Read that blogpost here >>/51926/ and I suspect it's a Madagascaran practice of land development to let communities to form themselves, let inner migration free to occupy and cultivate previously seldomly used lands, turning the unused means of production (the land, the soil) to be put to work and naturally allow growth without state investment.
I do suspect there is a merchant in that nearby town who deals in wholesale products and buy fruits and who then exports it.
There is still that chapter from the book he links to be explored or directly the laws of Madagascar. I'm not sure I'll go to either direction.