SAHEL FOOD CROP PROTECTION

THERE WERE DELAYS IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRAINING CENTER AND DELAYS IN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION-THIS DUE TO THE NEED TO PROVIDE FRENCH LANGUAGE TRAINING TO THE PROJECT MANAGER AND USDA/PASA PERSONNEL. THE AID INTERIM REGULATIONS ON PESTICIDE PROCUREMENT, USE, AND MONITORING DELAYED BY AT LEAST ONE YEAR ANY EFFECTIVE FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT. THE COURT-IMPOSED REGISTRATION AND USE OF SPECIFIC PESTICIDES ON SPECIFIC CROPS FOR SPECIFIC PESTS MAKE ANY LEGITIMATE USE OF PESTICIDES VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE UNDER CONDITIONS IN THE SAHEL. OTHERWISE, PROJECT PROCEEDED SUCCESSFULLY: COMMODITIES WERE DELIVERED ON SCHEDULE; TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE UNDERWAY; AND TOTAL COMMITMENTS WERE MADE TO PROJECT BY THE CILSS STATES, THE CLUB DU SAHEL, AND THE SAHEL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. IT WAS LEARNED THAT; 1.MORE TIME SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR RECRUITMENT OF PASA PERSONNEL TO ALLOW FOR PROCESSING AND FRENCH LANGUAGE TRAINING; 2.ALLOWANCES NEED TO BE MADE FOR DELAYS IN SHIPMENTS OF COMMODITIES, NEGOTIATING OF CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS, AND LACK OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS; 3.IN THE FRANCOPHONE COUNTRIES, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND BIOLOGICAL SCIENTISTS WITH A COMMAND OF ENGLISH; 4.THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GOOD EXTENSION SERVICE WITH A CORE OF PROFESSIONAL PLANT PROTECTION PERSONNEL AT THE DIRECTRATE LEVEL IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SAHEL COUNTRIES TO BE ABLE TO COMBAT CROP PESTS.