As part of the stabilization of the railway, key element of the Specifications of the Environmental Program for the Rehabilitation of the Northern railway network, MADARAIL S.A. develops since 2006 a pilot plantation of 107 hectares of Jatropha Curcas, between Fanasana (PK 227) and Manangareza (PK 370).

The choice of the planting area was determined by the significant rainfall recorded in the canal of Pangalanes area and also by the particularly favorable terrain of this area compared to the entire Northern railway network of Madagascar. This parameter facilitates the logistic approach and a better supervision of the plantation where it is concentrated.

The planting was initially supervised by the non-governmental organization HAON SOA, under the World Bank Contract 074/IDA/06, responsible for training and supervising village communities living around the selected areas of planting, thus creating new jobs, a source of environmental education and income for particularly landlocked regions of the Pangalanes canal and Brickaville. Since June 2006, thirty-three village associations have been created, including nine involved in the Jatropha Curcas project. →

The associations are a crucial link of the Madagascar project since they have the responsibility, in the areas assigned to them, of planting, doing the maintenance of seedlings, harvesting fruit as well as the extraction and packaging of seeds to allow its transport and evacuation by MADARAIL to the center of oil extraction and processing.

The associations are equipped with material and tools by MADARAIL, which also provides logistical, administrative and accounting support. The minutes of the works and the control of the treasury allow for a regular monitoring of activities and the timely implementation of corrective measures in case of failing targets.

The plants will initially cover an area of 100 hectares and have been prepared by the nursery of Silo National des Graines Forestières within the framework of the World Bank contract 080/IDA/06 allowing for plantation since the month of October 2006.

Towards covering an increase in plantation, MADARAIL conducted capital controls a second time.