Burundi alternative energy : Peat II; formative evaluation

Special mid-term evaluation covers the period 8/80-11/82 and is based on site visits, document review, and interviews with project personnel. The availability and acceptability of peat as an energy resource have significantly increased during the past 2 years. ONATOUR's sales have grown from 3,534 tons in 1980 to 6,435 tons in 1981; 25,000 tons of sales are predicted for 1985. However, the project's target beneficiaries, urban charcoal users, are still only vaguely familiar with peat and cannot buy it in retail markets. Nor has the project yet had much effect on preserving forest resources; 1981-82 sales represented the wood equivalent of clean-cutting 422 ha or cropping 2,340 ha. Institutionally, ONATOUR has made excellent progress. The organization is well-staffed with qualified professionals in its administrative, financial, production, and marketing services. ONATOUR should realize a net profit on operations in 1983 and a cumulative net profit in 1984. Although ONATOUR launched a limited domestic peat marketing campaign in 1982, much stronger efforts in this area are needed. To create a marketing demand for ONATOUR's increasing supply of peat, a suitable stove must be designed for urban users and made commercially available, the quality of peat sold in the market must be comparable to that of charcoal, and there must be a retail price structure to ensure that peat is more economical than charcoal. An aggressive marketing campaign will also accelerate the conservation of forest resources. Other recommendations are, inter alia, to reduce the project's peat production target (due to production constraints in the areas of technology, labor, logistics, and product quality, and the necessity not to outpace consumer demand); to strengthen ONATOUR capabilities in accounting, inventory storage and control, and coordination with other agencies; and to continue to encourage the evolution of ONATOUR from a parastatal organization to a private enterprise.