AUDIT OF JORDAN VALLEY AUTHORITY ACTIVITIES

Audit covers the period 10/77-6/80 and is based on interviews, review of project files, and site visits. Two projects providing irrigation services to Jordan Valley (JV) farmers -- East Ghor Canal Extension (0175) and Zarqa Triangle Irrigation (0179) -- were satisfactorily completed. The Maqarin Dam and JV Irrigation System Design (0200) and Maqarin Dam Feasibility Study (0188), also completed, provide JV Authority with designs and recommendations for building the largest dam irrigation system in the area. In the Village Development I Project (0183), 26 schools, 1 community center, 8 government buildings, 10 health clinics, and 300 houses for Government of Jordan (GOJ) employees were constructed. Except for the schools and community center, the new buildings are unoccupied, since organization of local governments has lagged. Occupation of houses by employees awaits drafting of a standardized rental policy. Health centers have not opened due to undelivered equipment. In the Sprinkler Irrigation Equipment Project (0195), only 47 of 2,785 sprinklers purchased were sold, since JV farmers prefer traditional drip equipment. Storage facilities for the unsold equipment are inadequate. In two projects, both providing supplies, credit, and marketing services to farmers--the JV Farmers Association (JVFA--0186) and Credit for JVFA (0207)--staffing problems and a jurisdictional dispute have slowed progress. To date, only the loan program has been developed. The delinquincy rate, a problem at first, was reduced from 69.2% to 41.5% after an aggressive collection campaign. The collection staff should be expanded and JFVA"s credit functions improved. In the Water Management Technology Project (0192) to improve farmers" water utilization and cultivation practices, demonstration plots were set up comparing water usage and crop yields under various types of irrigation. JVA, however, has been slow to procure commodities. To correct this, a U.S. procurement agent was assigned. A notable success was development of a method to reduce the effect of tomato yellow leaf curl virus.