| This study identifies the reasons for low producer prices of rice that have not covered its production costs for many years in Madagascar. The following points will be discussed: the farmers’ marketing conditions and the rural rice market structure, including the functions of each intervening trader preceding rice distribution in urban centers. The study also assesses current functions of the agricultural farmer cooperative: an organization expected to enable the establishment of fair trade in the domestic rice market. The data come from interviews conducted with 120 farmers, 20 traders, and the survey of the overall cooperative associations in two prefectures and main rice suppliers of the capital city. The analysis reveals that farmers were often... |
