ON - FARM WATER MANAGEMENT

EVALUATION, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN AN AGRICULTURE SECTOR REPORT, COVERS THE PERIOD 12/29/77 TO 3/31/79 AND IS BASED ON PROJECT FILES AND FINANCIAL RECORDS, INTERVIEWS, AND ONSITE VISITS. IMPLEMENTATION HAS PROGRESSED WELL. THREE RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION FARMS WERE ESTABLISHED. SIX, IN-DEPTH, WATER-SOIL-PLANT INTERACTION RESEARCH STUDIES WERE CONDUCTED. SOME 60 APPLIED RESEARCH-DEMONSTRATION STUDIES WERE PERFORMED. A NATIONAL IRRIGATION MANUAL AND 8 EXTENSION-TYPE BULLETINS WERE PREPARED. FIVE FARMER FIELD DAYS WERE HELD. FIVE STUDENTS ARE WRITING THEIR THESES ON ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT. NUMEROUS STUDENTS, PROFESSIONALS, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE PERSONNEL, FARMER ORGANIZATIONS, AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED INFORMAL TRAINING AT THE 3 RESEARCH-DEMONSTRATION SITES. AS OF 3/31/79, A TOTAL OF $142,751 OF $189,000 OBLIGATED FUNDS WERE DISBURSED, MOSTLY TO SUPPORT THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TEAM (CONSISTING OF AN IRRIGATION ENGINEER AND AN AGRONOMIST) FROM UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, AS WELL AS FOR PROCUREMENT OF A VEHICLE, TESTING, AND DEMONSTRATION EQUIPMENT. DUE TO THE LACK OF SUITABLE PERUVIAN TECHNICIANS, NO FUNDS WERE EXPENDED FOR PARTICIPANT TRAINING. A PROJECT EVALUATION MADE BY THE NATIONAL PLANNING OFFICE (NPO) HAS NOT YET BEEN SUBMITTED TO USAID NOR APPROVED BY GOP. AS A RESULT, NONE OF THE $191,000 PROVIDED IN PROJECT AGREEMENT #2, WHICH ALSO REQUIRES A PROJECT EVALUATION PRIOR TO FURTHER DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS, HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE. USAID SHOULD DETERMINE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH NPO, IF PROJECT OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN MET. IF SO, USAID AND GOP SHOULD IMPLEMENT PROJECT AGREEMENT #2. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE RESEARCH (INIA) IS NOW THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTING AGENCY. PROJECT ACTIVITIES ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE UNDER INIA, SINCE THE DIRECTORATE OF SOIL AND WATER NOW HAS TOTAL COUNTERPART RESPONSIBILITIES. COUNTERPART FUNDS FOR OPERATING EXPENSES HAVE BEEN LIMITED, BUT INIA IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE PL 480, TITLE I GENERATED LOCAL CURRENCY IN 6/79.