Agriculture research

Evaluation covers the period 6/78-4/81 and is based on site visits, document review, and interviews with project personnel. Progress toward the revised 2/77 project goals has been uneven. While weaknesses in the agricultural research and extension system have prevented full exploitation of project outputs, the project should ultimately lay a firm institutional basis for food crops research. Inadequate facilities and insufficient equipment have impeded research and have slowed the upgrading of the Ilonga Research Station (IRS) to a National Center for Food Crops Research. Coordination among scientists and input from Tanzanian personnel are weak due to poor Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and IRS management. Regarding the targeted crops -- new high-yielding varieties (HYV"s) of maize have been developed but have been tested less than local varieties; start-up of millet research awaits the arrival of a millet breeder; several early-maturing sorghum HYV"s have been tested, but onfarm tests must await the posting of qualified counterparts; and the grain legume breeding program is using indigenous and exotic lines and has released two cowpea and one green gram variety. Although in-service training is nonexistent and six of the 17 project-trained agricultural scientists have left the project, 103 Tanzanians (versus a targeted 67) are expected to be trained. Institutional linkages and feedback from farmers are inadequate. As a result, it is unclear whether improved cultural practices have been disseminated. It is therefore recommended that: (1) development of the IRS be expedited to allow systematic, year-round, on-station research; (2) donors and the MOA increase assistance to training, especially advanced degree training; (3) the IRS"s organizational structure be strengthened to facilitate coordination, commodity procurement, and staff recruitment; (4) USAID/T and the MOA participate more fully in the project to minimize problems and promote mutual trust; (5) top priority be given to publishing research results; (6) more attention be devoted to maintaining the genetic stock; and (7) if funds permit, the participant training program be continued.