Vanilla exportation: the kilo of the green vanilla is only sold at 2000 Ariary

Right after the current HAT regime’s leader, Andry Rajoelina, took over the power in 2009, he promised vanilla farmers from the SAVA regions that he would do anything to increase the price of their vanilla, especially those destined to be sold on international markets.

However, more than two years later, the much-anticipated promise, firmly pronounced by the young and venerable hero of the transition regime is not yet accomplished. Even worse, the vanilla sector in that specific region of Madagascar is now enduring great loss. Farmers and producers are the ones who suffer the most in the situation because they have to sell-off the kilo of their green vanilla at only 2000 Ariary.

According to one farmer, “some producers still manage to sell their green vanilla at 2500 Ariary, but when it comes to the wholesaling of the products, the price cannot go beyond 2000 Ariary”. This same farmer still remembers that during the 2010 campaign, the HAT regime tried to establish fixed prices of green vanilla at 7000 Ariary per kilo and of bulk prepared vanilla at 40000 Ariary. Considered as too unrealistic and blatantly demagogic, such measures have never been applied in the field. In recent times, Eva Razafimandimby, the current Minister of Trade has repeatedly promised to find solutions to the woes of vanilla farmers and producers, but without much success so far.