ABSTRACT
In Sri Lanka, cinnamon has originated in the central hills where several species of related taxa occur, especially in places such as Kandy, Matale, Belihull Oya, Haputale and the Sinharaja forest range. Currently, cinnamon cultivation is concentrated along the coastal belt stretching from Negom to Matara. Of late, cultivation has spread to the inland areas of Kalutara, Ambalangoda, Matara and Ratnapura (Fig. 4.1). The area under cinnamon cultivation in Sri Lanka is around 15,500 ha (Anon, 1996a). The bulk of the cinnamon plantation is about 70-80 years old, most of which belongs to small holders. Only about 10% of the plantations exceed 8-10 ha. Sri Lanka commands about 60% of the world export market and exports about 7,000 t of quills and chips per year, apart from cinnamon leaf oil and bark oil.
