COSTA RICA - COMMODITY SYSTEMS.

ACTIVITIES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN TWO MAJOR PHASES: AN INTEGRATED ANALYSIS OF CONSTRAINTS TO ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF SMALL FARM PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, AND MARKETING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY AN ANALYSIS OF EACH CONSTRAINT TO DETERMINE A SOLUTION. WITHIN MAG, A SYSTEMS COMMITTEE(SC) WILL COORDINATE PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, AND EVALUATION, AS WELL AS ARRANGE FORMATION OF A MARKETING TECHNOLOGY UNIT(MTU) AND MARKET INFORMATION SUB-UNIT. MTU WILL PLAN AND DEVELOP MARKET ACTIVITIES AND TRAINING MATERIALS, AND DISSEMINATE DAILY INFO ON AVAILABILITY AND PRICES OF COMMODITIES WITH EMPHASIS ON SMALL FARMER NEEDS. RANGE OF TRAINING FOR MAG PERSONNEL INCLUDES ON-THE-JOB AND ACADEMIC TRAINING COVERING PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, MARKETING OF NON-TRADITIONAL CROPS, POST-HARVEST HANDLING OF TRADITIONAL CROPS, AND FARM PLAN DEVEL. APPROX 200 TECHNICIANS WILL BE TRAINED IN-COUNTRY FOR 50 DAYS EACH IN SIX OR MORE SUBJECTS. MS AND BS DEGREE SCHOLARSHIPS WILL ENABLE A FEW MAG PERSONNEL TO STUDY IN THE US. MAG REGIONAL CENTERS(CAR"S) WILL DEVELOP FARM PLANS FOR 4000 TARGET FARMERS AND TRAIN GROUPS OF FARMERS IN THE USE OF SYSTEMS AND IN FARM MGMT, USING FIELD DAYS, MEETINGS, SHORT COURSES, AND DEMONSTRATIONS FOR 100 DAYS DURING THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT. COORDINATED WITH FARM MGMT, THE FOUR TYPES OF RESEARCH INCLUDE DEVEL OF IMPROVED PLANT MATERIALS, FIELD TRAILS AND DEMONSTRATIONS, FARMER GROUP PILOT PROJECTS, AND GENERAL RESEARCH AND DEVEL. THE FOOD TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER, THE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATION OF GRAINS AND SEEDS, AND THE TROPICAL AGR RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER, ALL PARTS OF UNIV OF COSTA RICA, WILL PERFORM MUCH OF THIS RESEARCH. CREDIT FUNDS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NATIONAL BANKING SYSTEM(SBN) VIA CONSTITUENT BANKS TO SMALL FARMERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT. LENDING WILL FOLLOW FARM PLANS DEVELOPED UNDER FARM MGMT ACTIVITIES. SBN WILL MAKE $ MILLION IN SHORT-TERM PRODUCTION CREDIT SUB-LOANS TO INDIVIDUAL OR GROUPS OF FARMERS SELECTED BY MAG/CAR TO PARTIC.