Agricultural research and planning

A.I.D. will train ISRA researchers and fund TA from Michigan State University (MSU) to strengthen ISRA capabilities, especially in the areas of production systems research and analysis and macro-economic research. To accelerate the indigenization of ISRA"s research staff (currently only one-third Senegalese), A.I.D. will provide U.S., M.Sc. training in the agricultural and social sciences to 24 ISRA researchers, a few of whom may go on to the Ph.D. Those selected for training (a vigorous attempt will be made to identify women for overseas training) will spend 6-12 months at an ISRA research station to gain field experience and identify a thesis topic and will return to Senegal for 4-6 months while in training to collect additional data for the thesis. As part of their U.S. training, the students will attend a 5-week seminar on research methodology and data processing at MSU. A.I.D. will also provide U.S. and third-country short-term training to 25 ISRA researchers in production, systems research, macro-economic modeling, microcomputers, data processing, and documentation. MSU will provide TA to ISRA in three main areas. First, two MSU micro-economists will help teams from the Production Systems Department (PSD) conduct on-farm research in the Casamance and in a second major ecological zone aimed at developing improved technical packages for recommendation domains. Second, an MSU rural social scientist will assist efforts of the Central Systems Analysis Group (CSAG), the PSD unit charged with developing a coherent national research strategy. Third, two macro-economists will help ISRA establish a Macro-Economic Research Unit (MERU) to launch policy studies on the food grain subsector, with emphasis on pricing policy, marketing, storage, and food security, in collaboration with the work of the production research teams and the CSAG. Finally, MSU will provide specialists to develop a computerized system to link research efforts and to develop ISRA capabilities in data processing, documentation, production systems, and macro-economic research. Amendment of 4/23/84 increases funding to cover unanticipated expenses consisting of: adding a production systems agronomist to the TA team: increased short-term training (and a reduction in M.S. trainees from 24 to 21); logistical support to TA personnel; computer equipment and software procurement; a final project evaluation; and architectural services for housing construction redesign. (PD-BAV-474)