Central region west of the capital, once planted with arabica by Réunionese settlers and known locally as coffee grown by the old people.
Itasy lies in central Madagascar and is named for Lake Itasy. It is known as the kafendrazana region, a Malagasy term for coffee grown by the old people. Around 1950 the Sakay scheme brought Réunionese settlers here, who planted arabica from Réunion, Ethiopia, Kenya and Costa Rica. After the 1975 revolt many of them left and the coffee sector collapsed. A travel guide calls it the real El Dorado of Malagasy coffee for its soils and altitudes, though it gives no figures.
Field notes
- i
Itasy is known as the kafendrazana region, from a Malagasy term for coffee grown by the old people.
- ii
Settlers of the Sakay scheme, around 1950, planted arabica from Réunion, Ethiopia, Kenya and Costa Rica.
Sources · 2 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Coffee culture in Madagascar · Bradt Guides
- Itasy Region · Wikipedia