Madagascar restores irrigation to 6,000 hectares of rice fields

The Malagasy government rehabilitated a 14 km canal in the Mantaly rural commune within the Ambilobe district to restore water flow to local farms.

Workers cleared sand and debris from the waterway, which had not received maintenance for nearly 40 years. The restoration provides a steady water supply to approximately 6,000 hectares of rice fields in the southern part of the Basse Mahavavy plain. Previously, sand and blockages prevented water from the Mahavavy river dam from reaching the fields.

This forced farmers to rely on rainfall during the dry season, limiting their production. The improved irrigation allows rice farmers to cultivate their land throughout the year. Local officials expect these improvements to enable up to three rice harvests annually. The Basse Mahavavy plain is a major production zone for rice and sugar cane in northern Madagascar, with 47 percent of its irrigated land dedicated to rice.