CINNAMON LEAF ESSENTIAL OIL
Origin: Sri Lanka
Harvest: Multiple/year
Yield: Same as last year
Cinnamon Leaf Oil — across both our organic and conventional grades, which share the same crop, region and supply outlook — carries the most serious availability concern in this month’s report. A shortage is confirmed for the coming quarter, the result of constrained supply through the year and the need to fulfil overdue shipments. Material is not reaching the market as it normally would at this end-of-season point, and prices are already rising. The underlying cause is climatic: both this year and last, unexpected rainfall combined with high temperatures has disrupted harvesting, and cinnamon cannot be harvested in wet or excessively hot conditions.
Grown in Sri Lanka along the southern coastal belt and increasingly in the central provinces, cinnamon is a sun-loving crop that performs best between 25°C and 32°C with annual rainfall of 1,750–3,500mm, and it tolerates a range of soils from silver sands to loamy and lateritic gravels. Harvesting runs across two to three pruning and leaf-plucking cycles per year, with the season generally spanning April to November; the best windows to open bulk pricing discussions are the post-harvest stabilization period (February to April) or immediately following a seasonal slump. Given the confirmed shortage and upward price pressure, high-volume buyers should secure their requirements as early as possible and plan for extended lead times on outstanding orders.
⚠ Confirmed delay — climate-driven supply gap and rising prices; secure volumes early
Origin: Sri Lanka
Harvest: Sept - Jan
Yield: ↓ 30%
LAVANDIN GROSSO ESSENTIAL OIL
Origin: France
Harvest: Jun - Aug
Yield: Pending
French Lavandin Grosso presents a tightening supply picture that high-volume buyers should act on now. While no shortage is expected in the immediate quarter, the 2026 crop came in early and is currently expected to be down 20–25% versus a normal year, following a 2025 campaign that already recorded roughly a 20% yield decrease. With cultivated surfaces shrinking and this year’s harvest tracking at the same low level as summer 2025, stocks from previous campaigns are drawing down — and a genuine shortage becomes possible in early 2027.
The crop faces a broad set of agronomic pressures: drought and water stress, extreme heat during flowering, late spring frost or hail, phytoplasma-related decline (notably Stolbur disease), pest pressure from midges and noctuid moths, and ageing plantations with reduced replanting tied to weak producer economics. Lavandin favours light limestone and gravelly soils with good root aeration and performs best under sunny, dry conditions with warm flowering weather. Critically, the bulk pricing window is September — we recommend discussing forecast volumes in advance and confirming contracts by the end of the month. Buyers with meaningful Lavandin Grosso requirements should lock in contracts now to protect against the constrained 2027 outlook.
✓ Crop down 20–25% — confirm contracts by end September; shortage risk builds into 2027
FIR BALSAM ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OIL
Origin: Canada
Harvest: Apr - Nov
Yield: Slightly higher
Fir Balsam Organic is in a favourable position, with no shortages anticipated. The 2026 crop is healthy and production is running without issue; yield is slightly higher this year, though the final figure depends on whether younger or older trees are harvested. It remains too early to confirm total volume, since harvesting continues from April through November. The one item under active monitoring is the Spruce Budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana), which naturally affects Balsam Fir in parts of the Canadian boreal forest — to date it has had no impact on harvesting operations or raw material supply.
Balsam Fir grows naturally in the cool, moist, well-drained and acidic organic-rich soils typical of the Canadian boreal forest, and thrives in a cool, humid climate with adequate rainfall, long cold winters and moderate summers. The recommended window to begin bulk pricing enquiries is February. With a favourable crop and no supply disruptions on the horizon, buyers can plan their Fir Balsam requirements with confidence this quarter.
✓ Favourable crop — no shortage anticipated; monitoring Spruce Budworm as a precaution
MARULA ORGANIC CARRIER OIL
Origin: South Africa
Harvest: Mar - Sep
Yield: Stable
Marula Organic Carrier Oil offers a steady and dependable supply picture, with no shortages expected. This season’s rains were particularly good, and no infestations or crop problems have been recorded. Because the material is wild harvested across a large area, supply typically sees only very slight fluctuations year to year, and crop size is similar to last year — a single mature tree can produce up to roughly 500kg of fruit annually. Yields have been consistent over recent years, and the harvesting areas continue to deliver well.
Marula trees grow best in well-drained sandy and loamy soils but are highly adaptable, tolerating rocky and clayey ground, and they thrive in warm, frost-free, dry and hot conditions with remarkable drought resistance. The single annual harvest runs from March through May, while bulk pricing enquiries can be placed year-round. With supply stable and no disruptions foreseen, buyers can plan their Marula requirements with a high degree of confidence.
✓ Stable supply — good rains, no infestations; no shortage expected