Agricultural Services Project

The agricultural services project will strengthen key departments in the Ministry of Agriculture by providing consultancy services, and equipments. It wil also improve irrigation facilities for smallholder farmers, and availability of fertilizer. An institutional support programme will be implemented under the project. This will lead to an improvement in the capacity of the departments concerned to administer the sector. Agricultural research will be efficiently carried out resulting in the establishment of on-farm research and extension linkage. Extension services will be improved through staff training; all Farm Home Assistants will be upgraded to Field Assistants; training for all farmers including women will be undertaken; there will be more emphasis on delivery of extension packqges by delinking credit from extension activities; and fertilizers will be made more available to smallholder farmers. All these will result in increased productivity. The use of improved agronomic practices originating from research, extension, input supply and related activities will reach at least some 60 per cent of the smallholder under the project. Extension services and technology on small scale irrigation activities will cover 28,240 ha leading, together with rainfed agriculture, to increased agricultural production. Incomes and food availability of the smallholder will be improved upon completion of the project and thereafter. The project will be implemented over a period of six years.