Partnership for Peanut Production in Haiti
USAID empowers smallholder farmers with skills to produce quality peanuts
Smallholder peanut farmers in Haiti are not giving up. In spite of the disruptions caused by gang violence and low crop yields, they are determined to improve the quality of their peanuts to maximize the value of their yields.
Peanuts are an important crop in Haiti, have nutritional benefits, and also offer farmers an opportunity to earn income quickly.
But beyond increasing yields, farmers must also increase the quality of their peanut produce, to both increase health benefits for the people who eat their products and to sell to larger markets.
In an effort to economically strengthen smallholder Haitian peanut farmers, the USAID program Haiti Agricultural University Partnership introduced peanut crop production training, in collaboration with the Haitian Universities Campus Henry Christophe de l’université d’État d’Haïti à Limonade (CHCL), Université Chrétienne du Nord d’Haïti (UCNH), and their non-profit partner Med and Food for Kids (MFK). Between January and March this year, the project successfully recruited a full cohort of 88 farmers from the three communities in the Cap Haitian area.
The training covers areas of peanut production, including disease management, weed control and better planting practices. Most importantly, the program disseminates information about aflatoxin (fungus) present in peanuts and other crops in Haiti, its management from the farm to the consumer, and the techniques to reduce the fungus during the peanut production process. Aflatoxin is a fungus caused by mold on peanuts (and corn), which is unhealthy for human consumption.
The farmers are also participating in a research trial, evaluating six peanut varieties with MFK. This provides direct, hands-on training that can then be applied in their own farms.
Guyline Ceant, a smallholder peanut farmer in Haiti, attended one of the training sessions at the Agricultural Technology Park (ATP) of Université Chrétienne du Nord d’Haïti.
“I learned a great deal about optimizing soil health and pest management and will use it in my next planting season,” he said. “Attending the USAID training not only expanded my knowledge but also empowered me to make informed decisions for better yields.”
From this program, Haitian farmers can join the MFK Extension Program to continue learning best practices in harvesting, storage and aflatoxin mitigation, water management, fertilization, pest control, and crop rotation, all designed to maximize the value of their peanut crop yields.
For over 30 years, MFK has been the leading processor and distributor of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) within Haiti, supplying this peanut-based supplement to the one in four malnourished children in the country who would not live past the age of 5 without it. RUTF is a life-saving essential that treats severe wasting in children under 5 years old. Wasting is defined as low weight-for-height and happens when someone has not had enough quality food and nutrients.
The peanuts that are used in RUTF are processed in Cap Haitian, where the MFK factory is a substantial part of the local economy.
Before the USAID training, the demand for high-quality aflatoxin-free peanuts meant that peanuts would often be imported into Haiti. The locally grown peanuts were too high in aflatoxin due to poor production and storage practices.
Weldenson Dorvil, from Campus Henry Christophe de l’université d’État d’Haïti à Limonade, said the success or failure of a peanut crop is dependent on three key stages: sowing, disease control, and harvesting.
He adds that “poor harvesting and storage can result in contamination of the entire commodity with aflatoxin. Peanuts that test high in aflatoxin will have a reduced market value, because they cannot safely be used for human food.”
Experts say a typical peanut yield for farmers in Haiti is 700 kilograms per hectare (624 pounds per acre). Even if the yield is not increased, a higher quality peanut crop would bring a Haitian peanut farmer about $696.25 per hectare per year with one crop per year, about a 25% increase in value. Poor-quality peanuts sell for $11 per five pounds, while better-quality peanuts can fetch around $15.26 per five pounds. “This increase not only boosts farmers’ incomes but also enhances food safety and reduces health risks associated with aflatoxin contamination,” the professor said.
Remenson Tenor, chief operating officer at MFK says: “This program is building local farming capacity and supporting individual families. It is a real tribute to the Haitian farmers and their determination to build a vibrant agricultural sector to provide healthy food to their communities.
“People should look to this program as an example of the real Haitian people. We are thrilled to be part of this partnership to build a healthier Haiti for today and into the future.”
The collaboration between MFK, UCNH, and CHCL is an excellent demonstration of USAID’s efforts to facilitate private-public partnerships that build the agricultural capacity of Haitian farmers and support their sustainable livelihoods.
About the Authors
Elizabeth Guertal is a Project Director at Kansas State University and Betty Kagoro is the Senior DOC Specialist at USAID’s Mission in Haiti.
About USAID in Haiti
USAID works to build a stable and viable Haiti, and provides life-saving humanitarian assistance to Haiti’s most vulnerable and hard-to-reach people. Visit www.usaid.gov/haiti and follow our work on X and Facebook.
