Right to Livelihoods in Haiti
Focus on egg production and rural household livelihood strategies
Focus on egg production and rural household livelihood strategies
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The best way <strong>to</strong> turn these opportunity po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> profits is through and program that emphasizes<br />
local technology and improved access <strong>to</strong> new, low cost technologies from abroad, i.e. a<br />
decentralization of the technologies necessary for chicken production (see ‘Strategies’ below)<br />
A major advantage is that <strong>Haiti</strong>ans are so poor: 80% of the population depend on flexible household<br />
strategies where family labor is readily available and labor costs <strong>in</strong> terms of money are extremely<br />
low. This means that if we can f<strong>in</strong>d ways <strong>to</strong> allow <strong>Haiti</strong>ans <strong>to</strong> <strong>in</strong>corporate egg production strategies<br />
<strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> their ongo<strong>in</strong>g household livelihood strategies then cost of labor and even cages and<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>tenance can be considered close <strong>to</strong> zero.<br />
Another important advantage not emphasized <strong>in</strong> this report is that the big payback for the<br />
producers comes with sell<strong>in</strong>g the layers. Unlike <strong>in</strong> developed markets, an old hen that no longer<br />
produces eggs has a value for meat equal <strong>to</strong> that of any other hen. This means that an producer who<br />
has 200 layers, succeeds <strong>in</strong> cover<strong>in</strong>g costs through egg production but does not make a profit at that<br />
stage, can sell the layers after a 1 year lay<strong>in</strong>g cycle and make US $2,000, a figure almost triple the<br />
<strong>Haiti</strong>an per capita GDP.<br />
Strategy<br />
A strategy that may effectively help the <strong>in</strong>dustry overcome constra<strong>in</strong>ts should focus on access <strong>to</strong> the<br />
raw materials, the chickens, feed, cages, availability and distribution of those materials.<br />
o<br />
o<br />
o<br />
Feed: the biggest po<strong>in</strong>t of entry <strong>in</strong> terms of a new ‘economy of egg’ production is promot<strong>in</strong>g<br />
local feed specialists who produce high prote<strong>in</strong> worms and bugs (vermiculture) as well as<br />
plant<strong>in</strong>g, harvest<strong>in</strong>g and process<strong>in</strong>g hi-pro weeds that chickens like <strong>to</strong> eat. This would help<br />
resolve the problem of the distribution and availability of high prote<strong>in</strong> feed. Indeed,<br />
everyth<strong>in</strong>g that can be done <strong>to</strong> reduce costs of imported feed will <strong>in</strong>crease profits. To support<br />
micro-producers of feed, the <strong>in</strong>itial program would purchase the products straight from the<br />
new feed producers, assur<strong>in</strong>g them a profit for their efforts and kick-start<strong>in</strong>g the production<br />
process.<br />
Cages: The most obvious local option <strong>to</strong> imported wire<br />
coups are local bamboo cages. A read technology found<br />
throughout <strong>Haiti</strong> that could be used for chicken coups are<br />
bamboo fish traps. Fish traps are sold <strong>in</strong> the markets as<br />
kits. The buyer puts them <strong>to</strong>gether. The same could be<br />
done for chicken coups. What this means is that so me one<br />
who wanted <strong>to</strong> <strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> eggs could buy the cage <strong>in</strong> the<br />
market, take it home and put it <strong>to</strong>gether. Those cages are<br />
<strong>in</strong>expensive, US $2 <strong>to</strong> $5, depend<strong>in</strong>g on the size. The fish<br />
traps themselves will hold 5 <strong>to</strong> 20 chickens, aga<strong>in</strong>,<br />
depend<strong>in</strong>g on the size.<br />
Hatchl<strong>in</strong>gs: A promis<strong>in</strong>g new development that has<br />
occurred <strong>in</strong> the US and Europe are s a k<strong>in</strong>d of is a<br />
revolution <strong>in</strong> hobby egg <strong>in</strong>cuba<strong>to</strong>rs. The availability of solar<br />
Fisherman putt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong>gether a fish<br />
trap that could just as effectively<br />
hold 20 <strong>to</strong> 30 hens<br />
or battery powered <strong>in</strong>cuba<strong>to</strong>rs could put a new class of <strong>Haiti</strong>an small entrepreneurs <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess of micro-hatcheries, help<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> resolve the problem of the distribution and<br />
availability of layers outside of Port-au-Pr<strong>in</strong>ce.