National cinnamon trading facility soon

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The cinnamon industry will have the benefit of a National Cinnamon Trading Academy shortly with an investment of Rs 70 million “We have funding from the UNIDO and WTO for the training component and establishment of curricular including other needs. The Spice Council has set up a special company under the name Cinnamon Training Academy Limited to facilitate the national academy, Spice Council founder Chairman Sarada de Silva told Daily News Business.

“The company has already acquired two acres of land in Kosgoda to set up the academy which will address the acute shortage of cinnamon peelers in the industry,” he said.

The cinnamon logo will be internationally launched on October 11 at the Germany Trade Fair. The Spice Council is looking forward for funding to register the cinnamon logo at the main consuming markets of Mexico, USA, European Union, Peru and Colombia

Sri Lanka supplies 95 percent of the world demand and there is unmet capacity the country is unable to meet at present. There are 31,000 hectares of cinnamon in Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kalutara and Ratnapura.

Although, cinnamon could be peeled twice a year nearly 65 percent of the plantation is peeled only once. This provides the opportunity for the industry to double its capacity without adding to the existing plantation.

“We need 30,000 more peelers and with adequate manpower there is promising growth prospects for the industry. With the set up of national academy, the industry could train youth to increase the yield while maintaining high quality,” de Silva said.

Plans are underway to set up a group processing facility to ensure international standard of the product and facilitate value addition to generate more foreign exchange.

Cinnamon exports for the first six months increased recording 81 percent increase in export value and 152 increase in the value added products.