By Sarah Leavitt | Digital Outreach Manager
Lambi Fund is happy to report that the community organization OPBK is making great strides on their community ox-plow project. The group successfully completed technical training on how to manage and operate an ox-plow service and has begun offering the service to members of the community. Currently, members can obtain the plowing service at a rate of $3-6/hectare. Prior to this service, farmers were expected to pay between $15-20/hectare or till their land by hand. Most impoverished Haitians opted to till their land by hand because they could not afford the previous rates. This was not only back-breaking work, but many farmers could not finish tilling their land in time for the planting season.
OPBK members have also reported that a happy consequence of the ox-plow services have meant that farmers have been yielding larger harvests. In the past, farmers would harvest about 50 mamits (large bags) of corn on ¼ hectare of land, while today with the use of the plows they can get about 150 mamits! When growing peas, they used to harvest 20-25 mamits and now they can get between 140-150 mamits.
For those of us who are not farmers, the use of an ox-plow seems like a minor and inconsequential detail, when in reality the opportunity for Haitian for farmers to plow their land is wildly beneficial. Farmers are tripling and quadrupling their crop yields and selling more produce in the markets. Ox-plows are clearly a win-win for members of OPBK and your support in making this happen is greatly appreciated!
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