An Island off the coast of the African Peninsula, Madagascar is better known for its diverse ecosystem, but has recently been in the lime- light for its fruit and vegetable cultivation. Simon Rakotondrahova, founder and manager of SCRIMAD in Madagascar, is well known for producing and distributing lychees. He tells us, “Right now we want to expand our market in the world, which is why our company is working vigorously to increase the 60-70% production of lychees that are Global G.A.P certified, to 100%.”According to Simon Rakotondrahova, “Our main market is Europe, specifically UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Annually, we sell about 15,000 – 17,000 pallets to these countries. The Middle East is also a big market, despite quotas and regulations we were able to sell 1,300 pallets, which is expected to increase around 5 – 7% in the future."
It is expected that SCRIMAD will develop other markets, outside of Europe and the Middle East. Simon Rakotondrahova says, “We have tried to enter the US, but because of their Food and Drug Administration, it has been difficult. One shining star we see is South Africa, which is a big market, and our efforts are being supported by their government. We are planning to export a small quantity first to South Africa, to let them taste our produce. Hopefully, the South Africans will like it, so we can increase our volume later on.”
Madagascar’s production will only get more efficient and produce higher quality in the near future. Rakotondrahova is quite certain that his company will reach its targets. This will allow Madagascan lychees to spread out from an island in Africa to the world. Hopefully putting Madagascar on the map.
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