AGRICULTURAL SECTOR I

EVAL DATA WAS GATHERED BY MISSION & IMPLEMENTING INSTITUTION PERSONNEL (MINISTRY OF CAMPESINO AFFAIRS & AGRICULTURE- MACA). SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WAS MADE IN TECHNOLOGICAL DEVLPMNT, TECH EXTENSION, SECTOR MGMT & AGRICULTURAL CREDIT. BECAUSE PROCUREMENT WAS SLOW, THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT FOR THE AGRICULTURAL BANK AND FOR RESEARCH & EXTENSION SERVICES. DELAYS OCCURRED IN THE CONSTRUCTN OF AGRICULTURAL SERVICE CENTERS BECAUSE MACA FAILED TO PRESENT USAID WITH A PRECISE DEFINITION OF ITS NEEDS. THE MAJOR FACTOR DELAYING MINOR CONSTRUCTN ON RESEARCH EXPERIMENT STATIONS WAS USAID"S OVERESTIMATION OF THE MACA ENGINEERING OFFICE"S CAPABILITIES. ALL CONSTRUCTN IS NOW BEING DESIGNED BY AN A&E FIRM & IT EXPECTED TO BE ON SCHEDULE. LONG-TERM TRNG IS PLANNED FOR 32 BOLIVIAN TECHNICIANS -- 21 HAVE COMMENCED TRNG. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS TO COMPLETE THE QUOTA. THE SUGGESTION THAT THE TRNG BE OPENED TO RECENT UNIVERSITY GRADUATES FELL ON "DEAF EARS." MACA BUDGT INCREASES FOR EXTENSION SERVICES HAVE GONE TO INCREASE SALARIES RATHER THAN TO ADD AGENTS. THESE INCREASES, ALTHOUGH SIGNIFICANT, HAVE MERELY KEPT PACE WITH THE GENERAL LEVEL OF PAY INCREASES FOR THESE TYPES OF PROFESSIONALS. NO CHANGE IN PROJ DESIGN IS ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER,THE IDB (INTERAMER DEVELPMNT BANK) ENTRY INTO THE MARKETING AREA(IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MINIS OF INDUSTRY & COMMERCE) MAY OBVIATE THE NEED FOR PLNND MARKETING FEASIBILITY STUDIES. PROJ EXPERIENCE TAUGHT THAT TECH DEVLPMNT CANNOT BE PROGRAMMED LIKE THE PRODUCTN OF "WIDGETS." THUS,A PROJ WHICH PLANS EARLY EXTENSION OF ITS RSRCH RESULTS IS ALMOST BY ITS VERY NATURE,A DEFECTIVE DESIGN. ALSO,PROJ ACTIVITIES WHICH DEPEND UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES OR COMMODITIES SHOULD BE SCHEDULED ACCORDINGLY. PAR NOTES THAT RSRCH OBJECTIVES SHOULD BE STATED IN TERMS OF YIELD INCREASES,NEW CROPPING METHODS & DEVLPMNT OF BETTER VARIETIES RATHER THAN THE NUMBER OF RESEARCH PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN.