[Stoves] (stoves) Haitian cooking

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Paal

 

The Price of wood pellets in Haiti could be under $200 per ton. I am not
sure anyone is willing to put the spurs to the horse to make that happen. I
did a costing exercise more than a year ago to see how it would compare with
charcoal from the Dominican Republic (which is probably where most of it
comes from).

 

The result was that it would be less than ½ the price to cook with wood
pellets imported from the US, compared with charcoal imported from the
Dominican Republic.

 

Because people believe that the charcoal is produced (illegally) locally,
there is resistance to allow or promote importing fuel (!) so basically
things stay as they are. No one talks about the current importing of fuel so
it probably means there are important forces involved in the trade.

 

I think there is not, on the ground, an accessible technology on a large
enough scale that would support wood pellets. The present situation could
probably allow something to get started.

 

One viable series of steps is for a few containers of fuel to arrive with
enough stoves to use it for a few months in one area. Then local producer
could be taught to make the stoves, and local pellet production could begin,
supplemented by imports from the Eastern US where the supply is/was good and
the price reasonable. 

 

If the people currently involved in the charcoal trade were brought into the
formal sector pellet trade, the system would become sustainable. If they are
not, there will be competition and quarrelling with all that that entails.

 

The use of charcoal is often determined by consumer preference for clean pot
bottoms. The pellet burning technologies will have to meet the high power
and long simmer demands (perfect for fan stoves) while keeping the pot
bottoms clean.

 

Regards

Crispin

 

+++++++++

 


it wood have been possible to make the daily cooking for the a household of
five on 2,5 kg pellets, and what is the prise of pellets at Haiiti? 

Regards Paal W    

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