16/08/2019. Advertisements for high-fat foods make us feel good by reminding us to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day. Of course, to eat them you have to buy them first, which is a whole different story. In Madagascar, the country of organic fruits and vegetables, we don’t think it’s really the sea to drink, however, the survey we conducted among Tananarivians on the purchase of fruits and vegetables in the capital, could make you see some green and ripe steps .
Table of contents
- Nearly 15% of Malagasy people do not buy fruits and vegetables
- Malagasy people buy vegetables more often
- What criteria are used to select fruits and vegetables in Madagascar?
- The expenses do not exceed 5000ar
- There’s nothing like the “tsena” to stock up on fruit and vegetables
- Conclusion of this survey on the purchase of fruits and vegetables in Madagascar
Nearly 15% of Malagasy people do not buy fruits and vegetables
The first question we asked respondents whether they bought fruits and vegetables. As far as fruit is concerned, 87% confirmed that they buy it, while 13% answered in the negative. Vegetables are undoubtedly less appreciated than fruit as 86% said they buy them while 14% did not.
Those who do not buy them justify this choice as follows:
| Fruits | Vegetables | |
|---|---|---|
| I don’t like it. | 8% | 7% |
| I don’t have time to shop. | 85% | 86% |
| It’s not very affordable | 7% | 7% |
Malagasy people buy vegetables more often
In terms of frequency of purchase, we noticed that the Tananarivians bought vegetables more frequently than fruits. Indeed, if 44% of Malagasy people buy fruits every day, 45% do the same for vegetables. 2 to 3 times a week, 41% buy vegetables while 49% fill up with fruits. Once a week purchases are tied with 6% of each.
Some consumers shop for fruit less often, i.e. every two weeks (1%), 2-3 times a month (7%) and once a month (1%).
What criteria are used to select fruits and vegetables in Madagascar?
Here the question arises for the followers of “ataovy an’ito madama aa” So to know what makes the Tananarivians choose one fruit or vegetable and not another. The answers give multiple choices.
It goes without saying that the first criterion for the selection of Malagasy people is the freshness of the product, approved by 85% of those surveyed.
Among our friends fruits and vegetables, it is not the inner beauty that counts because more than half of Malagasy people (52% for fruits and 53% for vegetables) said that they choose these products according to their appearance.
In Madagascar, we assume that this criterion does not apply to bananas, because in the country it is said that the more “tai-parasy” (translated as “flea droppings”, to designate the red spots on the fruit) a banana has, the sweeter it is. This statement is not false, because the brown spots are actually caused by the sugar in the fruit, so the sweeter the banana, the more spotted it is.
Then, the choice is made according to price at 13% for fruit and 15% for vegetables. Indeed, in Antananarivo, prices can vary from one seller to another, as from one tsena to another. Whether it is for fruits or vegetables, Anosibe remains the most affordable market, as it is mainly made up of wholesalers. It is followed by the market of Andravoahangy, Analakely and finally the Thursday market in Mahamasina. For example, if you buy a bunch of broccoli in Anosibe, it will cost you on average 500Ar, in Andravoahangy 1000ar, in Analakely about 3000ar and finally in Mahamasina, you will have to pay between 4000 and 5000ar.
The next selection criterion is variety, according to 7% of Tananarivians for fruits and 6% for vegetables, followed by the geographical origin of the fruit (2%) and vegetable (1%).
In general, vegetables and the fruits of Antsirabe are the most famous in Madagascar.
The expenses do not exceed 5000ar
Once the vegetables and fruit have been chosen, it is now a question of buying them, but how much to spend? Not much, according to the Tananarivians. Judge for yourself:
| Fruits | Vegetables | |
|---|---|---|
| 500 ar and less | 2% | 2% |
| 501 ar to 1 000 ar | 30% | 19% |
| 1 001 ar to 1 500 ar | 31% | 22% |
| 1 501 ar to 2 000 ar | 17% | 23% |
| 2 001 ar to 3 000 ar | 16% | 30% |
| 3 001 ar to 4 000 ar | 2% | 2% |
| 4 001 ar to 5 000 ar | 2% | 2% |
Yes, it’s not a big deal, because we Malagasy are lucky to have reasonably priced fruit and vegetables on the market. Today, the kilo of potatoes does not exceed 2000ar, and can even go down to 800ar in Antsirabe and depending on the time of the year. Carrots and green beans can be bought at around 2000ar. Seasonal fruit can range from 1000ar to 2500ar per kilo, bananas are sold at 1000ar to 2000ar per kilo, but again, depending on your locality and the time of year you make your purchase. However, fruits and vegetables are much more expensive in the northern part of the island, seeing their prices double or even triple.
There’s nothing like the “tsena” to stock up on fruit and vegetables
This is what the people of Tananarivo seem to mean by their answers to our question: “Where do you buy your vegetables? ». It then appeared to us that the markets were very popular in terms of purchasing these products, taking 95% for fruits and 98% for vegetables. They are followed by convenience stores, which take 29% of the routes for fruit and 17% for vegetables. A cheaper solution, but one that seems to be less popular among Tananarivians, buying directly from producers is chosen by 3% of our respondents for fruits against 1% for vegetables. The lowest percentage was recorded in supermarkets where only 1% of the population buy fruit and vegetables. This question was proposed with multiple choices.
Okay, but are the people of Tananarivo satisfied with the quality/price ratio of their products? Those who buy directly from producers say they are very satisfied (33%) with their purchases of fruit and vegetables, satisfied (59%) and a minority of 9% who say they are dissatisfied with the quality/price ratio.
For those in convenience stores, 33% of vegetable consumers say they are very satisfied with their purchases and slightly less so for fruit, at 15%. However, 80% of Tananarivians who buy fruit there are satisfied, compared to 59% for vegetables. 4% of Malagasy people are dissatisfied with the fruit on offer in local shops, twice as many for vegetables. In addition, 1% of our respondents say they are very dissatisfied with the quality/price ratio of this fruit supplier.
The “tsena” are more appreciated, with 28% of consumers being very satisfied with fruit and 56% with vegetables. More than half of the buyers say they are satisfied: they are 66% for fruit and 58% for vegetables. 6% of the respondents agreed that they are dissatisfied in both cases.
Consumers in supermarkets are few in number, but they are generally happy with their purchases: 20% are very satisfied with the fruit while the rest (80%) say they are satisfied. As for vegetables, 40% of Tananarivians say they are very satisfied, while the remaining 60% say they are satisfied.
Conclusion of this survey on the purchase of fruits and vegetables in Madagascar
For my part, I agree with the general opinion by buying more fruit than vegetables. To stock up, I’m part of the minority who opt for supermarkets because of the lack of time due to my pace of life. Contrary to what one might think, prices and tastes do not differ much from those found in the markets. Apart from this option, I also recommend buying from producers, an opportunity for you to stock up on completely organic products, but also to give a little boost to local farmers.
