EVALUATION OF TANZANIA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH PROJECT (6/22/78 TO 7/9/78)

A coordinated national research program was developed to improve maize, food legumes, sorghum, and millet production. Four agronomist specialists visited Agricultural Research Institutes (ARI's), research statns, village trials, and interviewed statn staffs. Team found overall performance of the project good and felt many Tanzanians have outstanding ability and dedication to the program. Scientists have developed 5 maize hybrids and 3 food legumes now being used by farmers. A food legume production handbook has been developed and is ready for printing. Handbook will be useful to many but may need simplification for the average farmer. Obtaining data from maize village trials has been less successful due to low rainfall, poor maintenance and shortages of spare parts for vehicles. Since conditions are not very conducive for village trials it has been recommended that major emphasis shift to an expanded training program of Tanzanians, with steps taken to shorten the time required to complete formal training and to expand disciplines in which training may be obtained. Improved training will provide local support of the National Research Program. Other recommendations were to: 1. add a plant protection expatriate to help conduct research concerning insect pests and plant diseases; 2. add an extension agronomist specialist expatriate to bridge the present gap between research and extension staffs; 3. free project expatriates from an inordinate amount of paper work and allow them more research time by giving many of their responsibilities to economists; 4. provide ARI libraries with agricultural journals and reference books; 5. reduce the number of village trials keeping only those now located in major ecological areas; and 6. conduct soil surveys in all participating areas.