Abstract:
The composition of agricultural export crops in Sri Lanka has changed over the last decade. The export shares of
large scale traditional plantation crops like tea and rubber have declined, instead the contributions of small scale
non-traditional minor export crops such as cinnamon, pepper, and clove have increased. A better understanding
of competitive advantage of minor export crops provides the necessary framework to enhance their
competitiveness in domestic and global markets. This study aims to describe the competitive structure and
dynamics of minor export crops sector in Sri Lanka. In order to compare the performance of export growth with
similar countries, the Revealed Competitive Advantage index and global market share analysis are computed
using data extracted from the International Trade Centre. The findings reveal that global market share and the
RCA value of cinnamon, clove, and pepper in Sri Lanka has gradually declined. The minor export crops occupy
an important position in global market only if competitive advantage of such crops in Sri Lanka is enhanced.
One important implication arising from this study is the need to identify factors associated with competitive
advantage of minor export crops. This study has provided the impetus for future studies to determine the factors
and measures of competitive advantage not only for the minor export crops but also for the agricultural sector in
general.
