Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti is a sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles. With an estimated size of 27,750 square kilometers, Haiti has 10.6 million people, making it the most populous country in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-- approximately 61% of the CARICOM population.
Half of all Haitians work in the agricultural sector with 40% depending solely on the sector, although the country relies on imports to supply 44%of their food needs. Agriculture, along with forestry and fishery accounts for 25% of Haiti’s gross domestic product (2012).
Notably, Haiti is the world’s leading producer of vetiver, a root plant used to make luxury perfumes and produces half of the world’s supply. The country also exports:
Haiti also produces corn, beans, cassava, yams, sweet potato, peanuts, bananas, millet, pigeon peas, sugarcane, rice, sorghum and wood. It also has a small fishing industry with catches totaling 5,000 tons in recent years.
In terms of livestock, the national herd is over 4.6 million head with 45% goats, 24% cattle, 23% pigs and 8% sheep and also produces high quality baby chicks for export to poultry farmers.
Manufacturing is also an emerging industry producing beverages, butter, edible oils, and flour..
Despite the variety of crops that this country is able to produce, it remains vulnerable due to damage from frequent natural disasters.