Regional food crop protection annex A, phase II

Evaluation covers the period 12/78-1/80 and is based on document review and oral reports. Outputs have essentially been achieved. Two "live-in" training centers for CP personnel have been established in Dakar and Yaounde, and several hundred extensionists have received field training. Peace Corps Volunteers, some of them degreed entomologists, were briefed on regional CP problems and are active in the project. Project personnel have tested and demonstrated methods for controlling pests which destroy cassava and cowpeas in Senegal and Cameroon, and for controlling the parasitic weed Striga in Cameroon. Institution of English-language training at U.S. universities has facilitated the long-term participant training program, which now numbers 13 trainees with 8 more planned. The project has helped the staffs of national CP services to increase dramatically, e.g., 100% in Senegal, resulting in increased requests for more counterparts. A training program was carried out with SODEVA, and programs are being planned with other national and international organizations such as the Sahel Institute. A phytosanitary national meeting in Cameroon brought together extension and research units in an effort to increase communications between services and staff, and 70 higher level Sahelian professionals attended a Pesticide Management Seminar in Dakar in 2/79. A seminar on biological control is scheduled for 12/80. In all project countries, (which now include Guinea-Bissau and Mali), reference collections of major field crop pests are being prepared with help from the Smithsonian Institution. Ongoing problems include the continued use of U.S.-restricted pesticides in this multi-donor project; the difficulty in staffing the U.S. input due to French language needs and clearance problems; and the need to increase funding due to depreciation of the dollar. Action decisions are to increase staff and PASA support; coordinate activity with CILSS and the Sahel Institute; amend grant agreements and negotiate a new agreement with Chad; accelerate training; and continue to develop crop loss assessment and cost-benefit data.