the clove, originally from the moluccan islands (indonesia), was introduced to zanzibar by the omani sultans in the first half of the xix century. zanzibar, mainly pemba island, was once the world's leading clove producer, but annual clove sales have plummeted by 80% since the 1970s. zanzibar's clove industry has been crippled by a fast-moving global market, and international competition.