Monday, 27 peasant organizations of Petit-Goâve have fixed their position, following the statements of the agronomist Sterlin Frenel, Director of communal agricultural Bureau, concerning the functioning of the office of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and the fees of 300 gourdes required by the Ministry of Agriculture, for the provision of seeds to farmers.

These organizations, explained in a statement that the 300 gourdes that farmers will have to pay to receive seed,were decided not by the FAO, but by the Ministry of Agriculture as part of an agricultural policy, that will allow farmers to get seeds constantly in the future. FAO as a technical arm of the Ministry, had nothing to do with such a requirement.

These 27 organizations spoke in favor of the seed distribution subject to payment of 300 gourdes per beneficiary and the maintenance of the FAO office in Petit-Goâve, in the interest of all, ensuring that employees of this international institution can freely go about their business.

Theogene Eligenre, Spokesperson of the farmers' organizations, while extolling the achievements of the FAO in the town, recalled, that from 2008 to today, FAO had always distributed seeds free of charge.

Understanding the advantages of the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers have voluntarily agreed to pay the 300 gourdes claimed, to obtain in return a lot of seeds, which could cost them a large sum of money and they thank the Haitian State. They asked the FAO to continue to apply agricultural policy of the Ministry at the level of communal sections of Petit-Goâve.

A position, which puts an end to the discontent among the peasants and the FAO for over a week, caused obviously, by a lack of dialogue and explanations of the Ministry of Agriculture.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8244-haiti-agriculture-discontent-in-petit-goave-against-fao.html

HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondant Petit-Goâve)