Jatropha brings life to Haitians

Near the southern border with Dominican Republic, between Croix des Bouquets and Malpasse, several Haitian families are taking advantage of the cultivation of a plant capable of producing fuel as part of a project sponsored by the Government of United States, which includes other areas of exploitation agricultural.

The jatropha curcas, a variety of the Family Euphorbiaceae, is confused with the fields of maize and sorghum at the Centre for sustainable development (CRDD) of Bas-Boen, a station of project Haiti Winner developed by the Agency for the development international of United States (Usaid).

Jean Parnell Dimanche, regional director of Winner, said LISTÍN DIARIO that the project is in its phase of experimentation in Bas-Boen, about 20 kilometers east of the capital and Gonaives, 171 kilometres northwest of Port-au-Prince, both with semi-arid climates.

Dimanche added that, nevertheless, 120,000 seedlings have been used in the u000aProgramme of repopulation of the edges of the plots.

extracts not edible oil that can be used to produce fuel (biodiesel) or to manufacture SOAP or candles. Similar projects are carried out in countries in Asia, such as India, Madagascar and the Philippines.

The plot of jatropha based Bas-Boen was established on June 18, 2010 and in the distribution of plants for the second campaign of repopulation were involved around 2,000 families "very concerned by this crop to regenerate the soil", according to Dimanche.

Haiti Biodiesel, a local, project promotes to take advantage of the production of biofuel in the country.

Jatropha seeds are oily in 40% and are ready to be harvested when its rind of green becomes yellow. The villagers of the area take advantage of fuel for chores minors.

But Winner has not only introduced the u000aJatropha in Bas-Boen. A few miles of the place, the Haitian peasants planted rice in a form that allows them to reduce the harvest time and increase the level of production, while they learn techniques to improve performance.

The project, which is five years, reaches about 120 associations of peasants in 3,750 acres planted in total, including the development of other products such as legumes, beans, and tomatoes.

The communities also take advantage of the rearing of Tilapia and carp in ponds and of laying hens in farms.

Winner, Watershed Initiative for National Natural Environmental Resources (national initiative for watershed for environmental and natural resources) is a program that seeks to improve the living conditions of the rural population of Haiti.

The project was conceived to reduce the risks of environmental degradation through agriculture, intensifying, the rehabilitation of the u000arural infrastructure, the proper administration of natural resources, the collective consciousness and public-private partnerships and the peasants.

The project budget is $ 127 million and be completed in 2014, seven years after its launch.

In the same area, Usaid rebuilt a channel of water located next to the White River, which will provide liquid to hundreds of families.

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Characteristics of the plant
Jatropha curcas, known as pinion tempate or Jatropha, is a Euphorbiacea that has properties medicinal.

Native to Central America, was spread throughout Asia and Africa by Portuguese traders, as plant to enclose, and today it has expanded worldwide integer.

The seeds contain a non edible oil, one that can be directly used to supply fuel lamps and combustion engines or can be transformed in biodiesel, through a process of u000aTransesterification.

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