State of the Plantain and Veterinary Pharmacy Projects at Grepen Center in Haiti
Situated in the commune of Gros Morne where 3 out its 8 sections have suffered from gang violence, the Jean Marie Vincent (Grepen) Center has had to keep a low profile and downsize or even suspend some activities since 2024. With access to the center becoming ever more difficult for construction workers, staff and customers, the plantain and veterinary pharmacy projects, that Quixote Center donors support, have been affected.
Despite the obstacles, the plantain seedling and veterinary care projects have shown promising results. While conditions have kept the center from reaching their objectives, the team of technicians is determined to continue to grow these projects to meet the high demand from local farmers, especially during the rainy season.
Plantains
Plantains are one of the main cash crops for Haitian farmers and can be easily propagated thanks to the PIF technique which allows new plants to grow from stem fragments, rapidly multiplying plantain plants. The farmers who received training in this technique at the Grepen Center report improvements in the health of their trees and also the ability to harvest the fruit earlier. These trees generate more income for their families as they not only sell the fruit but also sell the young offshoot trees to other farmers, thus creating a multiplying effect on the entire community in Gros Morne.
The PIF technique for plantain production reduces the cost of production per hectare (2.47 acres) of cultivated land by 60% and reduces the time to reach peak production by two months. It is worth mentioning that it is rare for one single farmer to have an entire hectare of land; normally we see 5 or 6 farmers farming per hectare. Having more high quality, healthy plantain seedlings available locally is an opportunity for our partners to boost food security in the region. Our partners report that with this project, farmers earn an additional 62,500 gourdes, if they always follow all the principles for good production. This figure represents a minimum increase of 50% profit over the old production method.
Veterinary Pharmacy
Livestock also plays a fundamental role for rural families in Haiti because farm animals provide a safety net in case of an emergency and enable parents to pay for school fees at the beginning of each academic year. Unfortunately, many animals die from treatable illnesses due to lack of access to care and awareness. Grepen Center’s mobile clinics have been able to reach farmers in remote areas while avoiding sections controlled by bandits.
Activities January to July 2025
- Veterinary pharmacy project:
- 8 mobile clinics held treating 97 animals with infections, difficult births and injuries.
- 7 awareness raising meetings reaching 125 participants on the importance of good animal care.
- Plantain project:
- 6 training sessions reaching 34 farmers and planting 3000 plantain trees using the PFI technique, increasing the availability of good quality trees.
- 5 technical trainings to 3 assistants to help the Grepen Center technicians in the nursery.
Given the extremely difficult conditions of insecurity, we appreciate the perseverance and resolve of the Grepen Center team that put together a new work plan to keep these two projects running. Their goal is to make more plantain trees and animal medications available for farmers and animal breeders and Quixote Center hopes to continue supporting their efforts. Thanks to all our donors who have contributed towards the development of these projects over the past year.
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