Planting the seeds: The impact of training on mango producers in Haiti
Summary — This paper evaluates the short-term impacts of a development project aimed at increasing mango yields, sales, and income for small mango farmers in rural Haiti. The study uses matching methods and difference-in-difference to address selection bias and assess the project's impact on adoption of improved practices and sales.
Key Findings
- The project significantly increased the planting of Francique mango trees.
- The project had a positive impact on the adoption of improved agricultural practices (pruning, tidying, grafting, and fencing).
- The project has significant effects on the adoption of preferred commercialization channels, helping farmers shift from selling to middlemen to selling to producer business groups (PBGs).
- The adoption of improved production practices and preferred marketing channels has not yet translated into increases in production or sales.
- The results are robust to the presence of other similar programs in the project areas.
Full Description
This paper evaluates the short-term impacts of a development project designed to increase mango yields, sales of mango products, and the income of small mango farmers in rural Haiti. The evaluation uses data from a baseline survey in 2012 and a follow-up survey in 2013, focusing on short-term outcomes such as the adoption of preferred mango varieties, improved production and harvest practices, and behavioral changes in farmers’ production and commercialization decisions. Various matching methods, in combination with difference-in-difference (DID), are used to deal with potential selection bias. The results show that the project increased the number of young Francique trees planted and encouraged the adoption of best practices, but has not yet led to a noticeable increase in total sales.