The Agriculture and Agrarian Services Ministry has devised a long-term economic strategy to capture lucrative export markets for indigenous subsidiary food crops. Under the "Api Wawamu- Rata Nagamu" concept the Ministry expects to increase cinnamon exports up to 3000 MT by 2010.

The Ministry has allocated Rs.7 million for Export Agriculture Department to expand cinnamon cultivation which could attract potentialy more export markets, the Agriculture and Agrarian Services Ministry said.

The Agriculture and Agrarian Services Ministry Advisor A.H.L.Somathilika told The Island Financial Review that Sri Lankan cinnamon had been rated as the best quality cinnamon in the World Market as Sri Lanka had been able to supply 90 per cent of cinnamon requirements to the World Market. In the World Market the supply of quality cinnamon was about 15 per cent and the supply of Cashisia cinnamon which was the substitute for cinnamon was around 85 per cent at the World Market.

He said that Sri Lanka had been ahead of supplying quality cinnamon to the World Market and China, Indonesia and Vietnam had been exporting Cashisia cinnamon. The Ministry was positive that Sri Lanka would be able to increase cinnamon exports by 5 per cent in 2010.

Somathilaka outlined that cinnamon had been cultivated in 25,413 hectares and one hectare was yielding around 500 kg of cinnamon annually. Of this amount around 5,350 MT was being exported and Sri Lanka had been earning Rs.2229.2 million from cinnamon exports annually. The future plans in cinnamon cultivation would include export of 3,000 MT by 2010, enhancement of quality, increase of revenue, increase of production, increase of profits.

He said that the Ministry had also focused on practicing modern cultivation methods to obtain rich harvests and cinnamon cultivators would be given special training on pest control, identification of diseases, proper methods in weedicide and research work required for potential markets. In 2010 the Ministry would expect to cultivate additional 1,800 hectares and thereby in one year 1,000 MT of cinnamon could be reaped whereas in three years around 3,000 MT cinnamon could be obtained.

Somathilaka added that the Ministry had also formulated a plan to enhance carbonic cinnamon cultivation up to 120 hectares cultivating 40 hectares of cinnamon yearly.

He said that the Ministry had planned to train 500 cinnamon beaters by 2010 and a well-equipped Training Centre would be set up to train beaters with the establishment of 12 cinnamon mother seedlings centres. Rs.2.4 million had been allocated to maintain mother seedling centres and Rs.9 million had been earmarked for the training of cinnamon beaters.

Somathilaka noted that one of the principal aims of the Ministry would be to export quality cinnamon up to 95 per cent by 2010 while capturing potential export markets.