The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has selected 16 priority crops for expansion in cultivation and production during the COVID-19 crisis period. Accordingly the GOSL has made a request from all concerned parties to produce required planting materials for those prioritized crops. In response to this request, the Department of Crop Science of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya initiated a program to produce planting materials of cowpea and chilli using the facilities available at the University Experimental Station at Dodangolla, managed by the Department. This activity was done in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture. The first seed lot was officially handed over to Ms. Jayantha Ilankoon, the Additional Director General of Department of Agriculture by Prof. Upul B. Dissanayake the Vice-Chancellor of University of Peradeniya on 14th August 2020. Prof. D.K.N.G. Pushpakumara (Dean, Faculty of Agriculture), Staff members of the Department of Crop Science including Dr. M. Ariyarathne (Head/Department of Crop Science), Prof. B. Marambe (Coordinator of the activity) Dr. L.K. Weerasinghe (Lecturer-in-charge of the University Experimental Station at Dodangolla), and Mr. Nimal Amarasiri (Farm Manager) and the farm staff took part in the event.