Farmers in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province were recently exposed to the functionalities of drones in the modernisation of agricultural practices, at an awareness programme organised by the Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC in collaboration with Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka.
More than 100 farmers in the Thambuttegama area in the Anuradhapura District as well as some students were briefed by experts on how drones could be used for seeding paddy lands and in the application of fertiliser and agrochemicals, and help resolve the issue of labour shortages.
This invaluable knowledge coupled with live demonstrations, was provided by representatives of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka and Aerogenii Drone Services, an end-to-end drone solutions provider, with the support of officials of the Bank’s Development Credit Department, which is the initiator of the programme.
“Sri Lanka’s agriculture needs to transition to the modern era by adopting the appropriate technological advancements that are revolutionising the way food crops are grown, harvested and processed,” Commercial Bank Deputy General Manager – Personal Banking Mr Delakshan Hettiarachchi commented. “As one of the biggest lenders to the country’s agriculture sector, Commercial Bank is best positioned to be a catalyst for this transition, and we are committed to invest funds, time and expertise to help make it happen.”
The Bank said the objective of the programme is to promote the adoption of modern technology in paddy farming and other cultivation activities, by educating farmers on how the use of drones and other innovations is more cost effective and time conserving when compared with manual labour, in addition to addressing labour shortages.
The Bank said it plans to conduct similar awareness sessions in other agricultural areas of the country under the Commercial Bank’s Agri Modernisation Programme.
Programmes of this nature are supported by the Bank’s 19 Agriculture & Micro Finance Units (AMFU) which play a key role in helping the Bank to identify specific needs of entrepreneurs who require assistance to develop either their agriculture activities or micro businesses. These units are dedicated to promoting agriculture lending and micro finance.
Commercial Bank’s Agriculture & Micro Finance Units are located in Ratnapura, Narammala, Nawalapitiya, Marawila, Anuradhapura, Kilinochchi, Bandarawela, Wellawaya, Hingurakgoda, Galewela, Achchuveli, Vavuniya, Chenkalady, Deniyaya, Tissamaharama, Udugama, Pottuvil, Elpitiya, and Akkaraipattu.
Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon neutral bank, Commercial Bank is the largest private sector bank in Sri Lanka and the first Sri Lankan bank to be listed among the Top 1000 Banks of the World. The Bank is the largest lender to Sri Lanka’s SME sector, and is a leader in digital innovation in the country’s Banking sector. Commercial Bank has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan Banks, with 20 outlets in Bangladesh, a Microfinance company in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, and a fully-fledged Tier I Bank with a majority stake in the Maldives.