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A project supported by IFAD to rehabilitate rice production and develop more efficient farming methods in southern Madagascar has transformed the Mandrare basin from a famine-stricken region into a rice-exporting area.

TThe Mandrare basin is in the driest area in the otherwise relatively fertile island of Madagascar. Before the Upper Mandrare Basin Development Project got under way in 2001, Mandrare was one of the country’s poorest regions. People suffered from recurring famine. Farmers could not ensure an adequate supply of food, and the economy of the entire region was in disarray.

“Before the Mandrare project, rice irrigation had fallen into disuse, and very little rice was produced in the area,” says project manager Andrianiainasoa Rakotondratsima. “The region was completely cut off. It took about 12 hours to drive the 120 kilometres from the regional capital, Taolognaro (Fort-Dauphin), to the inland basin, and the area was shockingly poor.”

The IFAD-financed project rehabilitated irrigation systems, restored roads and other infrastructure, and introduced more intensive farming methods. The second phase of the project increased the number of communes and villages taking part and introduced a microcredit network, based on a similar, successful system in the north-east of the country.

Soaring productivity and better roads

“What is spectacular in this project is the fact that the area can now export up to 25,000 tonnes of rice to the whole southern region,” says Benoit Thierry, IFAD’s country programme manager for Madagascar. “Not only is it self-sufficient but it supplies rice further afield.”

In the course of a few years, the rice irrigation area doubled from the initial 1,500 hectares to 3,000 hectares. It is expected to double again under the current phase to nearly 6,000 hectares, organized in plots of 50 to 100 hectares. In normal weather conditions, when there is no drought, 1 hectare of land can yield about 3 to 4 tonnes of rice – against 1.5 tonnes before the project.

The project also focused on vital improvements in infrastructure, particularly roads. Since the project began, more than 200 kilometres of road have been repaired.
“This means farmers are now linked to the market, and the traders’ truck traffic has considerably increased these past years,” Thierry says.

Success based on responding to local needs

The first phase of the Mandrare project was successful mainly because it was based on local initiatives, responded to local needs and was implemented at the micro-level, giving smallholder farmers better understanding and control of their own production. 

Building on that and on support to communes’ development plans, the project’s second phase generated some 100 mini-projects for growing vegetables and crops such as cassava, maize and vegetables. Farmers have produced about 200 tonnes of cabbage, tomatoes, onions, garlic and carrots, as well as 4.5 tonnes of maize and manioc seeds and more than 8 tonnes of rice seeds. Smallholder farmers have been able to diversify their production. The project introduced basic farming machinery and encouraged local farmers to form producers’ associations to help commercialize the crops.

The project also supported cattle breeding, an essential part of rural life in a region deeply rooted in tradition. Breeding got off to a slower start despite a vaccination programme. The mortality rate has been high because of water shortages during the drought in 2005. The issue of water supply remains to be solved. Still people are reluctant to transform the traditional livestock into an economic activity.

There is still room for progress before Mandrare’s second phase reaches completion at the end of 2008, but overall the programme has been an outstanding success.

Success breeds success

“The whole region is now becoming a growth area, attracting more people,” said Harifidy Ramilison, Vice-Minister of Agriculture.

The region now benefits from other economic activities such as mining investment. The city of Taolognaro (Fort-Dauphin) is growing rapidly, and is a good market for the food produced in the Mandrare basin.

The Mandrare project has become a model for replication by the government in Madagascar: from a typical area-based intervention, it slowly transformed into a value-chain project promoting agricultural products and market links. The strengthening of farmers’ organizations and the local development plans of the communes will facilitate the long-term sustainability of the project activities.