Rice is a staple food in Haiti, but locally produced rice accounts for only 15% of the country’s overall demand. The Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) aims to change this by increasing Haiti’s food self-sufficiency through the promotion of rice seed and production projects. Increasing rice production involves multiple measures, with education and training playing a crucial role.

Rice farming mainly involves water management, fertilizer application, and pest and disease control. The Taiwan (Republic of China) Mission promotes knowledge on these aspects of agriculture through the "Project for Improving Rice Production in the North and Northeast of Haiti".

As part of this project, the TTM organized 9 training sessions this year, attended by a total of 261 farmers. These sessions aim to improve farmers’ professional knowledge, thereby increasing yields, minimizing resource waste, and reducing environmental impact.

In recent years, the international community has prioritized reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Continuous flooding of rice fields often leads to the production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. By adopting intermittent irrigation methods, soil oxygen levels can be increased, root development improved, and methane emissions reduced.

During the training sessions, TTM also emphasized the importance of seed purification and maintaining the purity of individual varieties. This approach aims to improve the uniformity of rice quality, which will increase yields and incomes for farmers.

See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-43618-icihaiti-agriculture-taiwan-introduces-the-red-lady-papaya-to-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43408-haiti-mechanization-taiwan-partners-with-haitian-farmers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43074-haiti-agriculture-signing-of-an-agreement-with-taiwan-to-improve-rice-production-in-the-country.html

HL/ HaitiLibre