The genus Cinnamomum

286 M.S. Madan and S. Kannan
Table 12.1 World production of cinnamon during 1971–2000
Countries Period I Period II Period III
(1971–1980) (1981–1990) (1991–2000)
Area (ha) Prodn. (t) Area (ha) Prodn. (t) Area (ha) Prodn. (t)
Sri Lanka 21,628 10,324 21,088 10,318 23,292 12,010
(43.3) (39.3) (23.1) (19.7) (18.5) (15.0)
Indonesia 18,790 8076 41,873 21,100 56,603 35,742
(37.6) (30.7) (45.8) (40.3) (44.2) (44.5)
China – 5700 35,000 17,200 35,000 26,350
(21.7) (38.2) (32.9) (27.7) (32.8)
Madagascar 467 282 1660 760 1800 900
(0.9) (1.1) (1.8) (1.5) (1.4) (1.1)
Seychelles 6421 1138 3285 661 2800 467
(12.9) (4.3) (3.6) (1.3) (2.8) (0.6)
Vietnam 1500 425 3295 1700 7640 4210
(3.0) (1.6) (3.6) (3.3) (6.1) (5.2)
World 49,937 26,281 91,421 52,337 126,207 80,361
Source: FAOSTAT.
Notes
1 Production figures are decadal average.
2 Figures in brackets indicate percentage in totals.
Emerging Trends in Area and Production
An analysis of time series data on area and production for the period 1971 to
1999–2000 revealed much information on the crop. For the sake of comparison the
three decades were treated independently (I, II and III). As can be seen from Tables 12.2
and 12.3, during the first ten year period (1971–1980) there was a slow improvement
in area expansion and production. By the end of the period (i.e. in 1980) the area
increased by 19.4% and the total world production by 33.4% over the base year (1971).
In the following two decades, there was a steady increase in area and production.
Growth in production was around 160% by the end of the second period (i.e. 1990),
and 276% by 2000. The area expansion of 112.38% and 171.24%, respectively,
during the same periods was comparatively less. In countries like India, where the
crop is cultivated mostly, under homestead conditions, reliable statistics are lacking
and in Seychelles the bark is harvested from natural forests, for which statistics are
not available.
Keeping 1970–71 as the base year, country-wise growth indices for subsequent
years were worked out for area and production, which indicated that, China and
Indonesia achieved an increase of 600% and 595%, respectively, by the end of
2000. The highest (952%) increase in production level was achieved by Vietnam.
The estimated growth index is negative in most years for the traditional cinnamon
producing countries like Seychelles and Madagascar. Sri Lanka, the major producer
of true cinnamon in the world, lost its monopoly to other competing countries.
There was a continuous decline in area as well as in production. However, Sri Lanka