Cotton was recently reintroduced as a key crop in Haiti after 30 years with joint efforts by global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland, the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA), a Haitian non-profit foundation, and the Haitian Government. A ceremonial planting of the first seeds last week marked the beginning of the field trials near Gonaives.
Varieties from Haiti, Brazil, India and the United States were planted and next summer, the SFA will introduce higher-quality strains that adapt best to local conditions and organic cultivation.Cotton was recently reintroduced as a key crop in Haiti after 30 years with joint efforts by global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland, the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA), a Haitian non-profit foundation, and the Haitian Government. A ceremonial planting of the first seeds last week marked the beginning of the field trials near Gonaives.#
Once the country's fourth largest agricultural export, cotton’s comeback is expected to help revitalize farming and boost the economy, according to a recent press release from British firm Timberland.
This initiative will concurrently plant millions of trees. Smallholder farmers will plant trees in return for valuable cotton seeds, agricultural tools and training for their own farms.
In addition to helping to fund the five-year initiative, Timberland has committed to purchase up to one-third of the Haitian farmers’ annual global cotton supply, subject to price, quality and volume. (DS)
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