COLOMBO, May 20 (Xinhua): Sri Lanka has launched a digital seed production, certification and traceability system to modernize the country's seed sector and improve access to quality seeds, local media reported on Wednesday.

The CROPIX Seed Production, Certification & Traceability System was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation and the Department of Agriculture, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha said the system is a step in modernizing the seed sector, strengthening food security, improving productivity and supporting farmer livelihoods.

The system is part of the broader CROPIX digital agriculture platform, which was introduced in January this year. It is aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, traceability and coordination among stakeholders in the seed value chain.

Sri Lanka's seed sector has faced delays in production and certification, limited access to quality-assured seeds, fragmented information systems and weak traceability across distribution networks. Officials said the new platform is expected to address these issues by linking seed growers, seed handlers, laboratories, field officers, administrators and other agricultural information systems.

The system enables real-time monitoring of seed production and certification activities. It also digitizes key processes from field registration to certification, laboratory testing, seed availability and distribution.