Agriculture supported about 80 % of the population and supplied about 95 5 of exports in early 1990s.Two agricultural Z0nes zones are usually defined; the coastal area, which ranges in elevation from sea level to 400 meters and which supports cash crops such as vanilla, ylang-ylang, and cloves and the highlands, which support cultivation of crops for domestic cosumption , such as cassava, bananas, rain rice, and sweet potatoes.AS the population increased, food grown for domestic use met fewer and fewer of comorians needs. Data collected by the world Bank showed that food production per capita fell about 12 p.c. from 1980 to1987. The republic imported virtually all its meat and vegetables; rice imports alone often accounted for upto 30 p.c. of the value of all imports.
Comoros is the world's principal producer of Ylang-ylang essence, an essence derived from the flowers of a tree originally brought from Indonesia thar is used in manufacturing perfumes and soaps. Ylang-ylang essence is a major component of Chanel no. 5, the popular scent for women. The republic is the world's second largest producer of vanilla, after Madagascar. Cloves ar akso an important cash crop. A total of 237 tons of vanilla was exported in 1991, at a price of CF 19 per kg. a total of 2,750 tons of cloves was exportedin 1991, at a price of CF397 per kg. That year forty three tons of ylang-ylang essence were exported of about CF23,000per kg.
Live stock sector is small-some 47,000 cattle,120,000 goats, 13,000 sheep, and 4,000 asses in 1990.
In comoros 45% of the total land area is arable. Among the chief crops , in tons, were manioc,53,000, coconuts, 75,000; bananas, 59,000; sweet potatoes, 16,000, rice,17,000; corn,4,000and copra,9,000.
