Agriculture sector I

Final PES covers the period 4/75-12/80 and is based on a team review of project documents, extensive site visits, and interviews with Government of Bolivia (GOB) and USAID/B personnel. Results were mixed. Assistance to the Instituto Tecnologia Agropecuaria promoted technology development for several crops, and the number of research studies, thesis projects, field demonstrations, and in-service training outputs greatly surpassed targets. However, lack of GOB funding prevented work in high-yield vegetables and livestock management. Only one of the three planned agricultural service centers are complete (as are three experimental stations), and center staffing is still incomplete. Lack of GOB funding, land titling difficulties, and deficient design were major problems. Seven of 10 targeted M.S.-level Bolivians and 27 agronomists are working with the Research Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Campesino Affairs (MACA), although non-use of annual evaluations has made much research repetitive. Frequent closures due to the country"s political instability have made project participation by the Universities of San Simon and Gabriel San Moreno deficient. Internal problems made MACA"s extension efforts consistently inadequate and national level extension planning is minimal. In addition, no additional extensionists have been employed since 1978. As a result, only 11,865 small farmers (55.3% of target) were reached with improved technology; the target will not likely be reached even in the companion grant project. Seed distribution, however, increased by 1,859%. High personnel turnover and the GOB"s critical financial situation prevented the upgrading of the data collection and planning capability of MACA"s Offices of Economics and Statistics and Planning, although training targets were achieved and MACA began to publish annual agricultural data and price and marketing quarterly reports. In addition, $5 million in agricultural credit ($1 million from the GOB) was provided to 5,544 farm families - 164% more than projected - through the Agricultural Bank of Bolivia.