Clove production rising

After years of decreasing production the clove trade in Zanzibar is firming up again. In the 1960s, the island produced 20,000 tonnes of cloves annually. Then, production declined to an absolute minimum of 204 t in 1998. Their major customer, Indonesia, became self sufficient in the mid-1980s and ageing of trees, diseases and spells of drought during the 1990s, leaving millions of trees destroyed by fire, did the rest. A couple of years ago production started to recover and niche markets like India, the Netherlands and Thailand have been expanded. Production in 2000 had risen to 10,000 t. According to the FAO, the total world production last year was 89,500 t.After years of decreasing production the clove trade in Zanzibar is firming up again. In the 1960s, the island produced 20,000 tonnes of cloves annually. Then, production declined to an absolute minimum of 204 t in 1998. Their major customer,..