EVALUATION OF THE PIADIC PROJECT : AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

OVERALL PROJECT DESIGN AS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED WAS TOO AMBITIOUS CALLING FOR A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES. NATIONAL PLANNERS VOICED CRITICISM THAT IICA (INTERAMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES) PROJECT STAFF DID NOT SUFFICIENTLY INVOLVE THEM IN DETERMINING THE PROJ'S APPROACH. SET OF MANUALS AND GUIDES WERE PRODUCED. THESE PROVED MORE VALUABLE IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL PHASE OF THE PROJECT RATHER THAN AS TEXTBOOKS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NATL OR REGIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS. ALSO SERIES OF SHORT, FORMAL TRNG PROGRAMS WERE CONDUCTED CONCERNING STATISTICAL METHODS AND AREA FRAME SAMPLING CONCEPTS AND TECHNIQUES. TRNG WAS SUCCESSFUL IN WHETTING APPETITES OF NATL PLANNERS AND TECHNICIANS FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. HOWEVER, SMALL SIZE OF THE STAFF HAS LIMITED ITS RESPONSE TO INFREQUENT AND VERY SHORT TRIPS TO THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES. DEVELOPMENT OF METHODOLOGY FOR USING TECHNOLOGICAL INFORMATION (TECHNOLOGICAL PACKAGES) HAS NOT PROGRESSED VERY FAR. REPORT NOTES THAT THIS PROJECT ELEMENT WILL REQUIRE CLOSE COOPERATION WITH 2 OTHER ROCAP PROJECTS- SOILSFERTILITY PROJECT AND MULTIPLE CROPPING SYSTEMS PROJECT. EMPHASIS WAS CORRECTLY PLACED ON DEVELOPMENT OF NATL INFORMATIONS SYSTEMS BEFORE PROCEEDING TO REGIONAL SYSTEM. STUDIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MARKET NEWS SYSTEM REVEALED THAT PRODUCERS, WHO FOR THE MOST PART ARE LIMITED TO 1 MARKET, ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION. MOST PRESSING NEED FOR ASSISTANCE WILL BE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AREA FRAME SAMPLING SYSTEMS FOR CROP FORECASTING. ALL 6 COUNTRIES HAVE ASSIGNED THIS A HIGH PRIORITY. PANAMA HAS A FUNCTIONING SYSTEM, BUT IT WILL REQUIRE UPDATING. ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF ESTABLISHING THEIR SYSTEMS.