• Madagascar to develop 150,000 hectares of new rice fields
• Imports doubled to 800,000 tons in 2025
• Drought and lower yields cut 2025/26 output 19%

Madagascar plans to develop 150,000 hectares of new rice-growing areas. On February 14, the Agriculture Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with private firm COM'ON HOLDING & PARTENAIRE to support the initiative.

Under the agreement, pilot sites will be launched in major production regions including Atsinanana and Alaotra Mangoro to trial modern farming techniques. The project will introduce mechanized transplanting and combine harvesters to raise productivity.

The initiative will use certified seeds from AfricaRice and undergo scientific oversight by FOFIFA, the National Center for Applied Research in Rural Development, according to a statement on the government’s website. The agreement states that output will primarily supply the domestic market. Exports of specialty rice could be authorized if national food security targets are met, potentially improving the sector’s competitiveness.

The total investment has not been disclosed, but the objective is clear: boost productivity in a sector increasingly exposed to import dependence.

FAO data show that Madagascar’s rice imports more than doubled to 800,000 tons in 2025, from nearly 300,000 tons a year earlier. The surge underscores the sector’s difficulty in meeting domestic demand.

Imports likely to remain high in 2026

Production prospects remain weak. In a December 12 report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated milled rice output at 2.7 million tons in 2025/26, down 19% from the previous season and 12% below the five-year average.

The USDA attributes the decline to an 8% year-on-year reduction in cultivated area to 1.8 million hectares and a projected 12% drop in average yields to 2.4 tons per hectare, amid unfavorable weather.

“Harvest prospects have been affected by a drought in March and above-average temperatures throughout the season, resulting in a final yield for 2025/26 that is the lowest recorded in 20 years,” the agency said. “Seasonal rains were delayed, which reduced crop emergence, decreased planted area and limited yield potential due to a shortened growing season.”

Against this backdrop, the public-private partnership could, if effective, help rebuild the sector’s production base in the next season.

Significant untapped potential

In an April 2025 report, the International Monetary Fund highlighted a wide gap between current yields and potential output. While average yields have stagnated at around 2.75 tons per hectare since the late 2000s, the IMF estimates that output could reach as much as 11 tons per hectare under optimal conditions.

Weather shocks remain a major constraint. In addition to drought, recurrent cyclones disrupt water resources in a country where more than 80% of rice fields are irrigated. Limited access to modern inputs, weak mechanization, land degradation and continued reliance on traditional farming methods further weigh on productivity.

Since 2025, the government has promoted large-scale hybrid rice cultivation to lift yields. Hybrid varieties can produce up to 8.5 tons per hectare, roughly three times more than traditional varieties, which average between 2.45 and 2.7 tons. In its 2025 budget, the government allocated 573 billion ariary for the purchase of hybrid rice seeds for farmers.

Stéphanas Assocle