Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 January 2014
Lychee on the European markets.With approximately 2.8 Mt of annual global production, lychee constitutesa minor fruit in terms of production. The world production is mainlylocated in the northern hemisphere (95%). However, most of the quantityexported to the EU comes from the southern hemisphere. In this context,with its 100,000 t of annual production, Madagascar is ranked fourthin the producing world and first in the southern hemisphere producingcountries. This rank is due to the fact that supplies in the EUare seasonal and mainly concentrated during the end of the yearholiday season. This market can only be supplied in quantity bythe Malagasy lychee because of its earlier date of harvest in theIndian Ocean. The lychee industry in Madagascar. Lycheecultivation in Madagascar dates from the early twentieth century.It is primarily grown in wet tropical lowlands of the island withsome production in areas with a subtropical climate with dry andcool winters. The stand is not structured into orchards. Therefore,the volumes currently exported are based on a stand establishedby a multitude of small producers. The characteristics of Malagasylychee export and the consequences of the production context onexport are analyzed. Changes in European legislation on lycheeimportation. The regulatory changes since 1987 and the commercial developmentssince 1994 are reviewed by analyzing the resulting effects on theMalagasy lychee exports. Learning experience from fifteenyears of Malagasy lychee export campaigns. Data on Malagasylychee export campaigns from 1996 to 2012 and the history of the changesin volumes exported allow a close analysis of the factors affectingthe Malagasy lychee industry. Success factors of the Malagasylychee exports. These factors are related to securing marketposition and to the components of a marketing campaign (supply dateto the European market, exported volumes and competition from producefrom other countries). Conclusions. Lychees from Madagascar, althoughmarketed for a very brief period, currently occupy the first rank onthe European markets and have managed, through the development of transportlogistics using very large-capacity cargoes, to eliminate all competition.However, this sector is mainly structured downstream and its production,which comprises a network of 30,000 small producers, has been neglected.This lack of intervention (boosting of production, improving crop management,etc.) upstream of the chain does not support sustaining the industryin the medium term.