Clove Production by Country 2024

The clove is an aromatic spice that adds a distinctive, pleasant note to a variety of seasoning blends, products, and dishes. Familiar examples include curry, chai, Worcestershire sauce, and traditional Chinese five-spice blends.

However, unique climate and environmental needs mean cloves only grow well in a few different places around the world, so some countries can produce more cloves than others.

Top Clove-Producing Countries

Cloves grow best in tropical or subtropical climates with plenty of rainfall and humidity, so the clove production industry is largely dominated by countries that can provide that type of growing environment. Here are some of the top clove-producing countries worldwide as of 2023.

Indonesia

Indonesia is the top clove producer in the world by far and is currently responsible for approximately 109,600 tons yearly – about 70 percent of the world’s total clove production. However, it only exports a small portion of this yield – around 15 percent annually.

Multiple regions across Indonesia are ideal for growing cloves. (In fact, the clove is native to Indonesia’s Maluko Islands.) Cloves are also staple spices in many of the country’s signature dishes.

Madagascar

Although Madagascar doesn’t produce clove on nearly the scale Indonesia does, it’s still responsible for a large amount of the world’s clove stores – about 27 percent from year to year (10,986 tons). Like Indonesia, Madagascar’s climate combined with a long, rich agricultural history of clove-farming make it a major market player.

Other nations known for producing a considerable quantity of clove as of 2023 include Comoros, Malaysia, China, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

Factors Affecting Clove Production from Country to Country

As with most agricultural goods, the biggest factors impacting clove production from country to country are geography, environment, and local climate. However, additional examples like the following can also have a sizable impact.

Access to Agricultural Tech

The better a country’s access to the latest knowledge, techniques, equipment, and technology when it comes to clove cultivation, the more likely that country is to have a high clove yield from year to year.

Cultural Significance

In countries like Indonesia, the world’s top clove producer, cloves are much more than just a cash crop. They’re also culturally important and widely used within Indonesia for multiple purposes, so producing them in abundance is considered essential.

Government Involvement

In countries where clove production is encouraged and well supported by the local government, production is likely to be higher. Many countries also have strict measures in place to ensure crop quality so that yield can meet current export standards.