Sri Lanka will soon establish a Department for Cinnamon Development to exclusively facilitate cinnamon cultivation, production and exports.
A Cabinet proposal in this regard was furnished this week jointly by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Plantation Industries Minister Ramesh Pathirana.
In budget 2023, President Wickremesinghe pointed out the need to promote cinnamon as a major commercial crop, which could earn considerable foreign exchange for Sri Lanka.
The Government Information Department said the objective of setting up the new department is to facilitate cinnamon producers, suppliers as well as exporters and enhance the value of quality of cinnamon products through value addition and diversification.
Through the export of spices (including cinnamon), Sri Lanka earned US$ 368.7 million in 2022, down from US$ 454.8 million in 2021.
In the first half of 2023, Sri Lanka earned US$ 176 million through spice exports.
Ceylon cinnamon is endemic to Sri Lanka and thus was given a Geographic Indicator (GI) in February last year.
(Daily Mirror)
