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Kithma De Silva, an MSc. student on the HÂþ»­ Agricultural Campus, under the supervision of Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe was invited to attend the Advancing Women In Agriculture Conference held October 30 and 31th in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

"It was an amazing gathering of 430 women in agriculture across Canada, from nine provinces, five states, 177 organization representatives and I was fortunate to be one of the 21 sponsored University students at the entire conference," said Kitma.

Kitma's research is based on the investigation of antidiabetic properties of haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) berry polyphenols. She has completed her undergraduate degree in the field of Biological sciences at the University of Brunei Darussalam.Ìý She has also completed two research internships in two countries, South Korea and Sri Lanka in the fields of Aquaculture and agriculture.

Women have been making valuable contributions to Canada’s agricultural industry. Iris Meck, the main host of Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference, is creating a platform for women who are passionate about agriculture and food, as a university student, producer, entrepreneur or a grower association.

"I am very grateful to Iris Meck for being my sponsor and giving me the opportunity to take part in this excellent conference. And also IÌý amÌý thankful to my supervisor Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe for his encouragement and support for this conference."

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