SPORTS · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Madagascar's Grand South Faces Early Lean Season Amid Below-Average Harvests
WHY IT MATTERS
The early lean season in Madagascar's Grand South threatens the food security of already vulnerable households, who may struggle to meet their essential needs due to reduced incomes and increased market dependence.
What happened
Madagascar's Grand South is bracing for an early lean season due to below-average harvests, exacerbating food insecurity. The July-August cassava and sweet potato harvests fell short of expectations, leaving households reliant on market purchases and limited own production.
Irrigated rice provides some food and labor opportunities in localized areas of Toliara, but rising prices of imported goods and a depreciating currency are eroding household purchasing power. The strengthening El Niño event is expected to delay the start of the 2026/27 rainfall season, further reducing agricultural labor opportunities and income.
Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are expected to persist in Toliara II and Amboasary Atsimo, and expand across the Grand South from October.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Madagascar Food Security Outlook Update: Below-average harvests drive an early lean season in the Grand South, August 2026 - January 2027
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