Colonial powers once sought to wipe out cloves grown by locals on the eastern Indonesian island of Ternate to safeguard their monopoly over the prized crop. Today farmers say the gravest threat to their plants is climate change.
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“Today … rainfall is high. It’s OK for planting, but it’s uncertain for harvesting. It’s often unpredictable,” farmer Jauhar Mahmud, 61, said.
In his orchard, nestled on the fertile foothills of Indonesia’s Mount Gamalama volcano, Jauhar proudly shows off his favourite clove tree, which once reliably delivered profitable produce.
The fragrant flower buds that form the spice can deliver their prized smell and taste only in specific temperature and humidity ranges.
In a good season, the best of Jauhar’s 150 towering trunks can spurt 30kg (66lbs) of the aromatic spice used for medicine, perfumes, cigarettes and food flavourings.
But bad weather is becoming more frequent, causing uncertainty that makes prices fluctuate from US$5.30 to US$7.40 per kilogram and life increasingly tough for farmers.
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