On the photo, Alfredo Mena (IICA), Jean Robert Jean-Noel (Ministry of Agriculture of Haiti) and Marco Camagni and Maija Peltola (IFAD) took part in the activity held to launch the IFAD project.

In 2009, IICA/Haiti began to prepare and negotiate two projects with the European Union (EU) costing a total of two million Euros that will be implemented over a 30-month period.

The respective agreements were signed in December 2009 and the first resources were disbursed at the end of March.

One of the projects entails technical and administrative assistance to the Food Security Coordination Office (CNSA), with a budget of 500,000 Euros. The other is designed to support the mango production chain, at a cost of 1.5 million Euros.

To contribute to the food security of the most vulnerable segment of Haiti’s population, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute and its Caribbean Food Corporation (CARDI-CFC) approved two projects: the production of roots and tubers, and the production of vegetables in a controlled environment (in greenhouses).

The Director of CARDI, Arlington Chesney, says that each project will have a budget of over US$700,000 through to the end of 2010.

Progress has also been made with the process of securing a grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Altogether, US$2.5 million will be provided over an 18-month period.

Meanwhile, the WFP has announced that it will be donating US$80,000 to IICA/Haiti to expand the geographical coverage of the Pro-Huerta Project.

Strengthening IICA in Haiti Just hours after the earthquake, IICA’s new Director General, Víctor M. Villalobos, instructed Institute officials to make the emergency their top priority. “Helping Haiti in whatever way may be necessary will be my administration’s first task,” he said in his inaugural address on 15 January. A working group was set up immediately, comprising officials at Headquarters and in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Director General also designated full-time international personnel to strengthen the Institute’s work in Port-au-Prince.

The IICA/European Union Agreement was signed by Alfredo Mena, IICA Representative in Haiti, and Francesco Gosetti Di Sturmeck, European Union Ambassador to Haiti.

The Director General then sent a high-level mission to assess the Office’s predicament, both from the human standpoint and in terms of the damage suffered by IICA’s premises. The mission made a series of recommendations that have made it possible to respond better to the growing demand for technical services.

The Office has also been strengthened with the hiring of additional professional personnel. For example, twelve people were hired for the implementation of the fruit tree project.

More information: alfredo.mena@iica.int