The “Manandratra” economic fair will be held from August 6 to 8 in Ambatondrazaka. The event aims to boost the local economy and foster partnerships between economic actors.
This is a first. An economic fair will be held in Ambatondrazaka, in the Alaotra-Mangoro region, from August 6 to 8. This marks the inaugural edition of the “Manandratra” fair, intended, according to the organizers, to “highlight the wealth, expertise, and investment opportunities of the region.” During a press conference held on Wednesday at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Antananarivo, Day Rabenony, president of the Chamber of Commerce for the Alaotra-Mangoro region, emphasized the importance of this event for local operators.
“For the first time in a long while, the capital of the Alaotra-Mangoro region is hosting a fair of this scale. The event is a major opportunity to stimulate the local economy, driven by nearly 18,000 formal entrepreneurs spread across the five districts (Ambatondrazaka, Moramanga, Amparafaravola, Andilamena, Anosibe An’ala),” he explained.
More than fifty stands will be set up at the site, featuring around fifty companies, cooperatives, and operators working to forge strategic partnerships to bring the region out of the shadows.
Assets
While the Alaotra-Mangoro region was previously known as the rice granary of the Great Island, it can now diversify its assets. According to Joelina Hariniaina, Director of Partnership Promotion at the Ministry of Trade and Consumption, “the objective of this meeting is also to promote strategic partnerships to develop domestic and international trade, and to provide local actors with a platform to increase economic exchanges.”
According to the dashboard from the National Institute of Statistics (Instat), published in December 2025, in addition to being one of the country’s main rice-growing basins, the Alaotra-Mangoro region is distinguished by the development of fishing and aquaculture activities, particularly through the production of tilapia from Lake Alaotra, including the local variety, the Barahoan’Alaotra. “This sector represents an important lever for economic diversification, income generation, and improving household living conditions, while contributing to the nutritional intake of the population,” Instat highlights.
Itamara Otton
Captured & Published at: 2026-06-20 06:01:00 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/06/foire-ambatondrazaka-alaotra-mangoro.html