ARTICLE - AGRO PRODUCTION IN GASCOGNE

STRENGTHENING OF THE THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN GASCOGNE
(Haiti Libre) -

Two Quick Impact Projects (QIP), proposed by the Organization of Peasants of Gascogne (OPG) and funded by the United Nations Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (Minustah), now provide the peasants with greater crop yields; through the rehabilitation of 300 meters of an irrigation canal and additional revenue with the construction of two fish ponds.

The first project amounting to USD$25,000 helped to rehabilitate 300 meters of an irrigation canal, 2 km long, located between Marcelin and Marché Canard, two localities of Gascogne. Flooding of the river caused floods and water loss on ... of segments of the clay irrigation canal.

The second project, amounting to USD$50,000 concerns the construction of two fish ponds in Marcelin; 200 square meters each. Dug by the peasants, they will enter 10,000 fry, mainly tilapia (pink and black) and carp, that will delivered to the Association for the Development of Agricultural Production of the Centre (ADEPAC) based in Marmont, a communal section of Hinche.

Increased agricultural production, food security, transforming people's lives and reducing migration to the neighboring Dominican Republic by the increasing and the extension of the network, the optimization of water management, the control of the production and the marketing of products; these are among other objectives of both projects.

Particularly regarding the fish farming, in addition to generating food, jobs and other income for local residents, the exploitation of fish ponds will help preserve the environment by the reduction of "premature and destructive fishing" on Lake Peligre, the Artibonite River, and the river Fer-à-Cheval, says OPG.

As for Jean Rony Bien-Aimé, fish technician for CARITAS, he believes that "the peasant who wants to build a pond on his property will have the fry more easily and at a very low price [...] The fish will be fed with local products such as corn, sorghum, cassava peels and potatoes... since the imported fish food products are very expensive and we have no funds for this purpose."