Rice is the staple crop in Madagascar and there is a long tradition of rice cultivation. Per capita rice consumption is the highest in Africa and the rice supply was estimated to be 154 kg/per capita/year (paddy equivalent) in 2009 (FAO-STAT, 2014). Back in the 1970s, Madagascar exported rice but has since become a rice importer. In the central highlands of Madagascar, which have the country's highest population density,