The presence of rubber in Madagascar was noted as early as the 18th century, according to Raymond Decary in his work ‘The History of Malagasy Rubber’. In 1768, a naturalist described a plant that produced a milky sap coagulating into an elastic substance. Similarly, explorer Dumont d’Urville identified the ‘voaene’ as a source of Malagasy rubber.
By 1817, the ‘Vahea gummifera’ was introduced, and its product was showcased at the 1851 Exhibition. Initially, production was limited and controlled by the Malagasy government, with exports beginning in earnest from Mananjary in 1870. Later, the ‘Intisy’ from the Androy region gained significant renown.
In 1891, a merchant in Tolagnaro named Monin discovered that local Antanosy youth were using dried latex to create drum membranes. This discovery led to intensive exploitation of the trees in regions like Behara, Tsilamaha, and Tranomaro. Initially, to keep the origin secret, the product was sold to Indian traders who exported it to Europe as ‘Kiloa rubber’ from the African coast, allowing for massive profit margins.
Raymond Decary notes that many Malagasy natural products faced similar identity issues. For instance, Malagasy beryls were often sold in France as Brazilian stones, and yellow beryls only gained market traction when African supplies failed. It was not until the 1931 Paris Natural History Museum exhibition that Malagasy gems finally earned their own reputation, thanks to a collection donated by American patron Edward Tück.
Regarding rubber, a ‘rubber fever’ swept the island from Antsiranana to Tolagnaro around 1893, with exports dominated by German and British firms. However, the boom was short-lived due to the destruction of the vines. By 1913, the British company ‘The Madagascar Rubber’ established a large-scale operation in the Morondava region, implementing sustainable practices such as replanting and seed preservation.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-13 05:38:55 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/lorigine-cachee-du-caoutchouc-malgache.html