The Nepal seed and fertilizer activity mid-term performance evaluation report

The evaluation team held 97 key informant interviews and 10 focus group discussions to answer three evaluation questions. Based on the evidence collected, the evaluation team concludes that NSAF has technologies with high potential to increase farmer productivity, including yellow maize hybrids, Polymer Coated Urea (PCU), Urea Deep Placement (UDP) briquettes, and split fertilizer application technologies. A system based on seed companies and agrovets is sufficiently in place to take NSAF seed technologies to scale. However, a growing government fertilizer subsidy program and the “crowding out” of private sector activity may impede the scaling up of fertilizer technologies. The team recommends that NSAF focuses on the development of yellow hybrid maize varieties, PCU, UDP, and split application fertilizer technologies1. NSAF needs to expedite formal release and registration processes and review its exit strategy for seed technologies. NSAF with USAID should review the revised fertilizer technology-scaling model to clarify how the theory of change impacts of “increased investment and private sector opportunity” and “improved economic policy and performance” will be achieved. Actions with the Government of Nepal (GON) to make the fertilizer subsidy more effective need to be emphasized. USAID also should lobby the government in support of NSAF in regard to licensing permissions that are required for PCU and UDP technologies and the space allowed for commercial actors to supply the right fertilizer at the right time and place in line with Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS 2014) commitments. The activity also needs to focus the remaining period of the contract on technology dissemination with special consideration paid to the hard to reach groups, including women, disadvantaged groups, and minorities.