Overview:
A $500,000 project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under Haiti’s Technological Innovation Program in Agriculture and Agroforestry (PITAG) was launched in fall 2020 to develop small-scale agricultural machinery that can reduce farmers’ workload and boost productivity. One year after its completion, the tools and research developed remain unused.
LEOGANE, Haiti — Wearing his regular work clothes, including an oversized gray short-sleeved shirt with white stripes, well-worn blue pants, muddy black boots and a straw hat, Nathanael Déralus weeds his cornfield in Léogâne early in the morning before the scorching sun rises. Farmers like him still rely solely on hand tools and manpower, despite a new mechanization project that has successfully developed innovative methods and designed modern equipment for distribution.
This $500,000 program—launched in Fall 2020—promised to modernize small-scale farming in Haiti and ended last year without implementation, leaving the results locked away in government offices while rural farmers continue to work strenuously with outdated tools like hoes, picks and machetes.
Funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the agricultural mechanization plan was carried out under “Technological Innovation Program in Agriculture and Agroforestry” (PITAG)—a broader government initiative. The PITAG includes 33 innovative and technological themes that the Haitian government has been exploring for specific projects at the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development (MARNDR).
In just over three years, it has developed five technical packages and 10 small-scale farming tools—such as an auger, animal-drawn seeder, corn sheller and cocoa harvesting sickle. All these tools were designed locally for Haitian farmers as affordable, low-maintenance options.
“Farmers must request the agricultural machinery developed by the program. This is the first time funds were allocated for agricultural research and innovation in Haiti.”
Bénédique Paul, Project Director
But since the project’s completion in September 2024, the samples and research documents submitted to the MARNDR have remained untouched.
“We didn’t write documents to be filed away in drawers, nor did we develop samples destined to disappear,” said Bénédique Paul, the project director and an agro-economist specializing in agricultural innovation. “Farmers must request the agricultural machinery developed by the MARNDR.”
A missed opportunity for Haiti’s agriculture, mired in bureaucracy and silence
The project was the first of its kind in the country — an attempt to create accessible, low-cost mechanization adapted to small farms rather than expensive imported tractors that often break down and cannot be repaired locally.
“The ministry [MARNDR] had distributed tractors before, but most were out of service within a year,” Paul said during an exclusive interview with The Haitian Times. “There were no spare parts, and people even stole engines for private use.”
To address this, Quisqueya University in Port-au-Prince launched an international recruitment to bring in experts in agricultural mechanization. An African specialist, Ivorian engineer Sébastien Kouamé, was hired. Having worked for about three years in partnership with the United States-based organization Tillers International, which specializes in animal-powered machinery, and the Instituto Superior de Agricultura (ISA) in Santiago, Dominican Republic, they developed tools tailored to Haiti’s terrain and production needs.
Haiti currently has at least 50 colleges of agronomy, according to Paul, including 30 recognized by the MARNDR. None of these higher education institutions had offered a course in agricultural mechanization before the launch of the IBD-funded program. Today, UniQ is the only university in the country teaching this course, thanks to Kouamé—who has become a full-time professor.
Along with the international partners, the project team was formed with a consortium comprising local organizations and institutions, such as the Research and Action Group for Economic and Social Development (GRADES), the Training and Monitoring Council (CFM) and Agro in Action (AEA).
Paul led a team of ten members, including regional coordinators and specialists such as Jude Régis, the project coordinator; Guito Régis, a professor-researcher and expert in agricultural innovation responsible for training management; Gary Paul, an agro-economist serving as monitoring and evaluation officer; Robert Burdick, a mechanization specialist; and Guillaume Gilet, an agricultural mechanization teaching expert.
Among other leaders were Annaniace Daniel, deputy coordinator for the North; Thed St-Juste, deputy coordinator for the South; Guimy Phylius, deputy coordinator for Grand’Anse; and Jean Worly Prudent, workshop manager.
The project’s goal was clear: reduce physical strain on aging farmers, improve yields, and encourage youth to return to agriculture. But with no follow-up, the effort has stalled.
“This is the first time that funds have been allocated for agricultural research and innovation,” Paul said. “Now it’s time to use the results.”
But, government officials told The Haitian Times that the submitted documents and tools are still being “analyzed.”
“They [equipment and specifications] must be examined and approved before being released to the public,” said Frantzy Joseph, director of Outreach and Dissemination at MARNDR. “It’s a long-term process, and no specific timeframe can be given.”
This delay, critics say, exemplifies the chronic administrative inertia that has hindered Haiti’s agricultural modernization for decades.
