In its fight against food insecurity strategy, the Government wants to support priority sectors among which the seed sector occupies a prominent place. Indeed, the limited access of family farmers with good quality seeds is considered as one of the major obstacles to sustainable intensification of Haiti's agricultural production.

Quality seeds have been identified as one of the inputs allowing intensify agricultural production. But the seed sector in Haiti is still poorly structured and organized, inefficient and does not respond to the request. Technical models, institutional and economic of the sector are the basis of this failure.

To this end, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR), recently held a workshop on strategy reinforcement of the seed sub-sector in Haiti. This workshop is part of the implementation of the project "Support for the revival of the seed sub-sector in Haiti", funded by the Technology Transfer Program for Small Farmers (PTTA) executed by the MARNDR with funding the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The project aims to rally all actors concerned by the problem of seeds around a shared vision for the development of the sector by defining the roles and responsibilities of key actors and establishing the legal instruments and of coordination and monitoring mechanisms necessary.

This project with a duration of 18 months (May 2015-October 2016), has the overall objective to contribute to improving the food security of the Haitian people by promoting increased production and agricultural productivity. Specifically, it intends to support the development of the seed sector so that quality seed can play a key role in the sustainable intensification of agricultural production through appropriate production models. Project implementation will be based on a participatory approach in order to reach a consensual validation of policy documents and seed regulation by the main actors of the seed sector through consultative meetings, forums and workshops.

At the end of the project, FAO and MARNDR wish, among others, arrive at the formulation of a national policy and a plan for the development of the seed sub-sector and the definition of a legal and regulatory framework for the activities related to the production, marketing, quality control and certification of seeds and seedlings. It will strengthen national technical capacity to control and seed certification.

HL/ HaitiLibre