APPRAISAL TRIP REPORT ON EL SALVADOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT - RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND EXTENSION LOAN, NO. 519-L-018

The graduates, trained at the Escuela Nacional de Agricultura, move into the extension and research offices, and the results of laboratory and field experiments flow to the extension office. The staffs in the extension offices use a variety of methods to communicate new data to the farmers. While staff tunover rate has been high, recent changes have reduced staff loss considerably. While the original plan to make CENTA a semi-autonomous unit would have given CENTA greater flexibility of operation, it does not appear that CENTA suffers as a division of the Ministry of Agriculture. Autonomy may come, but until it does, CENTA"s position within the organizational structure of the Ministry appears logical and appropriate. In spite of a somewhat slow and shaky start for CENTA, the present environment is decidedly positive, though certain success can not be guaranteed. Periodic semi-annual evaluations should be made to assure continuation of current progress. The Government of El Salvador has committed itself to providing additional resources to meet substantially increased costs and to complete the regional and support centers. The request of the Government of El Salvador for extension of the Terminal Commitment Date to June 30, l976, and the Terminal Disbursement Date to December 31, 1976, seems reasonable and the evaluators recommended that the extensions be granted.