Rice Price Regulation: Government to Act Swiftly Amid Rising Costs

A conference of the Rice Task Force was held yesterday in Anosy, bringing together the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAE).

The urgent need to regulate rice prices took center stage during discussions, as prices have recently exceeded 4,000 MGA per kilogram. The Minister of Industry, Ralambofiringa David, assured that action would not wait for the timeline set by the President. « We will act as soon as possible », he stated, emphasizing that field inspections had already begun.

However, despite these efforts, prices remain high, and the situation is compounded by the increasing number of intermediaries. The Minister highlighted that one of the reasons for the surge in prices is the chaotic nature of the distribution network. «There are too many intermediaries. All products should go through the regional administrations, but everyone operates as they please », he pointed out.

Efforts

In the long term, the goal is to increase Madagascar’s rice production. Currently at 5 million tons, production needs to reach 6 million tons to meet local demand. While progress has been made, with a 4 % increase in production between 2018 and 2024, the Minister acknowledged that further efforts are essential to achieve this target.