Haiti
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Country: Haiti
Full country name: Republic of Haiti
Area: 10,695 square miles
Population: 8,000,000
Location: Haiti occupies the western third of the Caribbean island of
Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic.
Language: Haitian Creole, French (both official)
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Country Situation
Nearly 70 percent of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which
consists primarily of small-scale subsistence farming. Haiti's principal
agricultural products are coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum and
wood. Neglect of the environment has cost Haiti, as the country has lost most of
its topsoil to erosion, and agricultural output has plummeted. Although the
informal economy is growing, the country has experienced little job growth, and
unemployment is 65-70 percent. Recurrent political instability has slowed
Haiti's democratization efforts and prevented the country from taking advantage
of its development potential.
International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) Operations in Haiti
The ICDF presently has one technical mission with 10 members working to improve
agriculture in Haiti. In addition, the ICDF has four investment and lending
projects to help with infrastructure development and small business growth.
Technical Mission members: 10
Rice Yield Enhancement Demonstration, Extension and Training Project
This project aims at improving rice quality as Haiti moves toward
self-sufficiency. High-yield, high-quality paddy rice varieties appropriate for
local conditions are being developed, and improved cultivation technology is
being provided. Certified stock seed rice for demonstration and extension
purposes is being propagated, and paddy rice varieties are being screened and
acquired. In 2001, a testing and evaluation center was established at the Mechy
experimental farm, and rice farmers in the Artibonite Valley were provided
short-term agricultural training, with emphasis placed on cultivation of the new
variety Taichung Hsien No. 10.
Bamboo Cultivation, Processing and Utilization Project
Farmers in selected locations are being given instruction in bamboo cultivation.
The benefits of bamboo cultivation include water conservation and the
suppression of soil erosion. As soon as a bamboo plantation is mature, the
bamboo may be cut down and utilized for handicrafts and housing construction.
Regular short-term training in bamboo handicraft skills is being provided to
encourage self-sufficiency among the local people. In 2001, Taishan, Cassia,
Putai, Green and Dendrocalamus latiflorus bamboo species were collected and
planted. Quantities of bamboo seedlings were grown for different purposes in
different topographical situations, and apprentices were recruited and given
handicrafts training.
Investment and Lending
Investment and Lending Project to the Microcredit National S.A. in Haiti
This project will create Micro Credit National, S.A., the first financial
institution dedicated exclusively to lending to small enterprises in Haiti. The
new institution will offer loans ranging from US$150 to US$7,500. Five operating
points, not including the headquarters in the capital of Port-au-Prince, are
being established.
Drinking Water Distribution Project in Petionville in Haiti
This project will improve the water supply in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The project
has been divided into four parts, as follows: Lot 1: Six wells. Lot 2: Equipment
for wells and pumping station. Lot 3: Distribution and main pipeline network.
Lot 4: Four reservoirs of between 1000 and 2000 m3 each.
Water Supply Project in Jacmel City in Haiti
This project will improve the water supply in Jacmel, Haiti. The project is
divided into potable water quality treatment and water supply system expansion
in two stages.
Women Technical Assistance Program in Haiti
This project is designed to help women participate in formal sector production,
therefore improving domestic production, by providing them technical training,
especially crafts production. The ICDF will assist the Haitian government in
establishing a national Institute of Female Entrepreneurs.
