ASSESSMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL OF CENTRAL TUNISIA; EVALUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Since the majority of the area"s residents are dryland farmers with small farms, the team devoted the major share of its time and resources to proposals which would be directed at this group. The objective was to improve the income level of dryland farmers in the region which currently stands at only ten to twenty percent of the Tunisian national average. A number of constraints to production are identified, these include physical factors, technological limitations, human resource constraints, economic constraints, sociocultural constraints, and institutional factors. The proposed program seeks to provide water for irrigation to as many of the dryland farmers as possible; and it offers proposals for maximizing the income of dryland farmers who must remain in a dryland condition. Interventions for USAID funding are proposed under three general headings: facilities-equipment, demonstrations, and adaptive research and training. A project should include a systematic evaluation component. An evaluation research effort can provide a mechanism for making modifications in program plans and for eliminating components of programs that are ineffective. The report expresses guarded optimism that the lives of some of the area"s residents can be markedly improved as a result of the proposed interventions. Preliminary cost estimates are included for the proposed USAID interventions.