Report 08. The pole market in Haiti : southwest to Port-au-Prince

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to analyze the pole market in Port-au-Prince. The study entailed taking samples of 25 randomly chosen poles at seven depots in the metropolitan area and tracing their movement from their origin.

The poles are sold as a "melange" or mixed species in the different depots. Since poles are used mainly in the construction business as supports for concrete forms, prices are based on their large-end diameters. This diameter averages 2.6 inches for all the depots. The data are symmetrically distributed around the means, but they are significantly different among the depots. The range between two and 3.1 inches represents 71 percent of all the large-end diameters found in the depots.

In agreement with a previous study, the majority of the poles was found to come from the Southwest region. The poles are sold by the peasants for twelve gourdes per dozen at the farm level. They are transported from the southwestern harbors by sailboats. The unreliability of the ships is the major impediment to an efficient marketing system for poles.

Poles in Port-au-Prince are sold for about 40 gourdes per dozen. At the moment of this study, Haiti was facing a crisis in the supply of cement. This crisis slowed down the construction activity causing a fall in the prices of poles in Port-au-Prince. As a consequence, the poles were selling for more or less 25 gourdes per dozen in Port-au-Prince, and for seven gourdes per dozen at the farm level. Given the normal rate of construction in the metropolitan area, poles can be considered as a means to increase the income of tree planters. The following recommendations are made for the pole market: (1) The Southwest area should be provided with trees able to coppice under the crop-harvest burn cycle prevalent in the region along with appropriate extension support. (2) Peasants should be provided market information on prices and product requirements in Port-au-Prince. (3) A study should be made to determine the feasibility of alternative boat transportation to supplant undependable sailboats. (4) Studies should be expanded to other potential pole-supply areas in an effort to provide an increased income alternative to farmers.

Bi travay sa li té analizé maché poto nan PotoPrins. Pou étid sa té kab fet, 25 poto té chwazi nimpot ki jen nan 7 depo PotoPrins, é aprè fason poto kon rivé soti la kay yo pou alé nan dépo té etidyè.

Gen plizyè kalité bwa nan depo, kalité sa yo rélel mélangé. Poto sa yo, yo plis itilizé pou fe apui nan konstriksyon kay. Sé pou sa ké pri poto basé sou grosé diamèt ki pi gwo-a. Gwo diamèt sa genyen yon moyenn de 2.6 pous pou tout depo. Doné yo té distribwé mem jen sou chak bo moyenn. Doné chak dépo té statistikman diféren yon ak lot. Eca ki genyen ent 2 e 3.1 pous representé 71% de tout gwo diamèt poto-yo.

Kom sa té dékri nan étid anvan, Sud-Ouest bay majorité poto ki ap vann nan depo PotoPrins. Abitan vann poto sa yo 12 goud pa douzenn nan zon pa yo. Transpo poto fèt pa yon seri bato (vwalye) depi waf Sud-Ouest.

Bagay kap genin komès poto se afè bato vwalyé, paské pèson pa konin kilè yon vwalyé ap soti an provins e kilè yap rentré PotoPrins.

Poto sa yo nan PotoPrins ap vann en moyenn 40 goud pa douzenn. Epok étud sa tap fèt, Haiti tap travèsé yon kriz ciman. Kriz sa té la koz zafé konstriksyon té ralenti. Kom konsekans enco sa pémèt poto-a vinn vann 25 goud pa douzenn nan maché PotoPrins e 7 gouds pa douzenn nan min abitan.

Si nap konsideré ki jan konstriksyon kay ap ogmenté nan PotoPrins, komès poto ap kapab pémèt abitan ki ap planté pyebwa vinn jouen plis kob. Daprè étid sa, men rekomandasyon ki fet pou maché poto:

1. Zon Sud-Ouest la ta dwé jouen pyebwa ki kapab repousé apré abitan fin meté difé pou yo kapab fè jaden, materiel-sa ta dwé rive jouen yo avek supor moun kab fet extension. 2. Abitan ta dwé konin ki pri é ki longué yap pratiké nan PotoPrins. 3. Yon pi bon mwayen transpo pasé vwalyé ta dwé envisagé. 4. Lot etid ta dwé fet pou lot rejyon, pou wè si plantè pyebwa yo kapab jouen plis kob si yap entré nan komès poto.