On Tuesday, December 20, 2011, during a ceremony held at the Rural Center for Sustainable Development (CRDD) of Bas Boen, the U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provided nine tractors to Haitian farmers’ associations of the region around Saint Marc.
This initiative is part of WINNER (Watershed Initiative for National Natural Environmental Resources), a multi-year, $126 million agricultural project to comprehensively build Haiti’s agricultural infrastructure, capacity, and productivity by providing concentrated and transformative support to Haitian farmers and agricultural associations. The WINNER project assists Haitian farmers through advanced training, improved inputs and better technology and it supports the Haitian government’s vision for stronger Haitian agricultural productivity.
Agriculture is one of the four priority areas for U.S. assistance to Haiti, along with governance and rule of law, infrastructure, and health and other basic services.
The tractors build on training programs performed in the Saint Marc area and will enable farmers to intensify their production and increase their income. The farmers’ associations will make the tractors available to the farmers in the area in exchange for a nominal fee reflecting maintenance, depreciation, and fuel.
