SUMATRA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

PROJECT PURPOSE IS TO ASSIST THE GOI CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE (CRIA) TO EXPAND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ON THE ISLAND OF SUMATRA. THIS FIRST ANNUAL EVALUATION WAS JOINTLY PREPARED BY USAID AND CRIA BASED ON REVIEW OF PROJECT RECORDS, DISCUSSIONS, AND INTERVIEWS. INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION WAS DELAYED BY LENGTHY CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (IADS). ONE REASON FOR THE DELAY WAS THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST DIRECT HOST-COUNTRY CONTRACT NEGOTIATED BY CRIA. THE CONTRACTOR, IADS, REQUESTED UNUSUAL TERMS SUCH AS ANNUAL HOME LEAVE FOR ITS STAFF. SINCE SIGNING THE CONTRACT ON 1/15/79, IADS HAS EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN RECRUITING QUALIFIED SPECIALISTS. IADS HAS NOW APPOINTED A TEAM LEADER WHO WILL ARRIVE 10/1/79. IADS HAS ALSO PLACED 5 CRIA STAFF MEMBERS FOR PARTICIPANT TRAINING. DESPITE THESE DELAYS, CRIA HAS ALREADY ENGAGED IN CROP PRODUCTION RESEARCH IN SUMATRA. EXPERIMENTS INCLUDE: SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF SEVERAL RICE LINES TOLERANT TO COLD; FERTILIZER TRIALS TO DETERMINE APPROPRIATE DOSAGE, TIMING, AND MODE OF APPLICATION FOR RICE; AND ADAPTABILITY TRIALS FOR CORN, SOYBEAN, AND ROOT CROPS IN THE FORM OF SUITABLE CROPPING SYSTEMS. CRIA HAS PREPARED PLANS FOR HOUSING AND A DORMITORY, AND HAS CONSTRUCTED A NEW WING AT THE BANDARBUAT STATION.