Evaluation of the coffee revitalization project (521-0216)

The project has been implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Evaluation covers the period 2/93-4/94. There were several changes to the original project design, the most important of which was to use a cropping systems approach instead of working only with coffee. This approach is working well. The project appears to be achieving its objectives in terms of numbers of participants (8,800 farmers in 745 groupements and 15 associations), seedlings in nurseries, and improved coffee trees planted. There will be very little production from the new varieties by the current PACD; however, when they produce, the yields should be higher than for cafe indigene. Coffee seedlings continue to be subsidized by the project. These subsidies should be phased out gradually, by asking farmers to pay more for seedlings as they begin to receive income from improved coffee trees and cultural practices. While all the new varieties will give greater yields than cafe indigene, only the catimor is truly rust-resistant. About one third of the new trees being planted are of the catimor variety. Training and technology transfer are proceeding well. Production of seedlings and cultivation of coffee trees are being done adequately, although some areas for improvement are mentioned in this report. Fourteen small processing plants have been constructed and should be in operation during the next harvest. These plants can produce high quality coffee if they are operated properly. Their capacity is limited by the size of their drying areas. The project has not yet developed a coherent marketing strategy and should put more emphasis on this activity. The coffee now in stock should be sold to Cooperation Haitio-Neerlandaise (COHAN), and the project should work to set up a marketing system for the 1994-95 crop. The financing mechanism and the agricultural input stores are beginning to function and show considerable promise. Availability of fertilizer has improved where stores are located. The project is serving only about 3% of the country's coffee farmers. There has been some project outreach to indirect beneficiaries. This effort should be increased in the future, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and the PLUS project. The groupements and associations are grass roots democratic organizations. They must be nurtured through continued training, support, and information in organization management as well as coffee production and marketing. Project staff appear to have very good relations with farmers, rural authorities, and Ministry of Agriculture officials in areas where the project operates. The monitoring and evaluation system is extensive and seems likely to be effective. However, the first monitoring reports have not yet been received. This project is having a beneficial effect on soil and water conservation. If project activities were to end, planting of coffee would decrease and soil and water conservation would be jeopardized. The trade embargo is very harmful to the project. It affects travel to project areas, input supply, transportation of parchment coffee, and markets for the product. By PACD, the project will have achieved the goal and purpose as stated in the Project Modification Document of 1993. However, sustainability of key components will not be assured. The project clearly is economically viable when potential income from increased non-coffee crops and from higher prices for washed coffee are taken into account. The evaluation recommends that the project be continued largely as it is now for at least one and a half years beyond the current PACD. After that, the input supply and processing parts should be redesigned as a Rural Enterprise Development Project, executed by a grantee. Other components, notably the coffee extension system and seedling production, should be absorbed by merging these activities with those of the PLUS Project in a larger sectoral program. The project should analyze production of and markets for organically grown coffee and consider experimenting with it in at least one growing area. (Author abstract)