History of cotton in Madagascar

Cotton has long been known in Madagascar, probably introduced by immigrants from Africa or India. There are many permanent cotton producing areas. In the time of the “Hova” monarchy, there were royal workshops with small, family scale industry in the Betsileo area, supplied by cotton produced in the Sakalava region.

It was only in 1955, following satisfactory tests, that cotton production truly started, initially limited to cultivation on riverside or irrigated land, primarily in the South, subsequently expanding towards the North-West.
Cotton growing is located in two zones: the North-West (Mahajanga region) and the South-West (Tuléar region). Production is around 30,000 tons per annum, of which approximately 40% by micro growers.
The cotton selected by Red Island Cotton is cultivated in various regions along the West coast of Madagascar. Harvested by the small farmer producers, it is then sent to the capital Antananarivo, where it is spun, dyed and knitted, each stage in manufacturing complies with the environmental standards in force in Europe.