Farmers in Haiti fail to maintain trade amidst gang tolls and blockades, prices continue to soar

PORT-DE-PAIX – Every morning before sunrise,  Régicienne Thélusma prays for a safe journey as she dispatches trucks loaded with flour and fuel across Haiti’s northern roads. But her prayers are not for smooth roads or mechanical issues—they are for protection from the gangs who control the highways. 

Just last week, Régicienne’s driver was forced to pay 250,000 gourdes, nearly U.S. $1,900, to pass a gang-controlled checkpoint with a truck of flour bound for Port-de-Paix. She was extorted for over 400,000 gourdes when transporting a fuel truck, about U.S. $3,000.

The money Régicienne had to pay is a small fortune in a country where daily survival has become increasingly precarious. But for produce traders like Régicienne, paying these tolls has become the only way to keep goods moving.

“We have no choice but to raise the prices of goods—especially food—just to cover these fees,” said Régicienne. “It’s become a burden on us, and ultimately, the consumers are the ones who suffer.”

Haiti’s insecurity crisis, now in its third year, is impacting the fabric of Haiti’s agricultural and economic sectors. The blockade of major national highways by armed gangs halts the transportation of goods from and to the capital. Armed gangs block major highways, including Route National #5, which links Port-de-Paix to the city of Gonaïves in the gang-ridden Artibonite region.

This vital artery for transporting goods has become a battleground with gangs extorting truck drivers, forcing them to pay exorbitant tolls or abandon shipments altogether. The consequences are felt across the economy: skyrocketing prices, reduced availability of essential items and growing inflation. 

The toll is no longer just financial—it is deeply personal, with farmers, traders and consumers facing unprecedented hardships.

Farmers and traders face the worst impact

The inability to transport goods freely across Haiti’s roads has led many traders to reduce their orders or, in some cases, stop altogether. For those who continue, the costs are astronomical. Denise Ficien, a trader from Ouanaminthe, recounts losing 130,000 gourdes an equivalent of U.S. $980 when the driver transporting her shipment of spaghetti was kidnapped.

“I was part of a group of merchants who pooled our money together to pay 300,000 gourdes or U.S. $2,200 to ensure our goods made it through the gang-controlled tolls,” said Ficien. 

“But even then, we had no guarantees. These payments force us to double or triple our prices just to break even.”

For farmers, the situation is just as dire. The roadblocks make it nearly impossible to get fresh produce to the market in the capital Port-au-Prince, and the increased fee of passage costs by armed individuals eat away at their already slim profits. Many are abandoning their fields, leading to a drop in agricultural production and an increase in grocery prices, leaving kitchen staples out of reach for many Haitians.

“We used to make regular deliveries of yams, plantains, and cassava to the market,” said a local farmer, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. 

“Now, we can’t even get half of that out of the fields because the roads are too dangerous. We’re losing crops, and the prices keep rising.”

A Collapsing Supply Chain

Local farmers who once depended on consistent routes to transport their produce are now isolated, unable to reach larger markets.

“We are at a breaking point,” said Jean Hercule Dorméus, an entrepreneur in Port-de-Paix. 

“No life for us here—business owners, farmers, everyone is suffering. We are left to fend for ourselves against these gangs, and the government has failed us.

Dorméus, like many entrepreneurs, is drowning in debt. Most took out loans to keep their businesses afloat, only to see their goods hijacked or lost to roadblocks.

“We are at a breaking point. There is no life for us here—business owners, farmers, everyone is suffering. We are left to fend for ourselves against these gangs, and the government has failed us.”

Jean Hercule Dorméus, an entrepreneur in Port-de-Paix

 “We have loans with high interest rates from the banks,” he said. “But how can we pay them back when the gangsters take everything? Every day we live with the pressure of these debts.”

Consumers, too, are feeling the pain. In rural areas like Guinaudée, 21 miles from Port-de-Paix, families are struggling to afford basic goods. Janide Dieudonné, a mother of four, says her household is overwhelmed by the rising cost of living.

“We don’t know where to turn anymore,” Dieudonné said. 

“Every day, prices go up. We are running out of food, and we have no idea when it will get better.”

Inflation, unemployment, and an uncertain future

In a 2023 report on the economy, The Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information (IHSI) linked the continued decline in Agriculture to gang activities.  IHSI reported that one of the key cyclical factors hindering the agricultural sector’s progress is the disruptive actions of armed gangs in critical farming regions, These gangs have severely hampered agricultural activities, worsening the already fragile state of Haiti’s food production. 

Alongside the high cost and scarcity of seeds and fertilizers, and recurring natural disasters, gang violence has contributed to significant declines in crop yields for staple commodities such as rice, corn, and beans. As a result, food insecurity has intensified across the country, with the agricultural sector declining by 5.6% in 2023, deepening the crisis.

With the arrival of the Multinational Mission for Security Support (MSS) and Kenyan troops in Haiti, many had hoped for quick relief. But for those living in the northwest, the road blockade persists, and the economic devastation continues unchecked.

“I don’t know where this mission is,” Dorméus said. “We’re still being robbed every day on the roads. We are desperate, and we feel abandoned.”

The economic toll has also led to unemployment. Many companies have closed their doors, unable to cope with the rising costs of goods and the instability that now defines life in Haiti. Evens Maréus, who worked for a local distributor, has been without a job for two years.

“My boss couldn’t afford to keep paying me,” Maréus said. “Now, I can barely support my family. There’s no work, no stability, and no future for us if things don’t change.”

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Farmers in Haiti fail to maintain trade amidst gang tolls and blockades, prices continue to soar was first posted on October 10, 2024 at 8:05 am.