EVALUATION OF THE SENEGAL CEREALS PROJECT

PURPOSES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT OF SENEGAL (GOS) TO ACHIEVE HIGHER LEVELS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND TO HELP SODEVA (A SEMI-AUTONOMOUS AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND EXTENSION ORGANIZATION) DIVERSIFY AND INTENSIFY PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WEST CENTRAL REGION OF SENEGAL'S GROUNDNUT BASIN.EVALUATION OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE IS BASED ON REVIEW/ANALYSIS OF: 1) A DRAFT MID-TERM AID EVALUATION; 2) REPORTS/FILES OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS; 3) CONSULTATION WITH AID/GOS PERSONNEL. WHILE EVALUATION IS TOO EARLY TO ASSESS ACHIEVEMENT OF PURPOSE 1, PROGRESS TOWARD PURPOSE 2 HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL. PROJECT INPUTS OF AID FINANCING FOR THE SUPPORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, EQUIPMENT, OPERATIONAL COSTS, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE HAVE BEEN WELL-UTILIZED, ALTHOUGH AT SLOWER RATE THAN ANTICIPATED. INPUT MANAGEMENT BY SODEVA HAS BEEN VERY EFFICIENT. OUTPUT HAVE ALSO BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY REALIZED. ADOPTION OF INTENSIFICATION PRACTICES HAS INCREASED, WITH ABOUT 3 TIMES MORE FARMERS USING SEMI-INTENSIVE TECHNOLOGY IN 1976 THAN IN 1974, AND MORE THAN TWICE THE NUMBER OF FARMERS USING LESS INTENSIVE TECHNOLOGY. EXPANSION OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION ACTIVITIES WILL PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES TO MILLET-GROUNDNUT ROTATION. THE LIAISON UNIT HAS UNDERTAKEN SOME USEFUL STUDIES ON THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF THIS PROJECT. AN IN-HOUSE EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT DUE IN MARCH, 1978, WILL PROVIDE FULLER ANALYSIS OF THE LIAISON UNIT AS WELL AS SODEVA. THE HIGHEST TECHNOLOGY HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED TO EXPECTED LEVELS FOR MANY REASONS: 1)FARMER HESITANCY TO PREPARE LAND BECAUSE OF INSECURE LAND TENURE; 2)CONFLICT BETWEEN USE OF LABOR FOR PLOWING OR HARVEST; 3)LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF EQUIPMENT; 4)DOUBT OVER ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF HIGHER TECHNOLOGY LEVELS. THE IN-HOUSE EVALUATION WILL ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, WITH REDIRECTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES A LIKELY RESULT. EXTENSION OF PROJECT FOR ONE YEAR IS RECOMMENDED. RECOMMENDATIONS TO CAREFULLY ASSESS PROBLEM AREAS CITED ABOVE IN DESIGNING A POSSIBLE SECOND PHASE OF THE PROJECT ARE INCLUDED.