Regional issue: Analanjirofo faces up to a set of small scale economic turmoil

Lumbering operators have been affected by the drastic measures supposed to stop the haemorrhage of Madagascar’s wild forests. The Analanjirofo region chief is proposing a deal to prevent the sector from complete deadlock. « The operators must get an authorization to collect littering dead wood, and comply with the rules requesting specification of the wood’s origins », pleaded Michel Saina. However, he is approving the interdiction to cut standing trees until further notice. 

The Analanjirofo region is being engulfed in turmoil caused by the State led intervention to regain control of precious wood exploitation and trade. The Task Force, an interdepartmental cell erected to track down smuggles and to fight against illegal exports, is not yet questioned. The issue is that the sector happens to be in a stalemate. 

Some legal exporters are, however, complaining about some overzealous actions from the authorities. Cargos part of an old stock and bound to be shipped happen to be blocked on the same account as the recent illegal ones. 

During the latest weeks, smuggles of Rhodes Oil wood and palissander in a smaller extent, have been thriving in the East of the country. The Task Force has, so far, managed to unveil illegal lumberyards, but the suspects are still on the run.  The national park of Mananara North has been the first victim of these depredations.   

The Analanjirofo region chief is expecting less tough measures allowing precious wood pickup, because the other sectors have been hardly hit by the backlashes of the crisis. The world crisis has first seriously slowed down vanilla exports. In spite of a political will to impose a minimum export price of 27 dollars per kilo, a strategy which became a cause for division for the concerned operators, the producers remained in difficulty. The kilo of vanilla is currently bought for only 1000 ariary or 50 US cents! 

Clove trade is in no better estate. In 2008, producers could hardly sell the kilo for 3500 ariary. « The course is on its way up; we are advising producers to wait for a short while before selling, and especially to include added value », explained the region chief. Clove oil is a cause for more demand, with a relatively interesting, and potentially shooting up selling price of around 10 000 ariary per litre. 

The litchi trade is a sector in full renewal. The conformity to European standards was a necessary investment from the exporters. Although, producers do not yet take benefit from the picture enhancement of Madagascar’s litchi. « The kilo is bought from peasants for a pathetic price of 100 ariary », regretted Michel Saina, « Exporters are making profits in the end ». 

In order to protect the litchi producers, the Analanjirofo region chief is reckoning upon a basic price of 300 ariary per kilo. He is also keen on putting an end to the very imprecise weighing. « The operators collecting products are using boxes instead of scales. The box’s supposed weight is 10 kg whereas some actually reach 20 kg ». 

Michel Saina is calling upon multiple interventions from the community in his high economic potential sectors. « The region is keen on engaging actions as those of boards of trade. It would grant information to producers, collectors and exporters in order to control the market « .