Agricultural research and production project

Nepali institutions will implement the project. To improve research management, the project will help activate a Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) research coordinating committee, help the DOA and the DOL develop improved administrative and operational plans, and aid in establishing a Central Agricultural Library within the MOA. The project will also help establish DOA divisions of Extension and Socio-Economic Research and of Farming System Research (FSR), along with at least 8 FSR sites. The project will support commodity research, especially on minor crops (e.g., a national pulse development program) and hill crops, and will fund special research focusing on agroforestry, fodder production and livestock nutrition, and soil fertility. The production component will initially support intensive production programs in four hill districts (Baglung, Myagdi, Parbat, Syangja) and will fund a mini-kit distribution program. The project will also support pilot production programs based on technologies developed at the 8 FSR sites in such areas as integrated livestock, agroforestry, and crop extension. The project will help establish a National Seed Development Board (NSDB) within the DOA and will expand areas served by plants producing improved seed in the hills. The project will increase the number of small seed plants from 20 to 25 and will institute a system of satellite seed producers and provide them with metal seed storage bins. Project training will include: 13 advanced degrees, mostly at the Master"s level; 56 overseas short courses for 360 personnel; in-country training for 400 personnel; and seed production training for over 5,000 farmers. Some 64 person-years of advanced and short-term training may be funded under the India Training Program. Grant amendment (4/11/88) makes the National Agricultural Research and Services Center (NARSC - created in 1985) the focal point of project assistance. The project will: strengthen NASRSC"s administrative systems, help it build a research library, and integrate its Socio-Economic Research and Extension and FSR&D Divisions with its other programs/divisions (support to the hill production program will be included herein); and provide grants for high-priority NARSC research. The project will also help institutionalize the NSDB"s technical committees and develop a replicable seed package in the hill seed program. Support to commodity research will be reduced, as new aid is being provided by the International Develoment Research Center. (PD-AAX-687)