Madagascar to export 17,000 tons of litchis

Madagascar will export 17,000 tons of litchis this season, the country’s group of litchis exporters said on Monday.

A so-called litchis campaign will open in Tamatave, 360 km northeast of Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo, on Wednesday, the group said.

Tamatave produces 50 percent of litchis harvested in Madagascar. The other 40 percent are from Manakara, in southeast Madagascar, and the remaining 10 percent from Fort-Dauphin, in the Deep South, and other areas.

Before Christmas, Madagascar plans to send by plane 300 tons of litchis to Europe.

Madagascar exported a record 25,000 tons of litchis in 2008. The figure stood at 20,000 tons in 2016.

The litchis sector in Madagascar sustains around 100,000 families.

Litchis were first introduced into Madagascar in 1764 by Frenchmen Pierre Poivret and Joseph François, but historically litchis date back to 2,100 years ago in China. Enditem

Source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh