Canada’s agricultural community is helping the people of Haiti get back on their feet after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked the country Jan. 12, killing more than 110,000 people.
Donations are pouring in from farmers, agribusinesses, rural communities and religious organizations to help rebuild the Caribbean country.
“We believe that every effort, large and small, has the potential to alleviate some distress for the families and children who are now suffering the devastation of this natural disaster,” said Viterra CEO Mayo Schmidt.
Canada’s fertilizer manufacturers are among the biggest contributors.
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PotashCorp has donated $250,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, $250,000 to CARE Canada and is matching any employee donations to the relief effort. A spokesperson for the company believes it is the largest single donation to the Canadian Red Cross Haiti Earthquake fund.
Mosaic is donating $125,000 each to the Canadian Red Cross, American Refugee Committee, American Red Cross and International Red Cross for a total contribution of $500,000.
Agrium has contributed $20,000 US to Friends of the World Food Program.
Grain companies have been active as well. Viterra Inc. is giving up to $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross in a matching donation program with employees and farm customers. In addition, Viterra’s oat milling business donated 21,772 kilograms of rolled oats to Canadian Food for Children.
Cargill Limited has made a donation of $50,000 US to CARE and the United Nations World Food Program. The company is also matching every dollar donated by employees to the World Food Program and the Red Cross.
Richardson International did not return calls before deadline.
Employees of the Canadian Wheat Board have raised $5,000 for the Red Cross relief effort.
Smaller grain handlers are also getting involved. Roy Legumex Inc., a special crops processor in St. Jean Baptiste, Man., recently shipped 60,000 tonnes of split yellow and green peas to Haiti via the Canadian Food for Children organization.
“Because of the business we’re in, it just doesn’t make any sense to send money when we have the actual food here,” said general manager Robert Lafond.
Another load will likely be put together through donations made by the company’s employees.
The two shipments will provide an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 meals for the Haitian people.
Plant science companies are chipping in. Dow Chemical Company is donating $500,000 US to the American Red Cross’s Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund and is matching employee contributions up to $250,000 in combined donations.
Bayer is giving $135,000 Cdn in medicine to the Red Cross in the Dominican Republic and will match employee contributions up to $150,000.
DuPont has contributed $100,000 US to the American Red Cross and Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited is matching employee contributions to any Canadian registered charitable organization up to $100 Cdn per employee.
Syngenta is matching employee contributions up to $100,000 US with all funds going to the Red Cross.
Monsanto has donated $50,000 US to the American Red Cross and is matching dollar-for-dollar any employee donation.
BASF Canada has given $10,000 Cdn to the Canadian Red Cross and is matching employee contributions up to another $10,000.
Canadian National Railway is donating $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross and is matching employee contributions to the same organization. CP is donating $25,000 to Save the Children and $25,000 to the Red Cross.
Farm equipment manufacturers have donated to the Canadian Red Cross but the agency was unable to release those numbers. Frank Flaman, founder of Flaman Group of Companies, has donated $250,000 to Salvation Army and the same amount to Oxfam.
Community groups have been active as well. The Mennonite Central Committee is attempting to collect 20,000 relief kits, 10,000 comforters and 10,000 sheets for Haiti.
The group has raised $3 million, which is being used to send other supplies to the island nation. MCC is airlifting 31,750 kilograms of meat and 1,000 water filters into the country as soon as possible. That will be followed by an ocean vessel shipment of at least the same amount of meat and thousands of tents and tarps.
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank has received $2,000 to $3,000 in donations for Haiti relief.
The Canadian Red Cross was unable to break out contributions from individual farmers or rural communities.
