INDUSTRIAL EXTENSION OF small-scale AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT DEVELOPMENT AT IRRI (MARCH & APRIL, 1979)

SEPARATE EVALS WERE MADE IN EACH PARTICIPATING COUNTRY (THE PHILIPPINES,PAKISTAN,AND THAILAND)DURING MARCH & APRIL,1977. EVAL TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDED IRRI (INTNATL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE,THE PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR) & USAID REPRESENTATIVES,AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES FROM QUINN MALINTA METALS,IMAG MANUFACTURING,THE AGRI RSRCH COUNCIL,THE LAHORE ENGINEERING FOUNDRY ORGANIZATN,THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECH,AND MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE RECRUITMENT PROBLEMS,PROJ INPUTS ARE NOW ON SCHEDULE. ALSO,THE LOGICAL FRAMEWORK WAS REVISED BECAUSE THE CONTRACTOR DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS PROPERLY DESCRIPTIVE OF THE PROJ GOALS,PURPOSE,INPUTS,ETC. AID FUNDS WERE USED PRIMARILY FOR IRRI & GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECH ADVISORS WHO PROVIDED PROTOTYPE DESIGNS & SPECIFICATIONS,BUSINESS MGMT EXPERTISE,AND EXTENSION SERVICES. IRRI SUBCONTRACTED WITH LOCAL MANUFACTURING INSTITUTIONS & FIRMS TO BUILD,TEST,AND ADAPT THEIR MACHINERY TO LOCAL CONDITIONS. FIFTY-THREE MANUFACTURERS IN THE PHILIPPINES,PAKISTAN,AND THAILAND PARTICIPATED. APPROX 30,000 MACHINES WERE PRODUCED DURING 1976, REPRESENTING 45% OF THE TOTAL OUTPUT SINCE THE IRRI PROG BEGAN IN 1965. THE NUMBER OF MANUFACTURERS PRODUCING IRRI-DESIGNED MACHINES ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS INCREASED 208%,FROM 26 TO 54 IN 1976. TEST & EVALS OF PROTOTYPES WERE PUBLISHED ALONG WITH OPERATING MANUALS. OTHER OUTPUTS INCLUDED ECON & MARKET STUDIES. IN ADDITION,TWO CONFERENCES FOR MANUFACTURERS WERE HELD PER YR AT IRRI,WITH 25-30 PARTICIPANTS EACH. THE PROJ SHOULD BE EXTENDED THREE YRS & EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES & REGIONS. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT IN THE FUTURE,PROJ ADVISORS GIVE CLOSE ATTENTION TO A LIMITED NUMBER OF MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTING SMALL & MEDIUM-SIZED INDUSTRIES. ALSO,AN INTNATL WORKSHOP SHOULD BE HELD FOR ENTREPRENEURS,MANAGERS & UPPER-MGMT. AUTHOR CREDITS PROJ SUCCESS TO IRRI"S UNUSUAL COMPETENCE & YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN SMALL-SCALE FARM MACHINERY.