IICA Delegation in Haiti has a new representative

**Meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture.** From left to right: Colette Blanchet, Ministerial Delegate IICA/MARNDR; Diego Montenegro, Director DMRI; Alfredo Mena, Former IICA Representative in Haiti; Lyonel Valbrun, Minister of Agriculture in Haiti; Abimbola Abiola, IICA Representative in Haiti, Rachelle Pierre Louis, Ex-Acting Representative, and Edie Charles, Director General Ministry of Agriculture.

Port-au-Prince, March 10, 2016 (IICA). The Director of Management and Regional Integration of IICA, Diego Montenegro, presided over the installation of the new Representative Abimbola Abiola, at the office of the IICA Delegation in Haiti, located in Berthé, Pétion-Ville.

He was appointed as the Representative in Haiti by the Director General of IICA, Dr. Victor Villalobos, with effect from March 1, 2016.

Abiola is a Canadian citizen and holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Regina in Canada. His career is extensive and includes significant experience in developing countries. He assumed duties in Haiti after serving as the Institute’s Representative in Suriname.

In his acceptance speech, Abiola stated that he was very enthusiastic about working in Haiti, and that he considered his mission in the country not as a challenge, but rather as an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the development of the agricultural sector in that country. He urged the staff of the Institute to work with him to achieve this goal.

The first meeting with the Minister of Agriculture in Haiti, Lyonel Valbrun, has already taken place. The new Representative reiterated the interest and availability of IICA to work hand in hand with the Ministry for the benefit of Haitian agriculture, and for the well-being of the country’s rural population.

For his part, Mr. Montenegro reassured the Minister of IICA’s continued support, in synergy with other institutions.

The Minister took the opportunity to highlight the critical situation with respect to food security in Haiti over the past year, as well as the main constraint limiting agriculture, notably the lack of water, and presented a list of issues for which IICA’s assistance is requested for corrective or collaborative actions.

More information: diego.montenegro@iica.int