Agri-business: “black eyes” provides quick incomes

The production and exploitation of ” black eyes ” or ” Lojy fotsy is gaining grounds mainly among farmers located in the northern part of Madagascar. The demand for this uncommon product is increasing. Actually, “black eyes” is a dry grain whose shape is between oval and round and it is marked by a black spot on its point of germination. The production of “black eyes” is a new industry that has grown considerably in recent years. Indeed, this product offers quick incomes for producers, since the length of its cultivation cycle is three months maximum.

The association “Sandratra” is currently exploiting and producing “black eyes” over an area of ​​10ha in the District of ​​Port-Bergé. “The yield can reach up to 3.5 tonnes/ha. The price of a kilo of “black eyes” ranges from 800 Ariary to 1200Ariary on the local market,” said Romain Ratsitohainarimalala, the president of this association. The harvest takes place between June and September of the year.

“Black eyes” is mainly used in the food industry to make flour, a key ingredient for making some cookies and pasta in countries like India and England. The “Black Eyes” fever reached the SOFIA region since an Indian operator of Mahajanga has collected tens of thousands of tonnes of the product to be exported to these countries during the 2010-2011 campaign. Since then, the cultivation surface of this dry grain has quintupled.