AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

A JOINT POLICY AND PLANNING BOARD (JPPD) WILL BE FORMED, CONSISTING OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM UCD, THE GOE, AND EGYPTIAN INSTITUTIONS. JPPB WILL IDENTIFY POLICIES AFFECTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, IDENTIFY SPECIFIC PROBLEMS LIMITING PRODUCTION, MARKETING, AND UTILIZATION OF ITS PRODCUTS, AND ADVISE THE GOE ON POLICY DEVELOPMENT. PURSUANT TO THE PRIORITIES AND ACTIONS OF THE BOARD, AD HOC EXPERT COMMITTEES COMPOSED TO UCD AND EGYPTIAN SCIENTISTS WILL BE FORMED TO DEVELOP SUBPROJECTS. SUCH COMMITTEES WILL IDENTIFY PROBLEMS IN A SUBJECT OR COMMODITY AREA, AND DEVELOP PROPOSALS FOR RESEARCH, TRAINING, OR EXTENSION ACTIVITIES. SUBPROJECTS WILL BE MULTI-YEAR TECHNICAL/CAPITAL ASSISTANCE EFFORTS DESIGNED TO HAVE A MARKED EFFECT UPON A SPECIFIC PROBLEM. OTHER JPPB ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: JOINT RESEARCH (MEDIUM-TERM PROGRAMS); TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (SHORT-TERM, PROBLEM SPECIFIC); ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY STUDIES OF SUB-PROJECTS; AND GENERAL TRAINING. TWO TYPES OF SUBPROJECTS HAVE BEEN INITIALLY SELECTED, A TECHNICAL EFFORT TO IDENTIFY AND SOLVE PROBLEMS IN HORTICULTURE, AND AN ASSISTANCE EFFORT IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS. RESEARCH IN THE FORMER AREA WILL INCLUDE STUDY OF FERTILIZER, IRRIGATION, CROPPING, AND PEST CONTROL PRACTICES; VARIETAL/GENETIC RESEARCH; PLANT NUTRIENT ANALYSIS. ASSISTANCE IN THE LATTER AREA WILL BE TO THE MOA, AND WILL STRESS CREATION OF A MARKETING ANALYSIS CAPABILITY, FORMULATION OF INVESTMENT PROGRAMS; IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL DATA AND DATA SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING IN PRICE, SECTOR, AND POLICY ANALYSIS.