Inauguration of the Rehabilitated Irrigation System of Rivière Blanche

On Tuesday, August 7, 2012, Vernet Joseph, Haiti’s Secretary of State for Agriculture Renewal, and Mr. Herbert Smith, USAID Acting Mission Director, attended the Riviere Blanche rehabilitated irrigation system inauguration ceremony in the town of Ti Slot-Ganthier. This ceremony marks the completion of bringing back more than 4,000 hectares of farmland into production.

Built in the 1920s and lacking proper maintenance, the Rivière Blanche irrigation system used to operate at only 10 percent of its capacity. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, through subcontractors, the farmland has been returned to its productive capacity. In 2011, the U.S. government, through the USAID WINNER project, helped the Ministry of Agriculture, the mayor and Ganthier area producers in rehabilitating the left bank irrigation system which brought back 1,800 hectares to active use.