Agricultural Technology & Rural Technical Education Project

closed

This Project is the first phase of the Agricultural Technology Program, and will aim at initiating a system of reforms, to strengthen the agricultural technology development of public institutions, and create guidelines to guarantee interactions of public, and private sector institutions within the program. The components will: 1) develop institutional capacity, through a reform policy, establishing institutional arrangements to encourage both public, and private institutions' involvement in agricultural technology, technical education, and training activities; 2) establish a competitive fund for agricultural services, to promote grant facilities responsiveness to client demands. Under the fund, the grant facilities will be tested, on an evaluation basis of their effectiveness, for further expansion with improved administrative procedures, and institutional arrangements; 3) support agricultural research, and development; technology transfer; seed production; in-service training of front line technical assistance staff; post-harvest technology, and market development with farmers' associations; planning, and monitoring and evaluation, to ensure responsiveness to advisory services; 4) establish, and pilot agricultural, and training systems to assess technical capabilities; and, 5) establish, and pilot an agricultural information system, to capture technical, market, and environmental information.