Madagascar clove harvest season: when to buy
Cloves are a once-a-year crop in Madagascar. Knowing the calendar helps you plan contracts, avoid buying old crop at new-crop prices, and secure supply before demand peaks.
Madagascar's main clove harvest runs roughly from September to December on the east coast. Buds are hand-picked before they open, sun-dried, then cleaned and graded before export, so new-crop cloves usually reach buyers from the last quarter of the year into the first months of the next. Exact timing and volume change every season with the weather.
Where cloves grow in Madagascar
Most of Madagascar's cloves come from the humid east coast, where clove trees are grown by smallholders alongside other crops. Production can swing considerably from one year to the next, as clove trees tend to alternate heavier and lighter crops.
From tree to container
- Picking: unopened flower buds are hand-picked in clusters.
- Drying: buds are separated from stems and sun-dried until they turn dark brown.
- Collection: collectors bring dried cloves to exporters' warehouses.
- Cleaning and grading: stems, headless cloves and foreign matter are removed and moisture is checked before bagging.
- Shipping: export documents, inspection and loading.
What drives price and quality
Crop size, the share of headless cloves and stems, moisture, oil content and colour. Weather during flowering and harvest affects both volume and drying quality, and demand from the major importing countries moves price through the season.
How we handle it
Our Madagascar office has bought cloves since 2011 and runs its own cleaning facility and warehouse, so cloves are cleaned and checked against the contract (typically moisture max 12% and headless max 5%) before they are bagged for export.
FAQ
When is the clove harvest in Madagascar?
The main harvest runs roughly from September to December, depending on the season and region.
When should I contract Madagascar cloves?
Buyers who need new-crop supply usually agree terms as the harvest starts, so shipments can follow once cleaned stock is ready. Ask our desk for the current crop position.
What is a headless clove?
A clove whose bud head has broken off during drying or handling; contracts usually set a maximum percentage.
Tell us what you need.
Send the commodity, grade, quantity, packing and destination port. Our trade desk replies with a firm offer — usually the same working day.