The cows roaming throughout the Haitian countryside are primarily descendants of cattle brought to Haiti five centuries ago. Despite this, the country faces considerable hurdles to reaching milk self-sufficiency. Due to low-producing cows, the absence of refrigeration, and the expense and difficulty of transportation, the domestic herd makes a limited contribution to the population’s milk needs.
After rice, which is the principal staple of the Haitian diet, dairy is the second largest food import. It is expensive, yet critical to the health of Haiti’s 11.5 million population.
Given the importance and scarcity of this vital food product in Haiti, MFB Haiti was especially thankful for the recent large donation of full-fat, powdered milk. MFB projects are currently in progress to package and prepare this life-giving gift for shipment and distribution to Haiti’s youth. The primary destination is the earthquake-ravaged southern peninsula.
