A regional spatial planning farmwork to optimize paddy supply chain management in north central province, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This research paper proposes a regional spatial planning framework based on the agropolitan concept to optimize the existing paddy supply chain in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The study uses primary and secondary data sources, root cause analysis, and geographic information systems to explore the paddy supply chain’s spatial dimension and identify issues. A regional spatial plan is proposed that assigns agro community centers and smart warehouses per river basin, identifies village centers, and assigns the nearest railway stations as logistic centers. The proposed framework aims to address issues such as inadequate storage facilities, drying problems, weak information flow, oligopoly market control, and lack of value addition to paddy products. The proposed framework has the potential to improve the efficiency of the paddy supply chain in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. By addressing the challenges hindering the smooth flow of the supply chain and improving the value addition to paddy products, the framework can benefit the farmers, consumers, and the economy as a whole. The framework also aligns with the agropolitan concept, which promotes sustainable development by balancing the rural and urban sectors’ economic and social needs.