Some of the project’s achievements during the first half of the year were cooperation missions, training activities and the distribution of seeds, and the incorporation of new partners.

The Pro-Huerta Program is producing more and better results: more activities have been carried out, more organizations and countries are involved and ready to work to strengthen the initiative, and, most importantly, more families are benefitting.

During the first half of the year, the Government of Barbados joined the growing list of countries that are providing support to increase food production in family, school, and community vegetable gardens, to promote food security in Haiti. Barbados’ donation will be used to strengthen the program in the community of Arreguy, which will be receiving assistance from Argentine specialists in cooperation.

The Pro-Huerta Program includes financing from CIDA-Canada, Spain’s cooperation agency and IFAD. It is benefiting 17,000 families, or nearly 119,000 people, 67,823 of whom are direct beneficiaries of the agreement being implemented by IICA under a cooperation agreement involving Argentina, Canada and Haiti.

The actions carried out during the period in question included the distribution of 12.5 tons of corn seeds, 13.5 tons of bean seeds and 11,737 kits containing seeds of more than 23 varieties of vegetables.

A total of 55 training activities were also held, on topics such as soil fertilization and biological pest control, the production of corn and bean seeds, vegetable garden management in the dry season and the production and consumption of fresh foods.

During the first half of the year, three follow-up and evaluation missions were carried out that underscored the importance of the initiative for the nutritional and food security of the families concerned, given the diversity of fresh products being produced. The missions also highlighted the importance of the promoters’ social network, believed to be the largest in the country.

Moreover, Pro-Huerta received technical assistance from specialists from the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA) of Argentina and several cooperation missions from the government of that country that focused on poultry farming, seed production, beekeeping, goat keeping and the collection of water.

A series of training activities are due to be held in Argentina in September 2010 for agronomists working for Pro-Huerta, officials from the Haitian government and the agencies involved in the implementation of the program.

Thanks to these actions and achievements, in June the program’s Steering Committee (comprised of representatives of Argentina, Canada, the Ministry of Agriculture and IICA) approved the Work Plan and the budget for the third year of Pro-Huerta.

More information: alfredo.mena@iica.int