The announcement of a $44 million investment from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the agricultural sector in the North and Northeast departments has sparked a lot of hope among producers.
The announcement of a $44 million investment from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the agricultural sector in the North and Northeast departments has sparked strong hope among producers. For the Organization of People Working for the Development of Haiti (OPODHA/FAITH IN ACTION) and its partners, this initiative is seen as an important opportunity to boost agricultural production, improve food security, and stimulate economic development in rural communities.While the organization welcomes this announcement, it believes that the program’s success will depend primarily on its ability to meet the real needs of farmers. As part of its advocacy with the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development (MARNDR), the IDB, and key sector players, OPODHA reminds that it identified thirteen strategic priorities following consultations with over 1,100 farmers across 74 localities in the North and Northeast departments.
Producers are responding positively to the BID’s initiative, while emphasizing that investments will only yield sustainable results if they take local realities into account. They’re particularly advocating for active involvement of farmers’ organizations at every stage of the project, better water resource management, development of irrigation infrastructure, and the creation of community seed banks to make quality plant material more accessible. They’re also asking for stronger technical support from agronomists, promotion of agroecology and agroforestry, increased support for agricultural cooperatives, and provision of equipment that meets the actual needs of farmers.The recommendations also focus on better access to financing through suitable credit mechanisms, support for agricultural sectors, livestock, and fishing, the creation of agricultural insurance and early warning systems for natural disasters, the rehabilitation of farm roads, as well as the development of storage and processing infrastructure for agricultural products. According to OPODHA, these investments would sustainably increase productivity, improve the incomes of farming families, and strengthen food security in the two departments.The planned interventions will notably focus on the locality of Coicou, in the Fort-Liberté commune, in the Nord-Est department, as well as the Limbé commune, in the Nord department. According to the organization, these two areas have significant agricultural potential that could be further developed with proper investments, quality technical support, and active involvement from producers.
OPODHA also recommends that farmers’ organizations be fully involved in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the program. “We experience the challenges related to agricultural production every day. Our participation in decision-making is essential so that investments truly meet the needs of rural communities and produce sustainable results,” the producers assert.Reaffirming its willingness to collaborate with MARNDR, the Inter-American Development Bank, and all technical and financial partners, OPODHA/FAITH IN ACTION hopes that this $44 million investment will directly benefit farmers and contribute to sustainable rural development in the North and Northeast departments.