Farmer Fritznel Louissaint carrying crops from the fields back to the town in Léogâne on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Photo by Daniella Saint-Louis for The Haitian Times
Despite being the largest employer in the country — with about 45-50% of Haitians working in agriculture — the sector accounts for less than 20% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to recent World Bank data. Farmers face challenges such as depleted soils, deforestation, flooding and a lack of access to credit, irrigation and modern tools to increase production. The sector remains mostly one of subsistence.
L-R : Farmers at work in the fields, using samples of tools designed by the project—part of a report submitted to the MARNDR in August 2024. | Some of the equipment developed as part of the small-scale agricultural mechanization project, from a report submitted to the MARNDR by the experts in August 2024. Photos courtesy of Bénédique Paul.
Farmers still bending their backs
In the fields of Léogâne, about 25 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, the absence of machinery is evident. Nathanael “Antou” Déralus, a grandfather in his 70s, bends over his cornfield, using a hoe as he has for decades.
“Since I was young, I’ve worked with my hands. Now I have pain in my back and legs, but I can’t stop,” he said, wiping sweat under the midday sun.
Nearby, fellow farmer Milot Vilias says most young people have abandoned the land. “Working the land with our hands and our human energy runs us down quicker,” he said. “ Look at me, I am just in my early 50s, but hard work on the farm makes me look very old. That’s one of the reasons why the youth prefer to drive motorcycle taxis rather than do this.”
Milot Vilias, standing on the left in black work clothes and carrying a machete—his main tool. He visits Nathanael Déralus, his friend and neighbor in the fields in rural Léogâne, on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Photo by Daniella Saint-Louis for The Haitian Times.
Haitian farmers like Déralus and Vilias say access to small-scale tools — such as the animal-drawn seeder or the auger developed under the IDB-financed project — could ease their workload and improve productivity. But they remain unaware that such tools even exist.
Yet, the research and innovation program, which initially covered five departments—the North, the North-East, the South, Artibonite and Grand’Anse, part of Haiti’s breadbasket—was a promising step forward, the experts involved said.
Such a program can help Haitian farmers reach the level of their neighbors in the Dominican Republic, said Elie Joseph, a farmer from Bineau—a community in the Léogâne District. He once immigrated to the DR for work and experienced the support that Dominican farmers receive there.
“In addition to using hoes, picks, and machetes as needed, farmers also have access to machines that help them work the land much faster and more efficiently,” Joseph recounted. “Unlike in Haiti, production is faster and more regular. Dominican farmers have a reliable irrigation system and appropriate equipment…”
Fritzner Louissaint holds freshly harvested cassava tubers on Thursday, September 25, 2025, and laments that this season’s low production is affected by unfavorable conditions. Photo by Daniella Saint-Louis for The Haitian Times.
Decades of decline and a path forward
Haiti was once a regional agricultural powerhouse, exporting especially coffee, rice, sugar and cocoa. But decades of deforestation, poor governance and lack of investment have crippled domestic production. The country now imports over 50% of its food, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), leaving it vulnerable to inflation and global supply shocks.
Experts say the small-scale mechanization project could be a starting point for change if implemented. Vladimyr Léveillé, an industrial engineering professor, argues that Haiti must build an ecosystem that includes technical schools, local manufacturing of spare parts and training for rural mechanics.
“For young people discouraged by manual labor, these technological advances could renew interest in agriculture,” Léveillé said. “But research must translate into action; otherwise, it’s just another report on a shelf.”
He added that “Innovation must include not just small agricultural tools, but also machinery for large-scale production as well.”
As Haiti’s transitional government faces pressure to revive the economy and restore governance, the call from farmers and researchers is growing louder: modernize agriculture — or risk watching it disappear.
Haiti Agriculture and food insecurity by the Numbers
45-50% — Haitians employed in agriculture
Agriculture remains Haiti’s largest source of employment, engaging nearly four in every ten workers, according to the World Bank.
17–20% — Agriculture’s share of GDP
Despite employing a large portion of the population, agriculture contributes less than one-fifth of Haiti’s total gross domestic product, reflecting low productivity and limited modernization.
50–60% — Food imported annually
Haiti imports more than half of its food, including staples like rice, wheat, and cooking oil — a vulnerability that worsens inflation and food insecurity.
2-4% — National budget allocated to agriculture
Investment in agricultural research, irrigation and mechanization remains minimal. Experts say the sector needs sustained funding of at least 10% to achieve food self-sufficiency.
Over 1.3 million — Haitians internally displaced by insecurity
Rural insecurity and gang activity have forced thousands to abandon their land, further reducing domestic production.
3.3 million — Haitians facing acute food insecurity, about 2 million suffering from acute hunger
According to the World Food Program, one in three Haitians is food insecure — a crisis worsened by climate shocks, poor infrastructure, funding freeze and lack of farm technology.
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