Transforming agricultural, livestock, and fishery products to boost production and strengthen food sovereignty in Madagascar—this was a key message during the opening of the 2026 International Fair for Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries (FIA), which kicked off on Thursday at the Ivato International Conference Center (CCI). Under the theme “Madagascar in Motion: Produce, Transform, Develop,” FIA 2026 aims to reflect on the strategies and actions needed for Madagascar to move beyond being a mere exporter of raw materials and instead focus on processing, adding value, and marketing products both locally and internationally.
The inaugural conference provided a platform for public and private stakeholders to highlight the challenges and actions required to shift Madagascar’s economic model. Participants unanimously agreed that this transformation must be supported by significant and consistent production. “To build a sustainable and long-lasting agri-food industry, it is not enough to just build factories; they must be able to operate sustainably. We need a sufficient supply of raw materials,” they emphasized.
The availability of raw materials was identified as the top priority, requiring improvements in irrigation, high-quality seeds, mechanization, and the establishment of collection and storage centers. Supporting cooperatives and developing fair contracts between producers and manufacturers were also highlighted as essential for ensuring supply and improving agricultural incomes.
The second priority concerns energy and logistics, with investments needed in electricity, renewable energy, rural roads, warehouses, cold storage, and logistics platforms. The third pillar is the modernization of processing units, particularly in sectors such as rice milling, oil production, dairy, flour milling, canning, and packaging equipment.
Financing and product quality round out these priorities. The implementation of guarantee funds, seasonal credits, and long-term loans was discussed to facilitate investment in the agricultural and agri-food sectors. Additionally, laboratories are needed to strengthen quality control, certification, and product traceability.
Feeding the population remains at the heart of this ambition. “The question we must all ask ourselves, which I ask every time, is how do we feed our people? That is the primary question. I always say that a rich country and a rich people are those who manage to satisfy their national production to feed their own people,” noted Danil Ismaël, CEO of Groupe Inviso and one of the panelists.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-11 10:23:35 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/production-les-acteurs-appeles-a-accelerer-la-transformation-des-produits-agricoles-de-lelevage-et-de-la-peche-lors-de-la-fia-2026/
