Devpro, a social enterprise in Colombo, is committed to fostering inclusive economic growth and development in Sri Lanka. Recently it expanded its dairy sector initiatives from Uva and Central provinces to Eastern Province, building upon its success of the โLeader Farmerโ model in Badulla, Monaragala, and Nuwara Eliya districts. DevPro conducted six (6) workshops, on โLeader Farmerโ model from March 5th to 11th, 2025, in the districts of Trincomalee, Ampara, and Batticaloa. This was under DevProโs project โResilient and Gender Inclusive Economic Systems (RIES)โ, funded by Australiaโs Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through Oxfam Australia.
The workshops were aimed at addressing the shortage of technical staff for extension services in dairy in the Eastern Province by introducing the โLeader Farmerโ concept. Accordingly, on the first day in each district, veterinarians and Livestock Development Instructors (LDIs) received specialized training. On the following day, the so trained professionals facilitated workshops for farmers selected to be โLeader Farmersโ in their respective geographical areas. While DevProโs 6 6 workshops trained a total of 100 participants (i.e. veterinarians and LDIs, including 28 females), they in turn are expected to train over 450 selected farmers as Leader Farmers within the subsequent 3 month period.
This initiative was recognized by extension officers as an effective knowledge-transfer tool with the ability to reduce the gap in the extension services. DevPro plans to further its outreach by focusing on ten selected veterinary ranges in the Eastern Province, empowering trained Leader Farmers to disseminate best dairy practices within their communities.
By equipping leader farmers with the necessary expertise and encouraging them to mentor at least six peers in their vicinity, a knowledge-rich dairy community can be created in each community. his peer-to-peer learning model not only enhances the farmer practices but also fosters a collaborative environment that could increase productivity and improve income in dairy husbandry.