Project completion report : 386-0471-fertilizer promotion project

The project has been successfully completed, its purpose and objectives achieved. Although only 225,807 MT of fertilizer were imported under the project (representing only 2.79% of India's total fertilizer imports during the period 1981-85), the project helped the Government of India (GOI) to substantially improve fertilizer distribution. Three key strategies were utilized: (1) expansion to 104 districts of an earlier Intensive Fertilizer Promotion Campaign (including inter alia, demonstrations, farmer training, and opening of new warehouses); (2) increasing the number of retail outlets; and (3) development of a system of transport subsidies to ensure that fertilizer was delivered to block headquarters, though without disrupting existing distribution and marketing arrangements. Overall, the number of retail outlets in campaign districts grew by about 46% and consumption by about 51%. Distribution to block headquarters increased about 67%. A.I.D. has decided that in the immediate future it is not likely to support resource transfer projects such as this in India. The success of this project, and its record of making disbursements ahead of schedule, should be noted, however.