I was hungry and you gave me meat’

Dr. Ray Mobley & Claudette Harrell
Hope for Haiti
Third in Series

Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector to earn a living that involves mainly small-scale subsistence farming, which is vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters and the scourge of seemingly irreparable and widespread deforestation. To augment crop production to feed its people, animal rearing has become one of the most important contributors to the economy in rural Haiti.

Although the United States eliminated the Creole pig from Haiti and the Dominican Republic because of swine-flu fears, recent reports reflect that goat meat consumption continues to be one of the largest stable foods worldwide. Goat meat has been recognized for its nutrition and health value. It is lower in fats, lower in cholesterol, lower in saturated fats, but higher in protein and iron content compared to beef, pork mutton and poultry (USDA, 1989). This makes chevron (goat meat) a healthier alternative to red meat.

These facts along with consumer demand have created a myriad of opportunities for small and limited resource farm families as a means of generating a source of income in Haiti. Goats, a staple in the Caribbean diet, can be seen throughout the Haitian countryside. They are small animals but could be cross-bred with Dominican Republic’s stock to produce a larger specimen. This practice is already yielding success.

With proper training, Haitian farmers could be taught to raise the goats for export, including their milk, butter and cheese. Such a program would require establishing and maintaining facilities that allow for safe handling of meat and a transportation system to deliver the product to market. Establishing a sustainable supply of goat product that can be consumed by the local community and exported to such places as the United States will greatly increase the socio-economic stability of Haiti.

The Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Tallahassee, Florida plans to partner with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and the country of Haiti to establish a viable meat goat program. Under the auspices of its College of Engineering Science Technology and Agriculture (CESTA), FAMU has a program for developing a small ruminant system, specifically goat production.

As reported from the community of Haiti, we’ve heard some tremendous success stories, like the family that has raised nearly 20 goats over the last decade, allowing the children in the family to go to school. They know how to raise the goats well, and have truly seized on the concept. So, it’s no surprise that goats are a hot commodity.

Given the proper aid and assistance, the community is well poised to partner with participating institutions to develop a meat goat industry in Haiti. Haiti represents a country with no social support structure, so when Hurricanes decimated the region last summer, people continued to struggle. The storms killed crops and animals. As depicted in the picture, goats were the first livestock the Haitians were able to obtain after the storm.

A goat may be just the livestock to us. But to them, it’s a safety net against starvation. Given the state of emergency for food and the prior knowledge of goat production, a concentrated effort in establishing a sustainable meat goat industry maybe the fastest way to develop food security in Haiti and create export markets for goat product.

“Feed my sheep”

Dr. Ray Mobley, Director of Extension Programs Cooperative Extension Program Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Claudette Harrell, International Chair for Southside Rotary