Right to Livelihoods in Haiti

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The best way to turn these opportunity points into profits is through and program that emphasizes
local technology and improved access to new, low cost technologies from abroad, i.e. a
decentralization of the technologies necessary for chicken production (see ‘Strategies’ below)
A major advantage is that Haitians are so poor: 80% of the population depend on flexible household
strategies where family labor is readily available and labor costs in terms of money are extremely
low. This means that if we can find ways to allow Haitians to incorporate egg production strategies
into their ongoing household livelihood strategies then cost of labor and even cages and
maintenance can be considered close to zero.
Another important advantage not emphasized in this report is that the big payback for the
producers comes with selling the layers. Unlike in developed markets, an old hen that no longer
produces eggs has a value for meat equal to that of any other hen. This means that an producer who
has 200 layers, succeeds in covering costs through egg production but does not make a profit at that
stage, can sell the layers after a 1 year laying cycle and make US $2,000, a figure almost triple the
Haitian per capita GDP.
Strategy
A strategy that may effectively help the industry overcome constraints should focus on access to the
raw materials, the chickens, feed, cages, availability and distribution of those materials.
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Feed: the biggest point of entry in terms of a new ‘economy of egg’ production is promoting
local feed specialists who produce high protein worms and bugs (vermiculture) as well as
planting, harvesting and processing hi-pro weeds that chickens like to eat. This would help
resolve the problem of the distribution and availability of high protein feed. Indeed,
everything that can be done to reduce costs of imported feed will increase profits. To support
micro-producers of feed, the initial program would purchase the products straight from the
new feed producers, assuring them a profit for their efforts and kick-starting the production
process.
Cages: The most obvious local option to imported wire
coups are local bamboo cages. A read technology found
throughout Haiti that could be used for chicken coups are
bamboo fish traps. Fish traps are sold in the markets as
kits. The buyer puts them together. The same could be
done for chicken coups. What this means is that so me one
who wanted to invest in eggs could buy the cage in the
market, take it home and put it together. Those cages are
inexpensive, US $2 to $5, depending on the size. The fish
traps themselves will hold 5 to 20 chickens, again,
depending on the size.
Hatchlings: A promising new development that has
occurred in the US and Europe are s a kind of is a
revolution in hobby egg incubators. The availability of solar
Fisherman putting together a fish
trap that could just as effectively
hold 20 to 30 hens
or battery powered incubators could put a new class of Haitian small entrepreneurs into the
business of micro-hatcheries, helping to resolve the problem of the distribution and
availability of layers outside of Port-au-Prince.