Diseases threaten cinnamon plantations
Rough bark and white root, the two diseases affecting the cinnamon
plantations in the Southern Province pose a grave threat to thousands of
people who depend on the cinnamon industry.
Sirisena an oil mill owner said, “We are in fear of losing our jobs.
We do this as a self employment. We could obtain high profits from this.
But now the situation has changed. The cinnamon leaves are infested
by minute arthropods causing gall- like formations which result in the
decrease in leaf oil yield by about 20 percent. Rough bark is another
disease which reduces the quality of the bark and its oil quality.”
Amal Priyantha of Elpitiya, who depends on cinnamon for a living said
“Mainly these diseases affect the Chemically fertilized cinnamon
plantations.
We are not using chemical fertilizer or chemical insecticides or
pesticides on my plantations. So this kind of disease never attacked my
plantations. I think it’s better to use carbonic fertilizer for our
plantations. But most of the people use chemicals as it is easy for
them. But finally they cannot get a good harvest as trees are affected
by the diseases.”
When the Daily News contacted G.G. Jayasinghe, a Research Officer,
Cinnamon Research Station, Palolpitiya he said “there are a number of
diseases badly affecting the cinnamon industry.
Rough bark and white root are commonly seen in the Southern Province.
White root occurs commonly when rubber plantations are replaced with
cinnamon.
Affected plants cannot be recovered but further spreading can be
prevented by applying sulphur dust before turning rubber cultivated
lands into cinnamon plantations,” he said.
Cinnamon occupies a key position among the minor export crops of Sri
Lanka. Sri Lanka has been cultivating cinnamon from ancient times as a
minor export crop. Though cinnamon had originated naturally in the hill
country now it has expanded to the Southern Province.
Thousands of people who live in the South depend on cinnamon and most
of them are cinnamon plantation owners.
(IM) |
