The overall objective of the mission is to assess the horticultural diversification program in the Toamasina region, in order to provide decision makers, all the information necessary and sufficient to support the process of future programming sector.

The evaluation focuses on the diversification strategy in the horticulture industry in the former banana growing area of Madagascar and the implementation of the program of horticultural diversification during the period 2005-2010. It covers six projects (annual plan) for an amount of 3 million euros.

Each annual plan includes four components: (i) Diversification of production (ii) Improvement of accessibility to potential areas (iii) Compliance of products with market requirements (iv) Improving the supply of bananas for the local market. The direct beneficiaries are of four types: (i) producers, (ii) economic operators: exporters and processors in the Toamasina region or other regions that have access to all the new techno-economic information generated by the program and restraints on certification and quality control, (iii) processors who receive technical and material support to diversify and improve the quality of their products and (iv) students in training including the agro-food sector.

The specific objectives of the final evaluation are:

- Analyze the objectives of the program and to measure impact indicators;
- Analyze and assess the technical and economic impacts of the program, highlighting the themes for which best practices can be replicable in other regions, assess socio-organizational impacts of the program, the benefits and lessons learned from the implementation of contract farming;
- Proposals for reorientation of support to develop a long-term strategy for the development of horticulture sector in Madagascar.