INTEG. RURAL DEVT. V

closed

The Sergipe Rural Development Project is designed to increase the agricultural production and incomes, broaden the economic opportunities, and thus raise the living standards of 8,400 farm families residing in the Tabuleiros Sul region of Sergipe State. Other objectives of the project include: increasing the project area's contribution to the local and state food supplies and to export earnings, and improving the technical and administrative capacities of agencies involved in agriculture and rural development in Sergipe State. To achieve these ends, the project provides for the strengthening of agricultural and social support services and infrastructure, rural credit, the establishment of agricultural settlements, and the institutional development of the main local executing agencies. The main risk faced by the project is that of not achieving active participation by and adequate coordination among, the various participating agencies. However, a special Project Administration Unit is already established, and arrangements would be made by the State to ensure a more direct involvement of the participating agencies in annual project planning. Potential project management problems would also be reduced by such safeguards as annual reviews of the implementation program of each participating agency.