The Artibonite Valley, Haiti’s most important agricultural region and the primary source of domestically produced rice, faced compounding pressures in 2020 as COVID-related disruptions to supply chains, markets, and support services added to the ongoing challenges of climate variability, infrastructure deficits, and the political instability that had disrupted government agricultural support programs.
Rice farmers in the Artibonite River irrigation system reported difficulties accessing the inputs — seed, fertilizer, pesticides — needed for the planting season as COVID disruptions affected importers and distributors. The movement restrictions of the pandemic’s early months had delayed deliveries and raised costs, squeezing farmer budgets that were already under pressure from the previous year’s economic difficulties.
The market for Artibonite rice, which competed with cheap US imports but had a loyal consumer base in Haiti that preferred the local variety for its flavor and texture, was affected by the general economic contraction and the disruption of market chains. Some farmers who had produced rice found it difficult to sell at prices that covered their costs, adding a marketing crisis to the production challenges they already faced.
Agricultural development organizations called for emergency support for the Artibonite valley’s farming communities, including subsidized input distribution, guaranteed purchase programs, and technical assistance for improving productivity. They argued that supporting domestic food production was both a food security and economic development priority that could not be deferred regardless of the political situation.