Sustainable Rice Production in Haiti
Connecting Broetje Employees and Partners to the Fruits of their Labor...One fruit at a time.
| World Hunger Relief has worked in the community of Ferrier, Haiti, since 1980. The Ferrier area lies on the northeastern plain of Haiti. The region is semi-arid, but because of the presence of three rivers, has the potential to produce some 5,000 hectares of irrigated rice. Virtually every rice farmer lists the lack of means to purchase inputs as their biggest challenge. Tillage accounts for roughly 25% of the total production costs and is mostly accomplished by hiring Dominican Republic farmers with tractors who charge an additional 20% interest to Haitians who can't pay in cash. Our grant enabled World Hunger Relief to train and equip Haitian farmers to use ox teams to prepare their fields in a more effective and sustainable manner. A revolving fund was established to allow farmers to purchase local oxen and locally-manufactured ox-drawn plows and harrows. Participants are now receiving training in animal traction methods, animal health, sustainable rice production and financial management. In addition to reducing costs and eliminating dependency, ox traction provides several advantages over tractors. First, it gives local farmers more control over when their tillage is performed; they don't have to wait for Dominican farmers to finish first. Thus, they plant earlier, when the weather is most conducive, and harvest earlier when prices are highest. Second, oxen are used to haul the harvest to town. Finally, by purchasing locally-manufactured ox-drawn plows and harrows the project spurs local small business capacity. Staff of World Hunger Relief just returned from a training in Haiti. One of the most moving moments came after they explained that the funding for the oxen came from farmers in Washington State. One of the participants stood up and stated that "If farmers in the U.S. can be this generous with us, we need to be equally generous to our neighbors who are less fortunate than ourselves!" He challenged all the participants who had received oxen to provide tillage services to at least one farmer who is unable to pay. | Last year, Vista Hermosa awarded a grant to World Hunger Relief to support rice farmers in northern Haiti. Their staff just returned from visiting farmers in Haiti and were encouraged by the progress they saw.   |
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