RURAL FINANCIAL MARKETS

TO ACCOMPLISH OBJ(1),OSU DOES THE FOLLOWING: 1.PREPARES & DISTRIBUTES WITH AID A ROSTER OF 100 RURAL FINANCE CONSULTANTS;2.HOLDS INTERNATL CONFERENCES AND REGIONAL & COUNTY WORKSHOPS TO STIMULATE INTEREST IN RURAL FINANCE AMONG FINANCIAL PLANNERS;3.HELPS LDC PERSONNEL WHO ARE POTENTIAL RFM EXPERTS LOCATE IN GRADUATE TRNG PROGRAMS;4.FULFILLS AID/LDC ADVISOR REQUESTS DIRECTLY FROM OSU STAFF OR THROUGH SUB-CONTRACTORS-THIS INCLUDES EVALUATIONS OF CREDIT PROJS SUBMITTED BY AID MISSIONS;5.ORGANIZES WORKSHOPS FOR AID/W PERSONNEL ON CONTEMPORARY RFM ISSUES;6.DEVELOPS A MAILING LIST OF 1500 INDIV & ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE DISTRIB OF A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER ON RUR FINANCIAL STUDIES,PROJS & POLICIES,AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RURAL FINANCE PUBLICATIONS;7.PROVIDES REFERENCE SRVCS(STUDIES & REPORTS)TO AID PERSONNEL & RESEARCHERS IN LDC"S. FOR OBJ (2),OSU CONDUCTS THESE RESEARCH & STUDY ACTIVITIES: 1.INTENSIVE RESRCH OF RUR FINANCE PROBLEMS IN 4 LDC"S-2 RESRCHD BY OSU PERSONNEL,2 BY ROSTER CONSULTANTS,AND ALL 4 WITH THE COOPERATION OF LDC SPECIALISTS;PROBS RESRCHD INCLUDE GROUP LENDING,LOAN REPAYMENT,INTEREST RATE POLICIES,RISK & UNCERTAINTY,RUR SAVINGS BEHAVIOR,AND RUR FINANCE & NON-FARM ENTERPRISES;2.SPECIAL STUDIES ON CREDIT OPERATIONS,SAVINGS MOBILIZATION PROGRAMS,CROP INSURANCE SCHEMES,ET AL,AND EVALS OF ON-GOING RUR FINANCE PROJS OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO AID.THE REPORTS THAT ARE PREPARED BY OSU FROM THE RESULTS OF THIS RESRCH ARE THEREUPON DISTRIBUTED TO AID AND CONCERNED PARTIES THROUGH THE ABOVEMENTIONED DISSEM CHANNELS. POSSIBLE LDC SITES FOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES ARE BOLIVIA,PUERTO RICO & THE PHILIPPINES.THIS PROJ"S PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES ARE PROJECT PLANNERS. Amendment of 6/24/81 provides for a 6-month, no-cost extension of the project in order to allow OSU to conduct an assessment of financial markets for agricultural credit in Honduras and to devote more time to the analysis and reporting of existing long-term applied research interventions in Jamaica, Thailand, and Bolivia. (PD-AAI-502)