Jordan Valley Farmers Association : credit for Jordan Valley Farmers Association

Evaluation covers the period 10/78-10/80 and is based on interviews with JFVA, contractor, and USAID/J personnel; site visits; and a 3/80 USAID/J evaluation. Progress has been mixed. These extremely overambitious projects will not be able to meet their objectives due mainly to the Government of Jordan"s (GOJ"s) failure to provide adequate support or ensure the cooperation of its agencies, the poor performance of the host-country contractor, and the ill-prepared staff of the fledgling JVFA. However, the JVFA is maturing and adjusting its by-laws and programs to meet match farmer needs and its own limited resources. The staff has been expanded from 20 to 60 and, since participant training was delayed and on-the-job training (by the contractor and key JVFA staff) was a total failure, a new staff training program has begun. Still, questions remain about the roles of the JVFA"s board of directors, officers, and various departments; a management information system has not yet been developed; and planned development of agri-business and marketing departments have been postponed. The JVFA credit program has been growing; 1,317 loans worth JD 791,569 have been made, but most were too small (due to project paper restrictions) and too few were made to tenants. The crop collateral system has been hampered by lack of involvement by GOJ extension agents and delays in developing market centers. The JVFA"s farm management department is understaffed, inadequately trained, and has not yet been able to define a role or plan of action; however, it has begun a promising demonstration program. More positively, sales by the farm supply department have risen steadily and a valuable marketing study has been completed. Recommendations are made to address the shortcomings noted above. Action decisions are: amend project documents; develop a staff training program; define the responsibilities of GOJ agencies and the JVFA farm management department; modify the GOJ law which established the JVFA and which limits its activities to small farmers and sharecroppers; provide a farm management advisor, subject to the availability of local staff; conduct a credit study; and develop a U.S. agricultural orientation program for the JVFA director general.