President hails Dilmah’s entry into cinnamon cultivation
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President Ranil Wickremesinghe launches the product.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed his government’s commitment to implement programmes aimed at popularising cinnamon cultivation.
He was speaking at the launch of ‘Dilmah Cinnamon’ this week at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo.
The ‘Dilmah’ brand, renowned for elevating ‘Ceylon Tea’ in the global market, has ventured into the Sri Lankan cinnamon industry by expanding its domestic exports through the company, introducing high-quality cinnamon products to the global market.
President Wickremesinghe, with the President of the World Association of Chefs’ Societies Master Chef Thomas Gugler and Dilhan Fernando, Chairman of Dilmah symbolically unveiled Dilmah Cinnamon products.
For the distinguished guests, including foreign envoys, the evening of Sunday, April 28, was truly all about cinnamon. Birdcalls greeted them as if they were walking through cinnamon gardens that then-Ceylon has been famous for.
While taking pride of place at the centre of the hotel’s Jubilee Room were large bundles of cinnamon, on a large screen guests were made privy to the faces and labours of the humble men and women who produced the “finest” of Ceylon Cinnamon that Dilmah is now showcasing to the world.
The many-course, cinnamon-linked gastronomy, curated by Chef Ruki of Galle Face Hotel and Australian Master Chef Dulan, had interludes of music by maestro Ravi Bandu and his orchestra.
Dilman Chairman Dilhan Fernando speaks at the event.
The music depicted the chequered history of Ceylon cinnamon – with King Solomon’s voyage back in 1000 BC to Tambapani in search of this spice; how the ancient Roman Empire treasured cinnamon; followed by the Portuguese establishing a system of cultivation and harvesting of cinnamon with the Dutch following suit; but cinnamon production waning with the British diversifying agriculture; and now the infusion of new life to the industry by Dilmah.
Expressing appreciation for resurrecting ‘Ceylon Cinnamon’ akin to Dilmah’s success with ‘Ceylon Tea’, President Wickremesinghe expressed confidence that this initiative would mark the inception of a new era in the country’s economy.
He said Sri Lankan cinnamon is still the best in the world and praised Dilmah, for resurrecting the name ‘Ceylon Cinnamon’, just as they have resurrected the name “Ceylon Tea”.
Pointing out that a plan for the modernisation of agriculture is being discussed with new legislation to be brought in, he added: “But it has to be a beneficiary-centric process in which the government and the private sector join together. As far as cinnamon is concerned, I think you’ve set the way and we are here to help you. So this is the beginning of another chapter in cinnamon, which will see it coming back to its glory.”
The underlying message of the event held in memory of Dilmah legend Merrill J. Fernando, was that even though Ceylon cinnamon has had to face a pretender in Cassia, there is now an assurance of authenticity, tradition and quality.
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