Import Vanilla bean from Madagascar becomes more and more difficult. To succeed, you must follow a lot of rules. Importing from Madagascar also requires dexterity … Today, in this 3rd episode, I will show you how to concretely proceed to import from Madagascar to your country of destination Europe, Asia or USA.

Import vanilla bean from Madagascar with authorized exporters only.

Since 2015, The Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs makes great efforts to develop and professionalize exports. With the aim of gradually reversing the trade deficit. They thus, highlighted 3 points:

The easing of import vanilla bean procedures

The protection of professionals in the sector: producers, farmers, collectors, and exporters.
The state demands in return that the professionals repatriate the currencies, and pay the taxes. Thus, since exporters protected by the state, they must repatriate foreign exchange and improve the management of their businesses.

The liberalization of the sector has been effective for a long time, and the Ministry of Commerce hopes that professionals in the sector are numerous, and that these professionals are members in a platform, because the platforms are the interlocutors of the Malagasy State.

The Department recently put in place dubious vacuum products that do not meet the required standards. Exporting poor quality products would destroy the label “Vanilla from Madagascar”. This will affect the brand of the best vanilla in the world. Thanks to this label, we are authorized to export whatever export quota we want. We thus benefit from a market of choice. However, the informal attacks ravage the market of Madagascar abroad. Indeed, when buyers notice a failure in quality of vanilla, they demand the increase in prices of vanilla. In addition, they will require much more quality improvement.

Informal operators endanger our vanilla bean sector.

All our embassies abroad will be sensitized so that they follow this Malagasy market closely so as not to be attacked by others.

The history of vanilla over the last five years demonstrates the fluctuations in the quality of vanilla, and vacuum packaging has become a common practice despite the interdepartmental decree 2013 / 35-255 which defines the regulations that concern vanilla, as well as the parts necessary to obtain the approval of vanilla exporter.

What did Madagascar government do to ensure Import vanilla bean from Madagascar would be easy ?

To remedy :

1- The Ministry of Commerce will sort the operators. Only professionals will be allowed to export vanilla. This week, the list of approved exporters across the country will reach the National Platform. Recall that exporters are required to repatriate foreign currency, and that illicit exporters damage the Malagasy economy precisely because they do not repatriate these currencies.

2- The regional platforms of Madagascar are informed about the C.R.O.F. or Regional Blooming Observatory Committee which identifies the technical vanilla opening dates for 2016. The pre-workshop will be held in January, and the workshop will be held in March.

3-Controls of vacuum products will start, because there is a moisture content to respect for these products. Vacuum packaging can only be done after 3 months from the opening date of the campaign, because the vanilla is stable only at this time.

4-Vacuum products should include labeling, indicating the date of packaging, and the quality of the vanilla to facilitate controls.

5-The national platform will hold a general assembly on November 9, 2015 in Antananarivo.

 

Import vanilla bean from Madagascar : the numbers

The regional platforms have about 200 members (Sava, Antalaha, Atsinanana, Diana, Vatovavy Fitovinany, Analanjirofo). Exporters in Antananarivo must bring their files to the Regional Directorate of Trade and Consumer Affairs Analamanga to facilitate their registration in the Vanilla National Platform.

The Malagasy vanilla export is between 1,800 and 2,000 tons per year.

The vanillin level required for vanilla:

Red vanilla: 1.5 minimum
Black vanilla: 1,8 minimum
Madagascar vanilla, when properly treated, can reach a vanillin level of 2.5
Dishonest operators sometimes do things like soaking the vanilla in the seawater to make it change color. The state is strict about protecting our label. For penalties and fines: any offender will be required to pay 5 times the offending value, with imprisonment, and destruction of products that destroy the label “Vanilla of Madagascar”

The cost of vanilla globally is around USD 100 per kilo. In Madagascar, prices vary to about 300,000 Ariary per kilo. It is often the speculations that are a source of disorder in the prices of local vanilla.