April 20th and 21st in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, two USAID-funded projects, the Market Chain Enhancement Project (MarChE) and the Watershed Initiative for National Natural Environmental Resources (WINNER), co-sponsored the “Haitian National Forum for the Mango Value Chain.”
MarChE, implemented by CNFA, increases the competitiveness of Haitian enterprises by expanding local sales and export market opportunities and promoting value-added production and private investment. As Haiti’s single largest export product, mangoes represent more than $10 million in revenue each year, a number that could double in the next three to five years. Currently, over 500,000 small- and medium-scale farmers and enterprises depend on income from the production, post-harvest handling, processing and sale of mangos for export to the United States and to local markets. Obviously, the better organized mango producers and exporters are, the more they will be able to take advantage of these opportunities.
The Forum included local farmers, producer groups and processors, as well as representatives from USAID, USDA, local and international NGOs, and private sector firms. The goal was to produce consensus and commitment for a new mango export/production strategy and action plan for the next five years.
Day one focused on the current realities of the Haitian mango sector. CNFA’s MarChE project presented reports from the 2005 Forum and a producers’ retreat held earlier this year, and USDA’s Joe Vorgetts spoke on the role of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in eliminating losses due to pests like the fruit fly. Following a value chain breakdown from producers and suppliers, MarChE presented case studies from other mango-producing countries, such as Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.
The second day was focused on the stated goal of increasing exports of “Francis” mangos (a variety unique to Haiti) from 2 million boxes per year to 5 million. The day’s activities included a panel discussion to discuss a national fruit fly control program, breakout sessions and, most importantly, an outline for a “Mango Sector Strategy and 5-Year Action Plan.”
