18/06/2019. We are already in the middle of the year, which means that “it’s almost time for the big holidays! ». But as you have noticed, it’s been freezing cold in the capital of Madagascar these last weeks. That’s why most of the population is already getting ready for a little moment of relaxation with friends or family. During the holidays, we have already seen on several articles that some of the Tananarivians are in the habit of going back to green (flora), blue (sea) and beige (beach). The other citizens do not go very far, they only go out of the saturation in the city for a few days, going to the countryside. Need a breath of fresh air against the fear of insecurity! Discover in this article the perception of the Tananarivians of the life in the countryside in Madagascar.
Table of contents
- The people of Tananarivo would like to see life in the country.
- 3 to 4 holidays per year: the Tananarivian dares to spend a lot of money
- Country life in Madagascar: first of all to take in the fresh air and time
- Tananarivians Invest in Rice and Poultry
- Going or living in the countryside of Madagascar: the Tananarivian is undecided
- All the reasons are still valid for a good life in the countryside of Madagascar
- To conclude this survey on the Tananarivians’ perception of the country life in Madagascar
The people of Tananarivo would like to see life in the country.
Stileex Post has already raised the “affection” of the people of Antananarivo with regard to urbanization in one of its articles on moving to Antananarivo. It is therefore in this continuity that we are now turning to the rural area. And believe it or not, many Tananarivians really love the countryside. Indeed, our statistics show us that 69% of the 898 people surveyed love to spend time in the countryside.
Of course, there are still some people in Antananarivo (31%) who don’t like it too much. The 44% think that there is nothing interesting in the countryside. More than 3 out of 10 people think that life in the country is too far away. The pace of life or lack of time (22%) is also part of their excuses for going to get some fresh air in rural areas.
3 to 4 holidays per year: the Tananarivian dares to spend a lot of money
So for sure, we Tananarivians love country life. But with the cost of living, ordinary people can’t afford to pay much money. In fact, for holidays in Madagascar, a quarter of the citizens of the City of a Thousand (25%) go to the countryside at least once a year. Others with more budgets, come back 3 to 4 times in the same year (24%), while 16% can only do it 2 times.
Country life in Madagascar: first of all to take in the fresh air and time
For Tananarivians, there are many reasons to go to the countryside. But thanks to the dynamism of our journalists at Stileex Post, we were able to rank them by four. You won’t be surprised that the 53% of Antananarivo’s citizens like to get some fresh air outside the capital. A little excursion with family or friends is also valid according to the 8% of people we met.
And what is even more astounding is that 23% of the inhabitants also go there to cultivate their land in rural areas. Today, 16% are also going into animal husbandry. One would think that “urban” citizens lead a double life to support rural entrepreneurship in Madagascar.
Tananarivians Invest in Rice and Poultry
In our survey, we saw that 66% of the respondents have their own farmland in the countryside, if 33% do not (or not yet) have any. Indeed, the owners of these lands think first about their interests. As Malagasy, 59% of them are involved in rice farming. But everyone has his or her own domain, including tubers (13%), fruits (12%) and not forgetting vegetables (16%). The idea is not really revolutionary, but with a lot of support from the local authorities, the production of organic products can be more than reliable.
For country animals, we can’t really talk about NAC. Indeed, “rural” animals are still the same as those we have known for a long time. But in the countryside, poultry are the masters since 29% of the respondents own some, as do oxen (24%) and pigs (9%). Unusually, the 37% of the landowners we met do not really like livestock farming.
Going or living in the countryside of Madagascar: the Tananarivian is undecided
Living “forever” in the country! This question led all respondents to ambiguity and doubt. This is why the 51% of the inhabitants of Tana agreed to live there. Over there, everything is calm and clean. In country life, you live “literally” with your own hands. While the other half, 49%, does not want to live in the countryside.
All the reasons are still valid for a good life in the countryside of Madagascar
You’re going to say that the reasons are rather far-fetched, but you still have to give a point to the difficulty of earning money in the countryside (36%) and also to the permanent insecurity that reigns there (33%). The fact that there is not much to do (27%) can even be put in third place.
It’s totally the opposite for those who would really like to live in the country. According to those surveyed, clean air comes first (67%), but they also take into account the affordable cost of living there (23%). A small percentage of 9% say that safety is okay there.
To conclude this survey on the Tananarivians’ perception of the country life in Madagascar
Throughout our field investigation, we noticed that rural areas in Madagascar, and especially in the province of Antananarivo, have become very popular. Of course, the people of Antananarivo still retain their “citizenship”. Personally, even with the efforts made by the state authorities, the cork should be tightened, especially on security, as the 23% of those surveyed said, but also on agriculture (24%) and livestock (22%). The other projects are applicable by the local authorities.
