The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), through its Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM), signed a landmark Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) last week (23).
According to the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Bangkok, the MoA was signed during the special ceremony, ‘Thailand International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition’, held at CIAME Asia 2025 in Bangkok.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Thailand and Permanent Representative to UNESCAP, Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, witnessed the signing of the MoA.
Director General of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), Siddhika G. Senaratne, signed the MoA on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, and the Director of the Strategy and Programme Management Division of ESCAP, Adnan Aliani, signed on behalf of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
Through this agreement, SLSI and ESCAP-CSAM will jointly lead the process of adopting and localizing regionally harmonized ANTAM test codes for agricultural machinery in Sri Lanka.
By institutionalizing these test codes, the MoA aims to enhance the safety, quality, and efficiency of agricultural machinery in the country. It supports Sri Lanka’s broader agenda for agricultural modernization, digital transformation, and environmental sustainability, ultimately benefiting farmers through improved machinery performance, trade facilitation, and safer working conditions.
During her statement, Ambassador Wijayanthi Edirisinghe commended ESCAP-CSAM’s leadership and SLSI’s proactive engagement. She emphasized the critical role of partnerships in advancing food security, agricultural productivity, and rural livelihoods.
While delivering the introductory remarks, Siddhika Senarathne emphasized that this partnership, established under the framework of the Asian and Pacific Network for Testing of Agricultural Machinery (ANTAM), marks a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen its agricultural standards system.
Vice President of the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Suppliers Association of Sri Lanka (AgMMA), Chaminda Sanjaya Kumara Nishankage, also delivered remarks highlighting the role and engagement of the private sector in supporting CSAM initiatives.
Following the signing ceremony, a dedicated panel discussion was convened to introduce the ANTAM initiative, engage regional manufacturers and suppliers, and gather insights on how the initiative can best serve stakeholders across the agricultural machinery value chain. Experiences from other ANTAM participating countries were also shared, underlining the benefits of regional collaboration.
Deputy Head & Programme Officer, ESCAP-CSAM, Marco Silvestri, and Head of Chancery, A W S Samanmali, also attended the ceremony. (Newswire)
