Sri Lanka has established a Department of Cinnamon Development in Karandeniya, Galle, and awarded GAP and GI certificates to selected cinnamon entrepreneurs.
“After 200 years, we are re-establishing this department to revive the development of cinnamon cultivation in the country,” President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.
The primary responsibility of the department is to enhance cinnamon production. “Each acre of land should yield maximum productivity, and we should focus on cultivating high-quality cinnamon varieties instead of inferior ones.”
Sri Lanka’s cinnamon cultivation area needs to be expanded, Wickremesinghe said.
“The government proposes providing new land and encouraging the cultivation of cinnamon alongside other crops.” This could increase cinnamon production three to four times, he said.
The government would support local and international companies that provide expertise to enhance sales, the president said. “Increased production is futile without corresponding sales growth.”