Madagascar – Cash crops for export

Tropical fruits

Madagascar is a country rich in fruit production. It produces most fruit species, both tropical and semi-tropical (bananas, lychees, mangoes, citrus fruits, pineapples, papayas), temperate (apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, etc.) and exotic (grapes, pok-pok, melons, coconuts). Overall, the fruit export structure is limited to picking, estimated at 80% of production (mangoes) and the cultivation of a few trees, equivalent to 15% of production (citrus fruits, persimmons, peaches, etc.). Some fruits are nevertheless grown industrially, such as apple trees, but they only represent 5% of production. In general, temperate fruits are mainly found in the highlands, while semi-tropical and tropical fruits are located on the east coast, in the northwest and the north. The main destination countries for fresh Malagasy fruit are the sister islands of Réunion and Mauritius, and France. There is strong demand from the United States for exotic products. Generally, the prices paid to producers are low. The fruit industry suffers mainly from insufficient inputs for fertilization and phytosanitary treatments, which results in low productivity, as most orchards are dilapidated. The main exported fruit is the lychee: Toamasina accounts for 43,771 TP3T of the national production, followed by Fianarantsoa with 32,591 TP3T. With an annual production of around 100,000 tons of lychees, Madagascar is the third-largest producer in the world after China and India. 16,000 to 20,000 tons of fresh lychees are exported each year to the European Union during the Christmas period.

The cocoa bean
Madagascar's cocoa is one of the best in the world, with organoleptic characteristics highly valued by leading chocolatiers. The Sambirano Valley in the north is the main producing area. Cocoa from this region is among the most sought-after in the high-end market. This quality is linked to the soil characteristics, the cocoa variety, and especially to harvesting practices (ripe pods) and post-harvest processing (fermentation and drying). In April 2015, the Madagascar Cocoa Stakeholders' Association (GACM) was created, comprising producers, chocolatiers, and operators/exporters. Madagascar also joined the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) in 2016. With the support of the

World Bank, several activities have been undertaken to improve the quality, traceability, and sustainability standards of the sector. Thus, between 2015 and 2018, export volumes increased by nearly 60% to reach nearly 12,000 tons, including more than 90% meeting international standards. The government is seeking to establish partnerships with major cocoa-producing countries, such as Côte d'Ivoire, particularly for skills transfer, in order to increase domestic production. Malagasy cocoa is the only cocoa in all of Africa to have the fine cocoa designation, according to the ICCO, while the Big Island ranks only 20th among producing countries. The sector is also attracting new investments in cocoa processing units. The National Cocoa Plan, validated in 2018, now guides all activities aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the value chain.