DaAiTV_DaAi Headlines_20100526_Root problem to rice shortage.wmv

海地農技團Root problem to rice shortage In our next story, we report on how Taiwan is trying to help Haitian farmers stand up again. The staple diet in the Caribbean nation is rice. However, two-thirds of Haitian rice is imported, exposing poor residents to fluctuations in the international market. In 2008, the world food crisis pushed up the local price of grain by two to three times. In an effort to make Haitian farmers self-sufficient, the Taiwanese government has been offering technical support since 1972, without much success. In contrast, in the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic, where Taiwan runs a similar program, rice yield is double that of Haiti. To find out why there is such a difference between the two nations, which share the island of Hispaniola, we spoke to the members of Taiwan's agricultural teams working in both countries. Food For The Poor rice kitchen In the kitchen, a cook turns over a pot of rice. Enough food is being made inside for an army. Outside a full line of people are already waiting for lunch, even though it is only 10 o'clock. 13-year-old Crisla has been setting out from home at 7 o'clock in the morning every day for a year to queue up for food. She's willing to wait in the sun for several hours to help feed her family. Haitian resident, Crisla: "There are six people in my family, who are waiting to eat." The charity Food For The Poor has been working on poverty alleviation in Haiti for 25 years. This is the only meal of the ...