NATIONAL NUTRITION PROGRAM

Evaluation covers the period 7/1/78-6/30/79 and is based on participating GOH agencies" reports. Four pilot projects were created to develop and increase agriculture and aquaculture production of several foodstuffs. Of the four, two are on target in their production schedules and two have been obliged to downgrade their goals due to redistribution of funding. Funds were transfered from other components to the aquaculture pilot project in order to accomodate the high priority accorded aquaculture by the GOH; additional transfers may be recommended. Nutrition education via radio broadcasts and community education was a successful aspect of the project -- a total of 60,000 spot radio messages were transmitted in 1978 alone and over 300 community leaders were trained. Publication of educational material, however, is being held up by a delay in procurement of printing equipment; in fact, inadequate GOH deliveries have disrupted schedules in almost every project activity. USAID will attempt to rectify this situation. The water supply and environmental sanitation component of the project was substantially revised, with the total number of wells planned for installation cut by 33%, and numbers of latrines constructed reduced by 25%; the original goals were found to have been overambitious. Under the planning and evaluation component of the project, an experimental nutrition surveillance system was designed and tested which will now be broadened to other parts of Honduras. Unplanned effects have been the decision not to encourage soy production in highly productive redbean areas, which removed one sector of the country from the project area. Also, the fact that farmers who were offered an improved variety of sorghum hesitated to recultivate taught that the introduction of a new seed package is not always the answer to increased production.