The World’s Biggest Kratom Exporters
The World’s Biggest Kratom Exporters
We’ve delved into how kratom is made –– but where does it come from?
Although kratom can be grown outside of its indigenous home of Southeast Asia, the vast majority of the supply circulating within the US and elsewhere is imported from Southeast Asian countries.
Indonesia is perhaps home to the highest volume of mitragyna speciosa powder production and exportation. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, kratom has not been deemed an illicit substance within Indonesian borders, which has popularized kratom farming efforts. A significant amount of kratom is sourced from Indonesian provinces such as West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.
Supposedly, farmers located in other neighboring regions such as Malaysia and even Thailand also play a role in how kratom is made, although kratom is a controlled substance in both countries. In Thailand, kratom was deemed illegal to buy, sell, import, or possess in 1979. However, despite regulation efforts, kratom has maintained its popularity and remains Thailand’s most widely consumed substance.
The Roots of Kratom
The Roots of Kratom
Mitragyna speciosa powder begins with the mitragyna speciosa tree, a plant native to Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Indigenous populations in these areas have been growing and harvesting kratom for centuries, and the earliest reports of kratom consumption in Malaysia date back as far as 1836 according to Burkill.
The plant’s environment is a significant factor in how kratom is made. At maturity, the mitragyna speciosa tree can grow as tall as 80 feet in ideal conditions. Its leaves have a shiny, dark green coloration and are quite large, with most full-grown leaves dwarfing the size of an average human hand. Because the kratom plant is evergreen, its leaves quickly regrow when shed, making kratom production possible year-round.
Kratom grows best in warm, humid environments where sunlight is plentiful. As such, the plant is abundant in rain forested areas such as the tropical island of Borneo.
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