: donor funding, private sector contributions and a crowdfunding mechanism named ‘Rebuild Sri Lanka’. It has raised over $3 million in contributions so far.

From the procurement of life saving medicines and maize for cultivation, to providing much-needed seeds and building awareness of good practices for home gardening, the facility has engaged with key partners including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Hemas Holdings PLC, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Brandix Apparel Limited, Daraz Sri Lanka, Citi Foundation and Amana Bank.

A primary focus of the food security intervention is diversifying agricultural livelihoods. This includes expanding on traditional paddy-only cultivations to diverse crops such as cowpea and mung beans not only to boost stagnant activities but also to increase farmer's incomes and enhance food security. Tapping into UNDPs established relationships with farmer communities through ongoing climate adaptation projects across the country, the crisis intervention was timely to help farmers stay afloat.

“I managed to sell the green gram harvest at a market rate of Rs.540 per kilo, which was a great relief,” Pradeepa said as she proudly displayed her harvest.

Harvesting from the heart

Harvesting from the heart

Harvesting from the heart

From the profit she made, she was able to settle her outstanding loan payments and get her family's finances back on track. Like her, other women farmers who are a part of the Women’s Farmer Society in Gal Oya are finding ways to get through the tough times.

“We are a farming community. We hardly have people engaged in [other types of] employment. Therefore, all of us are skilled farmers,” she said.

Pradeepa's reliable source of income as a result of her new farming practices meant she was able to settle outstanding debts and put her family on a firm financial footing. Photo: UNDP Sri Lanka

Members of the Women's Farmer Society use their monthly meetings as a platform for sharing experiences and consulting with UNDP technical experts who visit regularly. From learning about crops that require less water for cultivation and other climate-smart agricultural practices that consider the tumultuous context, the women farmers have equipped themselves with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions in their cultivations.

“I too was not aware of some of these agriculture practices like diversification of crops. So, there have been seasons where we have not been able to cultivate due to various issues," Pradeepa said.

"Once I had gained this knowledge, I wanted to share this with my fellow members - all of us who are sisters, daughters, mothers, striving hard to make a living.”

Harvesting from the heart

Harvesting from the heart

Pradeepa is now looking to rally support towards purchasing their own water pump, which can be used to water their fields during the dry season.

“So far, we have managed to survive by borrowing pumps, while being dependent on the rains. Having our own pump could help boost production and ensure our crops survive the cultivation periods,” she said.

Equipped with new farming techniques, greater financial stability and a supportive community, Pradeepa looks towards the future with hope. Photo: UNDP Sri Lanka

For Pradeepa and the other members of the Women’s Farmer Society, the road ahead is not easy. But with sound strategies and a supportive community, they are looking to the future with determination and hope.

“Women are the backbone in our farming community. Through our tears and sacrifices, we have been determined to ensure that every season, no matter the hardships and the lack of availability of water for farming, we have tended to our lands to produce a harvest that benefits our entire community.”

© 2026 United Nations Development Programme

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