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Sheron Nishanie Weerasooriya: Enhancing the quality and productivity of the cinnamon industry

Posted: 20 June 2018

Sri Lanka, Impact,

Australia Awards alumna Sheron Nishanie Weerasooriya – a research scientist, an agronomist, a plant breeder, a professional trainer, and an expert on spice crops – is contributing towards the development of good agricultural practices to enhance the quality and productivity of the Ceylon Cinnamon industry in Sri Lanka.

She currently works as a Research and Development Assistant at the National Cinnamon Research and Training Center (NCRTC), under the Department of Export Agriculture, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world’s largest exporter of Ceylon Cinnamon or True Cinnamon, which is indigenous to the country. NCRTC is the only center in the world that conducts research on Ceylon Cinnamon.

Sheron is conducting research on genotypic identification of existing germplasm and wild species of cinnamon for varietal improvement programs. She is currently preparing to release a new cinnamon variety with elite characteristics. Sheron credits the knowledge and experience she gained through Australia Awards as a vital part of her current research work.

In 2009, Sheron received an Australia Awards Scholarship to pursue a Master of Philosophy (Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Studies, Land and Food Sciences, Natural and Rural Systems, Vet Science – Lab Based) at the School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland.

“It was my first time in Australia. As much as I was excited, I was also nervous about pursuing higher studies in Australia. However, this did not deter me, and I was grateful for the opportunity. The university staff and students were supportive of international students. It was amazing to see how people from different nationalities, cultures, religions and backgrounds co-existed in unity and supported each other”.

At the university, Sheron learnt advanced methodologies used to analyse research objectives. She also received an opportunity to work with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation in Queensland and visited their research fields in Gatton, Brisbane.

Sheron was studying and living in Brisbane at an interesting yet challenging time. She recollects the devastating flood in Queensland in 2011 where much of the university went under water, and one of her research plots was ruined.

In 2011, Sheron returned home to Sri Lanka, where she was assigned to the division of Agronomy and Crop Improvement, which conducts research to improve good agriculture practices in cinnamon and develops new varieties to enhance the quality and productivity of cinnamon, and also other spice crops and essential oil-bearing crops.

Australia Awards alumna Sheron Nishanie Weerasooriya – a research scientist, an agronomist, a plant breeder, a professional trainer, and an expert on spice crops – is contributing towards the development of good agricultural practices to enhance the quality and productivity of the Ceylon Cinnamon industry in Sri Lanka.

She currently works as a Research and Development Assistant at the National Cinnamon Research and Training Center (NCRTC), under the Department of Export Agriculture, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is the world’s largest exporter of Ceylon Cinnamon or True Cinnamon, which is indigenous to the country. NCRTC is the only center in the world that conducts research on Ceylon Cinnamon.

Sheron is conducting research on genotypic identification of existing germplasm and wild species of cinnamon for varietal improvement programs. She is currently preparing to release a new cinnamon variety with elite characteristics. Sheron credits the knowledge and experience she gained through Australia Awards as a vital part of her current research work.

In 2009, Sheron received an Australia Awards Scholarship to pursue a Master of Philosophy (Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Studies, Land and Food Sciences, Natural and Rural Systems, Vet Science – Lab Based) at the School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland.

“It was my first time in Australia. As much as I was excited, I was also nervous about pursuing higher studies in Australia. However, this did not deter me, and I was grateful for the opportunity. The university staff and students were supportive of international students. It was amazing to see how people from different nationalities, cultures, religions and backgrounds co-existed in unity and supported each other”.

At the university, Sheron learnt advanced methodologies used to analyse research objectives. She also received an opportunity to work with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation in Queensland and visited their research fields in Gatton, Brisbane.

Sheron was studying and living in Brisbane at an interesting yet challenging time. She recollects the devastating flood in Queensland in 2011 where much of the university went under water, and one of her research plots was ruined.

In 2011, Sheron returned home to Sri Lanka, where she was assigned to the division of Agronomy and Crop Improvement, which conducts research to improve good agriculture practices in cinnamon and develops new varieties to enhance the quality and productivity of cinnamon, and also other spice crops and essential oil-bearing crops.

In addition to her research work, she also works as a trainer and advisor to the National Training Center for the Cinnamon Industry. Sheron delivers training programs and conducts lectures, seminars, workshops and demonstrations to farmers, exporters, research and extension personnel, university students and other stakeholders to disseminate research findings, skills, technical advice and knowledge related to cinnamon. She also supervises students in universities and agriculture schools who are engaged in practical training programs.

Ceylon Cinnamon, as a popular export in Sri Lanka, earns a considerable share of foreign exchange to the country. However, most cinnamon growers in Sri Lanka are small-scale rural farmers with a low income. As a result, these farmers fail to adapt to recommended agricultural practices. As a research station for Ceylon Cinnamon, NCRTC aims to identify problems and conducts research to upgrade the industry. Sheron says the knowledge and skills she gained in Australia is an asset in assisting NCRTC to achieve this objective.  

“The knowledge I gained through the Australia Awards Scholarship supported me in understanding how research problems can be determined and analysed and how I could implement research projects to fulfil research objectives and in turn, help enhance the welfare of rural cinnamon farmers and the cinnamon industry of Sri Lanka’’.

Sheron adds that her time in Australia was a memorable experience. “I got the opportunity to visit places such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba, Phillips Island, the Blue Mountains, the dolphin show at Sea World, the Gold Coast, and the Edge at Eureka Skydeck. Cuddling Koalas and Kangaroos are a special memory that I hold dear to my heart!” she said.

 “I also made friends in Australia, who I continue to keep in touch with and some of them even visited me in Sri Lanka after their studies. None of this would have been possible if it was not for my Australia Awards Scholarship.’’