Transforming agriculture for food security

The Malagasy government is championing the integration of hybrid rice cultivation as a key step toward achieving food self-sufficiency and positioning Madagascar, along with Africa, as a major rice producer.

During the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in Beijing, the Malagasy delegation strongly advocated for the hybrid rice initiative. The government’s primary goal is to transform the country’s agriculture by focusing on rice production, which not only aims to achieve food self-sufficiency but also to re-establish the Indian Ocean region and Africa as leading hubs for rice production.

Hybrid rice offers a unique advantage with seed varieties tailored to local soil and climatic conditions, enabling yields exceeding 12 tons per hectare. As part of this initiative, the Malagasy government has signed two memorandums of understanding with Yuan’s Seed, a leading company in hybrid rice technology. A 2,000-hectare park for cultivating hybrid rice seeds will be established in the Betsipotika area near Morondava.

Hybrid rice has a 20 % higher nutritional value than traditional rice varieties. The adoption of hybrid seeds is expected to not only boost rice production but also increase household incomes significantly. According to research shared by the President of Madagascar, farmers can expect a substantial rise in their earnings per hectare of hybrid rice. Additionally, President Andry Rajoelina noted that by increasing domestic rice production, « the country could save 250 million USD annually by eliminating the need for rice imports ».