This report presents the findings of the field research conducted in Haiti, primarily in the Central Plateau region, that identified and evaluated the main actors, product flows and opportunities for hot peppers (piman or piman bouk in Creole) and groundnuts (pistach in Creole). The findings of this report, will contribute to a final proposal and work plan to the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC) which aims to pilot the merging of Chemen Lavi Miyò (CLM) and value chain methodologies to help the poorest of the poor grow economically and in a sustainable manner.
Pistach is a common crop in Haiti, appreciated by farmers for its resilience. The Central Plateau of Haiti, where the project will be based, is one of the two major groundnut growing regions in the country along with the Northern Region. The analysis conducted highlights the strength of pistach as a sturdy crop, relatively easy to grow, with strong markets and the possibility for a higher value market based on quality. The challenges in growing this crop include Aflatoxin contamination, limited access to extension services and a fragmented market with multiple actors trading the good without value addition.
Piman bouk, also called hot peppers, goat peppers or simply piman, is considered a high value crop in Haiti with significant potential for growth. Although there are a number of hot pepper varieties grown in Haiti, the piman is unique to the Caribbean soil and offers a distinct flavour and spice that is sought out by Haitians in and out of Haiti. The key strengths of this market were the high value market with a number of local processors, the opportunity for productivity improvement and the significant potential profit even from small pieces of land. Key challenges include the high cost of production, the technical knowledge required to be successful and the lack of strong aggregators in the market.
The analysis concludes that both pistach and piman represent good market opportunities for the target clients of the CLM+ project; 1000 ultra-poor women. Women are found throughout both value chains: as farmers and workers on small farms, as the primary micro and small traders of the fresh products and as small processors.
