A government decision to ban rice exports to cushion Madagascar against spiralling global food prices will bring temporary relief, but observers say the island's goal of food self-sufficiency will remain a pipedream unless underlying problems are dealt with.
The disaster-prone, heavily aid-dependent but resource-rich Indian Ocean island has long been struggling to meet its own food needs. Now, the squeeze of global food and energy prices has compelled the state to announce that it "suspends the exports of rice to guard the stability of the market of this commodity in Madagascar".
The decision was aimed at preventing the unrest experienced in countries where rising food prices have impacted most severely on the most vulnerable and poor, Krystyna Bednarska, the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Madagascar, told IRIN.
"The measure is pre-emptive - prices [of rice] have been stable", Bednarska said, but there was a fear that high global prices might tempt traders to forgo local markets for more lucrative deals abroad, sending local prices in the island through the roof. The World Bank estimates that over the past few months global rice prices have risen by 75 percent.
According to Rakotovao Andriambololonirina, president of the Madagascar rice-growing association, the island has been exporting only "the deluxe types of rice", and the home market was not affected.
Madagascar, which has been rocked by food riots in the past, is one of the biggest per capita consumers of rice in the world. Even slight increases in domestic retail prices - ranging from US$0.55 to $1.15 per kg, depending on the type of rice - would have significant implications, given that over 70 percent of Malagasy survive on less than a dollar a day.
In April the World Bank warned that there were over 30 countries where price hikes could cause social unrest. Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Mauritania, Niger, Peru, the Philippines and Uzbekistan, among others, have all seen protests against high food prices.
"We consider this a positive step [banning exports], showing that the Malagasy government is thinking about the effects of the crisis on its country [but] it should not be the only step," Bednarska said.
The staple saved, for now
"We have advised the government to keep the measure in place for only a limited period of time," Bednarska said. Madagascar has clearly stated that its ambition is to become a net exporter of rice, and high prices on the global market would be an extra incentive to boost production.
The Madagascar Action Plan, the government's anti-poverty programme, aims to double rice production by 2009 and triple it before 2012. The island expects to produce 4 million metric tonnes (mt) of rice this year, compared to 3.7 million mt harvested last year.
As the main staple crop, rice accounts for about 70 percent of total farm output, but the country has been unable to grow enough for its own consumption needs since the 1970s. Current estimates put the shortfall at around 200,000 mt a year.
A recent study by the UN Development Programme found that over 50 percent of the lush island was capable of sustaining crops but a mere 10 percent was actually being utilised. The classification of Madagascar as a "food-deficient nation" came with a footnote that abundant natural resources have the potential to alleviate chronic food insecurity.
Yet Madagascar still faces monumental challenges if it is to wean itself off food imports and a long-time dependence on international aid.
The cyclones that hit the island every year, flooding farmland and destroying crops, are partly to blame. This year cyclones Fame and Ivan brought very high winds and torrential rain that affected over 330,000 people, of whom 190,000 lost their homes. 2007 was the worst season recorded, with six cyclones tearing across the island.
 Photo: Tomas de Mul/IRIN  |
| Crowds eagerly await WFP food distribution following a cyclone in 2007. |
The island's isolation is another major obstacle. "Where subsistence farming now exists, agri-business can work, but the problem is market access," said Maurice Ralaimihoatra, director of FYExpress, a road freight firm. "Crops grown in areas unconnected to road or rail infrastructure cannot make it to towns, much less to seaports for export."
In total, 38 percent of the population is malnourished and one out of two children under five suffers from some form of undernourishment. "Without further contributions, WFP will be forced to review downwards the number of people to be assisted," said Ferrera.
With food aid increasingly more expensive and global competition for it on the rise, there is reason to worry. Ferrera said an emergency appeal for $9.6 million had been launched to meet Madagascar's needs, but had so far only attracted $3.5 million.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
