Sri Lankan Farmers Cultivate Cinnamon

An elderly Sri Lankan farmer prepares freshly harvested cinnamon sticks to sell on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

©Buddhika Weerasinghe

Sri Lankan farmer Peels freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmer Peels freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmer carries a freshly harvested bundle of cinnamon sticks from cinnamon field on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmers transport a freshly harvested bundle of cinnamon sticks from cinnamon field on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmers transport a freshly harvested bundle of cinnamon sticks from cinnamon field on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmers Peel freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan female farmer Peels freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

An elderly Sri Lankan farmer rests during the tea break of prepares freshly harvested cinnamon sticks to sell on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmer Peels freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmer Peels freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmers Peel freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Burn dried cinnamon leaves over the hearth to extract the oil on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Sri Lankan farmer burns dried cinnamon leaves over the hearth to extract the oil on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

An elderly Sri Lankan farmer dries freshly harvested cinnamon sticks for bundles on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)

Freshly harvested cinnamon sticks on June 20, 2012 in Mitiyagoda, Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is an ancient spice cultivated from the inner bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80 per cent of the production, and is some of the highest quality in the world. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)