Haiti: Minister of Agriculture Reiterates Commitment to Increasing National Production

The Haitian Minister of Agriculture, François Sevrin, reiterated on Friday the commitment of the government to work towards increasing the national production. Mr. Sevrin made these statement in the quarters of Merchant Dessalines (Artibonite) when he delivered a pump to the farmers of this region, within the framework of the national program of food safety, focusing especially on the production of sweet potatoes.

"Efforts were particularly consented to seek an increase the production of the sweet potatoes in this zone", said Mr. Sevrin, recalling that the farmers, still recently, had lost again more half of the production of this starch staple food, due to insect eggs that turned sweet potatoes bitter.

More than 4 million of Gourdes were unblocked by the government to support this project in several other regions of the country, which will boost the creation of new jobs and food safety, indicated the Minister.

Yearly, Haiti can produce between 150 thousand to 200 thousand tons of sweet potatoes, he specified.

As for agronomist Alain Moncoeur, the person in charge of the Special Program for the Food Safety (PSSA), he applauded this initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to Mr. Moncoeur, the PSSA becomes today the National Program it National for Food Safety (PNSA) that offers, he said, more possibilities to the planters, in terms of technical framework.