INCREASING LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION THROUGH IMPROVED NUTRITION INFORMATION (7/25-7/27/79)

EVALUATION IS BASED ON FACTS PRESENTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE CONTRACTOR TEAM TO AN EXTERNAL REVIEW TEAM COMPOSED OF 3 LIVESTOCK SPECIALISTS. THE PROJECT CONTINUED TO GENERATE INFORMATION NEEDED TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE EFFICIENT LIVESTOCK FEEDING SYSTEMS IN LDC"S. SCOPE OF WORK SCHEDULES WERE SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED. IT IS EXPECTED THAT EXPANSION OF THE DATA BANK MATERIALS WILL CONTINUE AND THEIR UTILIZATION INITIATED DURING THE FINAL YEAR OF THE CONTRACT. OUTPUTS ARE RATED SATISFACTORY. VALUABLE AND ATTRACTIVE FEED COMPOSITION TABLES, INSTRUCTIONAL BULLETINS, FEEDSTUFF VOCABULARIES AND PROMOTIONAL PAMPHLETS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED. WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, AND INFORMAL PRESENTATIONS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED WITH MIXED RESULTS. TECHNICIANS HAVE BEEN TRAINED, INFORMATION COLLECTED, AND THE FINAL STAGE OF INFORMATION UTILIZATION PLANNED. PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT HAS RESULTED IN THE SURFACING OF A DEFICIENCY OF TRAINED FIELD TECHNICIANS IN LDC"S TO GENERATE AND UTILIZE THE END PRODUCT. TRAINING PROGRAMS, PARTICULARLY GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAMS WILL BE EMPHASIZED DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT MANY OF THE PROCEDURES DEVELOPED DURING THE PROJECT CAN BE USED AS MODELS FOR SIMILAR PROGRAMS WHICH CATALOG OTHER TYPES OF DATA. THE APPLICATION OF THE INFORMATION FOR IMPROVING LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN ANY COUNTRY IS DEPENDENT ON THE LDC ITSELF. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROJECT BE CONTINUED AFTER NEXT YEAR"S CONTRACT TERMINATION, FOR 3 TO 5 YEARS. IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAMS BE EXPANDED NOW.