21932: Oakes: Re: 21893 Simidor: a new cash crop for Haiti? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: brian oakes <boakes@videotron.ca>

Ah! My favorite subject!!! Haiti's natural resources. In response to Daniel'
s submission I have the following information about the Acacia and gum
arabic (see below). As you will see there is a tree in Haiti that produces
gum arabic as well, and apparently of superior quality. This brings me to
make a couple of observations after 30 years of working in the field in
Haiti and elsewhere. First, we should give a great deal of thought before
introducing non-native species of plants and animals into Haiti - note the
cases of the mongoose and the neem tree, both have practically overtaken the
country crowding out or killing off native species that cannot compete.
Second, Haiti has a wealth of natural resources that remain unexploited or
little used (Haiti was once the largest producer and supplier of Vetiver oil
in the world for the perfume industry, now Indonesia is taking over with a
product of lower quality).



One avenue of development that has remained underexploited in Haiti is in
the transformation sector. Most products exported from Haiti are exported in
their raw state (essential oils, spices, coffee, mangoes, etc.) this means
that Haiti must compete with similar products from countries that produce in
greater quantity, with better quality control, and are more competitive,
Haiti is the loser. On the other hand if there was a well established
transformation industry added value would remain in Haiti, spin-off
industries would develop, and fresh produce that is now thrown away could be
stored (e.g. mangoes could be transformed into dried fruit). Most of us know
how good Haitian coffee is and of the recent success of Haitian Bleu coffee
which now sells for about $1.20/lb wholesale F.O.B. P-au-P, and for about
$10/lb once it reaches Florida stores, Jamaican blue on the other hand,
sells for $50/lb. Transformation and marketing can add a lot of value to a
product.



According to "La Flore d'Haiti" Barker, H. D. & Dardeau, W. S. Dept. de
l'Agriculture, Port-au-Prince Haiti 1930 456 pp., there are at least nine
identified Acacia species to be found in Haiti. The following is a list of
these species, with the common name following if there is one:



Acacia lutea (carambomba)

Acacia tortuosa

Acacia farnesiana

Acacia muricata

Acacia scleroxyla (tendre à caillou or Kandelon)

Acacia vogeliana

Acacia riparia

Acacia barahonensis

Acacia zapatensis



Most of these are native species, several are quite rare and found only in
the Caribbean, some are almost extinct. One species is of commercial
importance, but not exploited in Haiti as far as I know. This is the Acacia
farnesiana, from which Cassie perfume is distilled from the flowers. Cassie
absolute is employed in preparation of violet bouquets, extensively used in
European perfumery. Cassie pomades are manufactured in India. Pods contain
23 percent tannin, and are used for tanning leather. Bark also used for
tanning and dying leather in combination with iron ores and salts. In Bengal
and West Indies, pods are used for a black leather dye. Gummy substance
obtained from pods used in Java as cement for broken crockery. Gum exuding
from trunk considered superior to gum arabic in arts. Trees used as
ingredient in Ivory Coast for arrow poison; elsewhere they are used as
fences and to check erosion. Wood is hard and durable underground, used for
wooden plows and for pegs. Trees often planted as an ornamental (Duke,
1981). Morton (1981) says that the seeds, containing an unnamed alkaloid,
are used to kill rabid dogs in Brazil.