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Vietnam is fortunate to possess one of the rare and precious products in the world, which is clove flowers from the clove tree. Clove flowers, also known as big clove flowers, are a type of tree that originated from China and northeastern Vietnam.
In fact, clove flowers are fruits, each flower consisting of 5-8 petal-shaped petals arranged in a star or flower-shaped pattern. This plant doesn’t require much care, just take the seeds or plant the seedlings into the ground and let the plants grow on their own.
Clove trees usually flower from March to May, and in July and September, the clove flowers begin to ripen and people can harvest them. Typically, a mature clove tree older than 5 years is allowed to harvest fruits, and only 2 crops are harvested each year, making clove flowers even rarer and more precious.
According to preliminary statistics from the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA), the export of clove flowers in January 2024 reached 879 tons with a value of over $4.5 million, a decrease of 18.8% compared to the previous month but a strong increase of 32% compared to January 2023.
Source: VPA
India is the largest export market for Vietnam with 499 tons, accounting for 57% of the market share. In the whole year of 2023, our country earned $83 million from clove flower exports, with a production volume of 16,136 tons, a strong increase of 26% in quantity.
The average export price in 2023 reached $6,376 per ton, an 8% decrease compared to the previous year. In the whole year of 2023, India and China played the roles of the two largest markets with 7,860 tons and 4,116 tons, accounting for 48.7% and 25.5% of the export market, respectively.
Lang Son province of our country is known as the “capital” of clove trees, with a cultivated area of about 40,000 hectares, an annual production volume of over 16,000 tons, and an average annual economic value of over VND 1,000 billion. According to the Lang Son Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2022 alone, the estimated harvested output reached 13,000 tons of dried clove flowers, with a value of about VND 1,500 billion. Previously, in 2021, the value of Lang Son’s clove flower products for export was $31 million, equivalent to an export volume of about 3,500 tons of dried clove flowers.
Besides being a favorite spice of many countries, clove flowers are also a precious medicinal herb for people with joint diseases, helping to relieve coughs and abdominal pain, treat flu, and regulate blood circulation. The clove tree trunk has unique flavors like seeds and can be eaten as a vegetable. The seeds are processed and used in some food products. Clove flower powder is very suitable for making cakes and is a primary spice for many cooking recipes such as duck meat, pork…
Vietnam is currently one of the leading countries in spice exports, ranking first in the world in pepper production and export, first in the world in cinnamon exports, and second in the world in clove exports. In addition, other spice products also have a significant position such as chili, star anise, ginger, and nutmeg. Vietnams spice import markets are also becoming increasingly diverse, including the US, EU, China, India, and the Middle East.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the total market value of herbal products is expected to reach $430 billion by 2028. With the increasing demand for raw materials in the food industry, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, along with many free trade agreements being signed, Vietnamese cinnamon and clove products have more potential and opportunities for development in the near future.
