International Development Grant
Agriculture Finance and Insurance System in Haiti
Project Number: CA-3-A034860001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $19,289,841.00
Start Date: May 05, 2011
End Date: June 30, 2019
Duration: 8.2 years
Project Description
This project aims to increase food security by improving the profitability of Haiti's agriculture sector. It supports an agricultural credit financing and insurance system that encourages commercial and co-operative banks to lend to viable agricultural enterprises and help farmers manage risk and uncertainty. It also helps the Government of Haiti and Haitian financial institutions build the legislative and regulatory framework needed to manage a system of credit and insurance services for small and medium agricultural producers. The project is implemented by a consortium led by Développement international Desjardins that includes the Financière agricole du Québec (Développement international) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
Expected Results
Among the results achieved as of March 2018: 1) In agricultural credit: i) Improved national coverage of financial institutions (FIs) with 60 service points in 10 departments supporting 5 FIs; ii) Increase in agricultural financing by FIs from 1.8% (in 2016) to 3.19% (in 2017); iii) 69 268 agricultural entrepreneurs had a formative experience in credit and FI’s had 16 086 active borrowers (27.5% of them women); 2) Farm insurance: percentage insured rose from 11.2% to 30.7 %. This represents an increase of 3 592 persons in total by the end of 2017 (35% women); 3) Institutional support: the Ministry of Agriculture and stakeholders better meet the needs of the agricultural sector while incorporating gender equality considerations: i) 3 029 agricultural entrepreneurs received technical support (15% women); ii) 5 757 agricultural entrepreneurs received training from advisers (58.4% women) with 35% of them being supported by advisers and obtaining credit; iii) 17 advisers have been deployed and are offering consulting services; iv) 4 advisers have been trained by the project.
Progress & Results Achieved
Among the results achieved as of March 2016: (1) Technical assistance provided to financial institutions and loan insurance offered by the project have improved their understanding of financial products reduced the resistance to financial risk and stimulated the supply of agricultural credit; (2) Despite the last three years of significant drought the supply of agricultural credit has increased in Haiti and the accumulated volume of insured loans is 619 million Haitian gourdes (HTG) equivalent to C$12.7 million whereas the target was 810 million HTG or C$16.6 million. While the target was not reached this does show that capital is increasing and users have thoroughly assimilated the concept of risk-sharing; (3) Two partner financial institutions have 55 service points providing agricultural credit in 9 departments (the target was 5 partner financial institutions with 55 service points in 8 departments; (4) 34 286 agricultural entrepreneurs (the target was 106 000) obtained credit 12 049 are active borrowers in partner financial institutions (the target was 18 750 active borrowers) 26% of them women (the target for women was 35%) and 14.5% of technical support provided by public or private institutions was received by female agricultural entrepreneurs whereas the target was 35%. These results fall short of targets and are attributable to the fact that since the project began much effort has been expended on raising the awareness of the Haitian parliament the Ministry of Agriculture (MARNDR) and other government agencies of the importance of these changes in the process of improving the agricultural sector but the political situation combined with the repeated changes in ministers at the MARNDR prevented the progress anticipated in these areas. While the project has not achieved its targets as expected it has shown that financial products for agricultural credit are viable and the market can be expanded even during a three-year drought and a per
Key Information
Executing Agency:
Consortium DID-FADQDI
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
NGM Americas
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP