Improved Seeds
Quality Protein Maize

Tree Crops
Mango
Avocado
Citrus
Bamboo
Grafting

Vegetable & Tuber Crops
Tissue Culture
and Minisetting

Economic Gains

Nutritional Benefits

Agricultural Education

Protection of the Environment

Selection and production of Quality-Protein Maize (QPM) and iron-rich beans
ORE has been working with quality-protein maize (QPM) developed by the Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), selecting locally adapted varieties for use in Haiti. The goal is to prevent malnutrition among the rural population, many of them children. Kwashiorkor, caused by chronic lack of protein in the diet, is prevalent among the poorest sectors of the rural population in Haiti, producing the swollen belly, scaly skin, and spindly limbs seen in starving children. Since corn is planted on an estimated 45% of Haiti's farmland (SISA/USAID 1995), and is one of the major source of calories in the national diet, the impact of quality protein corn will be immediate on the nutritional well-being of the population.

Quality Protein Maize



A recent CGIAR report states: "Maize means survival for hundreds of millions of people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America," said Professor Timothy Reeves, director general of CIMMYT. "The problem is that diets high in maize lack two essential amino acids needed to prevent malnutrition. These remarkable new varieties look and taste like normal maize, but the nutritive value of their protein is nearly equivalent to cow's milk. "After three decades of work, we are ready to spur a revolutionary change in maize production around the world, where millions of farmers choose QPM-and better nutrition-for their families," said Surinder K. Vasal, Ph.D., CIMMYT maize breeder and co-recipient of the prize.

"Quality protein maize provides the poor with a way they can improve their diet," said Evangelina Villegas, Ph.D., former CIMMYT cereal chemist and co-recipient of the prize. Villegas is the first woman ever to receive the World Food Prize. "It is easier and less expensive to convert to more nutritious varieties of maize than to change or supplement the diet. I have seen problems from malnourishment in many countries around the world. In hospitals in Ghana, I saw children dying because they didn't have nutritious food. I know our enhanced protein maize will not solve all of the world's nutrition problems, but it is a major improvement."

Iron-rich Beans:ORE has established a collaborative program with the Colombian based International Center for Tropical Agriculture to develop improved bean seeds adapted to the Haitian farming conditions. CIAT claims that "nearly two billion people are currently iron-deficient, and the incidence is increasing globally (United Nations Administrative Committee on Nutrition, 1992; World Bank 1994)." The CIAT breeding program has developed high-yielding bean lines that are significantly enriched in bioavailable Fe levels. Our collaboration with CIAT has also been helpful in promoting research of selected varieties of other nutritional crops essential to the local diet.

Extending Fruit Production Seasons
The signs of malnutrition among Haiti's rural population, particularly in children, have been seen to be reduced during the production seasons of avocados and mangos. Avocado is one of the highest calorie fruits. It is high in protein, vitamins and other nutrients and is a major part of the peasant's diet when in season. J. W. Pursglove states in Tropical Crops that "avocados have the highest energy value of any fruit; in California they average 1,000 calories per lb, with a maximum 1,375 calories per lb." The flesh contains oil 3-30 per cent and is rich in vitamin B, A and E. So in addition to creating a viable commercial industry, and protecting the environment, expanding the avocado season will also be of tremendous benefit to the nutrition of the rural population. Varieties such as Choquette and Lula, which were introduced in Haiti by ORE in 1985, have performed well and are in great demand by the local population. They bear fruit between December and March, and thereby extend the production season by four months. They have been planted in moderate quantities in various areas of the southern peninsula, where they have consistently produced interesting yields. Because the crops are harvested off-season they command high prices on the local market both in rural locations and in Port-au-Prince. In addition to these varieties, early season cultivars are also available locally. By combining early and late season varieties it is possible to extend the production season to ten months of the year.
The following table shows the current avocado production seasons and the potential extended production:

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Traditional fruit production

Choquette and Lula varieties

Early season varieties

According to USDA and FAO sources, ½ cup of fresh mango contains 54 calories, 14 gms carbohydrates, 128 mg potassium, 3,212 I.U. vitamin A, 22 mg Vitamin C. Early and late season varieties of mangoes such as Coeur d'Or and Zilllate help to extend the nutritional benefits of mangoes. Similar the production of a selection citrus varieties, carambola, Malay apple, papaya and other fruits add the nutrients available to the local population as well as increasing their household income.  

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