Planning, economics, and statistics for agriculture

To upgrade the ability of the DPAE"s Statistics and Documentation Service to gather and analyze up-to-date agricultural statistics, area sampling frames (ASF"s) begun under project 9311224 will be completed for all of Morocco"s agricultural production zones. In addition, digital processing of satellite data will be introduced and an aerial photography laboratory established. The ASF"s will be used to develop annual national crop and livestock surveys to serve as a ground truth base for computer classification of satellite data and to provide basic crop area estimates. The latter will be used to develop objective yield models permitting more reliable and timely estimates and forecasts for major crops. A computerized DPAE data bank connected to other sections of the MARA will also be established. Models for economic analysis of key agricultural issues will be developed in the DPAE"s Economic Studies Service (ESS), leading to an expanded ESS capacity for economic micro- and macro-analysis. In addition, the project design and analysis capability of the DPAE"s Projects Service (PS) will be enhanced, and PS systems for project monitoring and evaluation and the PS"s project documentation center improved in connection with efforts undertaken under project 6080160. To the above ends, A.I.D. will provide the DPAE with: 3 long-term economists and a total of 4.6 years of short-term TA; additional computer hardware and software, along with aerial photography and photo lab equipment and satellite imagery; U.S. graduate and short-term training (respectively, 18 Ph.D."s/4 M.S."s and 96 person-weeks for 16 individuals); and in-country long-term (M.S."s) and short-term training (for 600 DPAE staff members), the latter through seminars and on-the-job experience. Funds for in-country English-language training and for training of enumerators for the ASF surveys will also be provided. Amendment of 1/28/87 expands the project"s purpose to include improvement of MARA"s ability to publish timely statistics, analyze economic policy, and plan agricultural projects. Additional long- and short-term TA will be provided and training emphasis will shift from doctorate- to master"s-level formal education and to increased participation of GOM staff in short-term, tailor-made U.S. training courses. (PD-AAV-157)