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Cinnamon Peeler to Own Export Business — A Unique Sri Lankan Path

Path to Cinnamon Peeler / Chipper (Kurundu Godak) · Coconut, Cinnamon & Spice Industry

Duration

8.0–14.0 yrs

Upvotes

0

Est. Cost

LKR 310k+

Score

0

About This Path

The cinnamon peeling craft is unique to Sri Lanka. This path shows how someone from a cinnamon-producing village in Matara or Galle can start as a peeler apprentice and — with business skills and SAPB support — build an export business selling the world's finest cinnamon directly to buyers in Germany, USA, and Japan. A genuinely Sri Lankan entrepreneurship story.

Path Overview

Skills

Learn the Cinnamon Peeling Craft (Kurundu Peeling)

NAITA training centres (Southern Province) · Apprenticeship under master peeler

⏱ 1 yr₨ Rs.0k
Experience

Skilled Cinnamon Peeler — Quality Grades

⏱ 3 yr
Education

Business Skills & SAPB Exporter Training

Spice & Allied Products Bureau (SAPB) · Export Development Board (EDB)

⏱ 1 yr₨ Rs.10k–Rs.50k
Experience

Small-scale Cinnamon Collector / Grader

⏱ 2 yr₨ Rs.100k–Rs.500k
Experience

Register as Cinnamon Exporter — Sell Direct to Global Buyers

⏱ 3 yr₨ Rs.200k–Rs.1000k

Step-by-Step Detail

  1. 1
    Skills

    Learn the Cinnamon Peeling Craft (Kurundu Peeling)

    Traditional apprenticeship under an experienced kurundu godak (cinnamon peeler) in the Southern or Western Province. Learning to identify the right sucker shoots, use the kurundu peeling knife (seruwa), peel and roll perfect quills, and dry them correctly. NAITA NVQ Level 2 in cinnamon peeling is available. Takes 6–12 months to become competent.

    ⏱ 1 years₨ LKR 0
    NAITA training centres (Southern Province)Apprenticeship under master peeler
  2. 2
    Experience

    Skilled Cinnamon Peeler — Quality Grades

    Master the four Sri Lanka cinnamon grades: C5 Special (finest, paper-thin quills, highest price), C5, C4, and Alba. Skilled peelers producing C5 Special earn significantly more per kg. A top peeler processes 5–8 kg of quills per day. Matara and Galle districts produce the finest quality — home of the original kurundu.

    ⏱ 3 years
  3. 3
    Education

    Business Skills & SAPB Exporter Training

    Enrol in short courses at the Export Development Board (EDB) or Spice & Allied Products Bureau (SAPB) on export procedures, pricing, and food safety. Learn to grade and certify cinnamon per SLS 84 standard. SAPB and EDB offer free or low-cost exporter development programmes. Basic English for buyer communication is essential.

    ⏱ 1 years₨ LKR 10,000 – LKR 50,000
    Spice & Allied Products Bureau (SAPB)Export Development Board (EDB)National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA)
  4. 4
    Experience

    Small-scale Cinnamon Collector / Grader

    Start buying cinnamon from multiple peeler families, grading to export standards, and selling to established exporters. Build relationships with buying agents in Negombo (Beruwala area is Sri Lanka's cinnamon export hub). Learn about moisture content control, fumigation (methyl bromide for pest control), and packaging in bales or cartons.

    ⏱ 2 years₨ LKR 100,000 – LKR 500,000
  5. 5
    Experience

    Register as Cinnamon Exporter — Sell Direct to Global Buyers

    Register with EDB and SAPB as a direct exporter. List on online B2B platforms (Alibaba, TradeKey). Attend Anuga (Cologne), SIAL (Paris), or Gulfood (Dubai) trade shows via EDB pavilion. Direct export eliminates middlemen — retail price for C5 Special cinnamon in the EU is €15–25/kg vs LKR 1,200–1,800/kg at the local level. Annual turnover of LKR 5–30 million is achievable for a small exporter.

    ⏱ 3 years₨ LKR 200,000 – LKR 1,000,000