Report of evaluation team on the agricultural technology development project

Special evaluation, conducted by consultant and IDIAP personnel, covers the period 10/78-7/83 and is based on document review and site visits. Crop research at eight priority sites (criticisms of the Divisa and David facilities are included in the report) is progressing well. Experimental- and, especially, farmer-field trials have yielded improved maize-bean, potato-potato, and tomato cropping systems, new pepper and pumpkin varieties, and valuable information on, inter alia, golden nematode control, liming of soils high in exchangeable aluminum, and food grain response to changing production practices. Grain yields on small, mechanized farms are expected to increase moderately, but little has been done to develop improved technologies for labor-intensive, subsistence farming. Information dissemination, which has led to a high (80%) acceptance of the three improved cropping systems noted above, is accomplished mainly through farmer-IDIAP contacts, without participation by the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA). The proposed research-cum-transfer methodology is being implemented, especially in programs supported by the Institute for Tropical Resources (CATIE) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). In livestock research, IDIAP has formed a staff of 50, but they are largely inexperienced, have not formed multidisciplinary teams as planned, and lack sound program formulation and data collection procedures. Livestock research, which has focused on pasture improvement, animal nutrition, and beef and dairy cattle production, is considerably behind crop research, and further staff training is needed if integrated farming systems programs are to be developed (even though, overall, IDIAP has increased its technical staff to 150 against a target of 95, despite government budgetary constraints). Collaboration with national and international research institutes has advanced well except in regard to the key linkage with MIDA. Recommendations to improve the project are included.