Vanilla: price drop on the international market

Concerning the vanilla sector in Madagascar, the development has undergone ups and downs since 2008. In nominal terms, exports of vanilla from Madagascar shifted from 19.6 million SDR in the first half of 2008 to 10.3 million SDR in 2009 to 21.3 million SDR in 2010 and to 15.2 million SDR in 2011.  

Indeed, the quantity of the exported vanilla has increased progressively from 809.5 tonnes in 2009 to 1 204.4 tonnes in 2010 and 1 219.2 tonnes in 2011, and this, after a total quantity of 1 355.4 tonnes in the first half of 2008. As for the price on the international market, on average, it remained below 25.0 dollars, a situation already observed since 2008. In fact, the price of the vanilla of Madagascar went from 19.7 dollars per kg in 2011 against 26.8 dollars in 2010, 19.1 dollars per kg in 2009 against 23.3 dollars in 2008.

In short, in terms of tonnage, Madagascar continues to export the same quantity of vanilla comparable to its boom years, but with an extremely low price, a situation plaguing the country’s economy.