Top Plum and Sloe Producing Countries

China is by far the world’s leading producer of plums, accounting for over half of global production, with other significant contributors including Serbia, Romania, India, and the United States. Sloe, the fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), is less widely cultivated but is native to Europe, western Asia, and parts of North Africa, where it grows wild and is sometimes managed for fruit. The domestication and cultivation of plums trace back thousands of years to ancient China, where selective breeding led to the development of many modern varieties. Plums spread westward along trade routes to Persia, the Mediterranean, and eventually Europe, where both cultivated plums and wild sloes became important for food, preserves, and beverages like slivovitz and sloe gin. Over centuries, European settlers introduced plums to the Americas, where they adapted to new climates and became a staple fruit crop, especially in California. The history of plum and sloe farming thus reflects a long process of domestication, adaptation, and cultural exchange across continents.

Data from United Nations FAO Stat