On Wednesday, April 20, 2011, the Minister of Agriculture, M. Joanas Gué signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Director of the USAID Mission in Haiti, Dr. Carleene Dei AND et Mr. Jean Robert Estimé, Chief of USAID funded project WINNER. This MOU is part of the U.S. government-sponsored agricultural program WINNER. Coming at the beginning of the planting season, this agreement aims at increasing the productivity of more than 10.000 farmers, providing them with mechanized plowing services, seedlings, and fertilizers adapted to the local conditions.

The agreement also includes irrigation of their plots, technical assistance and management support to favor success of their plantations. In year 2010 a similar grant from the U.S. government had contributed to a 75% production increase in some of the targeted areas. Thanks to the agreement signed last year, participating farmers were able to earn more than 5 additional million dollars. The Haitian Government has therefore decided to renew the agreement.

The USAID Mission in Haiti and the WINNER project are committed to further increases in products year. During the brief signing ceremony, Minister Gué thanked the U.S. government for its support of Haiti's national plan to increase agricultural productivity, saying, "The Haitian Government is pleased with the concrete efforts made by USAID/WINNER to improve farmers' living conditions by increasing their productivity and strengthening their capacity."

WINNER is a five-year, $126 million project aimed at rehabilitating rural infrastructure, and strengthening agricultural productivity and capacity, while supporting the good stewardship of natural resources.

HL/ HaitiLibre