Agricultural production program grant

PES covers the period 4/83-11/84 and summarizes an attached special evaluation (XD-AAR-041-A) based on document review, site visits, and interviews with MAFA and project personnel and others. The project has made substantial progress even while confronted with exceedingly difficult institutional problems, primarily a lack of coordination among activities and regional MAFA offices, exacerbated by MAFA leadership changes and budgetary problems. Still, in adopting a feed/forage/livestock focus, the project has emphasized Portugal"s key agricultural problems, those commodities with the greatest comparative advantage in the European Community (EC), and Portugal"s North, where small farms predominate and the greatest adjustment will be needed upon accession to the EC. The project has been highly successful in spreading new technology to farmers through private cooperatives and cooperative unions. Project achievements include establishment of: (1) a limestone production/distribution system (farm use of limestone has increased by 700%); (2) a modern soils testing system (testing has doubled since 1980); (3) an extensive system of on-farm demonstration plots; (4) credit lines, supporting limestone production and storage; and (5) a financial management system. In addition, a national sheep and goat program, with great potential for producing new technology, is being developed; project economic studies have contributed significantly to national policymaking, especially vis a vis EC accession; and considerable in-country training has been completed. Relatively less progress has been made in the forage and pasture program, in integrating farm systems analysis with project activities, and in stimulating on-farm research. Long-term technical training remains seriously behind target. A key lesson learned is the extreme care needed in selecting effective project managers. Action decisions are to, inter alia: (1) extend the project 12/31/87; train a 4-person crops, soils, animal science, and farm management/credit team to the M.S. level in each region; and focus activities more directly on increasing farm-level production.