Impact of ADB Projects on Agricultural Policies

The Sri Lankan agricultural sector needs a transformation if it is to face numerous challenges. A prerequisite for the transformation is a sound policy framework and strategies. The donor community supports the policy reform process through their programmes. This study assesses the performance of the Asian Development Bank’s assistance in policy reform in the Sri Lankan domestic agricultural sector and agriculture-related areas in the natural resource sector. The Poverty Assessment and Information Management Project sponsored by the ADB financed this joint study within the Poverty Assessment & Knowledge Management (PAM) Programme of the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA).

The main objective of the study, is therefore the study focused to achieve the following: (a) Highlight the type of agricultural policies that ADB has supported (b) Assesses the consistency and effectiveness of ADB programmes in advocating the policies (c) Ascertain whether ADB’s policy advocacy has adequately facilitated the GOSL policy reform process (d) Assess the impacts on the poor of the policies supported by ADB in the agricultural sector (e) Suggest ways for ADB to improve its policy interventions for greater poverty reduction and productivity growth (f) Assess the influence of political economic factors and capacities of GOSL bodies to absorb proposed policies.