Feed Corn Use Is Forecast to Grow 50% In Haiti
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In MY 2022/23, Corn production is forecast at 330,000 MT in Haiti, stable compared to the MY 2021/22. Weather conditions are expected to be normal. In MY 2021/22, Haiti’s Corn production was expected to fall by 1 percent year-on-year to 330,000 MT. Although the weather conditions in the spring season are favorable for a good harvest, the production area has contracted. The area harvested and the yield in MY 2022/23 are expected to remain stable as the Government has not yet planned the resumption of production for Corn farmers in the extended area in the Northeast and South departments.
The area harvested was expected to reach 390,000 ha in MY 2021/22, down 1 percent compared to MY 2020/21. The Government stopped Corn production in the extended areas in the Northeast and Southeast. Yield is expected to be stable at 0.85 MT per hectare in the MY 2021/22. Although the weather is favorable for a good harvest, farmers continue to neglect fertilization of the Corn crop. In Haiti, Corn yield depends on soil quality, the residue of previous crops (for fertilizer), and precipitation. However, few farmers with access to irrigated areas can apply fertilizers to their Corn crop.
In Haiti, several varieties of Corn are cultivated, including La Maquina, Chicken Corn, Comayagua, Hybrid variety, and Hugo Plus. All these varieties exhibit benefits and disadvantages. The varieties offer varying yields in experimental plots, but farmers cannot duplicate this success due to a lack of resources to comply with good agricultural practices.
This crop is a staple food in the Haitian diet. As human food, Corn accounts for 90 percent of total consumption. It is used in four forms: Cornmeal, sweet Corn, Corn flour, and akasan (a popular Haitian beverage). Cornmeal, specifically fine and medium-sized, is the most popular way to consume Corn. It is consumed daily as a substitute for rice or bulgur wheat. In the last decade, grilled sweet Corn has become essential to the Haitian diet. Although limited data are available, grilled sweet Corn is sold nationwide on the street.
Corn seed represents 20 percent of FSI consumption. Corn seed varieties are produced by specialized companies and the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development, as well as international partners. However, despite Governmental efforts to maintain the yield quality of seeds, farmers still manage to replicate and degrade them. Farmers with storage facilities can store more than twenty percent of the harvest as seed for the next agricultural season.
Feed and Residual Consumption
Corn is also used for animal feed. First, the stem of the Corn is used as green fodder to feed animals after the harvest. Second, Corn grains are used to feed poultry. This category includes two subcategories: feed producers and backyard farmers. Feed producers mill the whole fruit (the kernels and the Corn cob) to produce animal feed. Backyard farmers distribute kernels to feed their poultry. In MY 2022/23, Post forecasts a 50 percent increase in feed and residual consumption to 30,000 MT compared to MY 2021/22. This increase considers a calm political situation that will permit poultry producers to grow and transport their birds to markets unimpeded by roadblocks.
Feed and residual consumption were forecast to reach 20,000 MT for MY 2021/22, a decrease of 33 percent compared to MY 2020/21. This decrease is due to the negative impact of domestic instability, characterized by roadblocks and violent protests. In addition to the decline in consumer purchasing power, farmers are facing uncertainty due to unexpected strikes and roadblocks that slow or disrupt the transportation of animal products to local markets
Other sources: USDA
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