LA-Agricultural Development Project

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The Agricultural Development Project aims to reduce rural poverty by improving and increasing agricultural production through a community-based approach in designing and implementing components which directly impact the lives of the poor in the participating provinces and districts. There are six components in this project. The first component will improve rural infrastructure by supporting the rehabilitation of small-scale irrigation systems, the rehabilitation of rural access tracks and trails, and the improvement of rural water supply and sanitation. The second component, Village Investment for the Poor, will be a block grant allocated to a district for implementing small scale projects identified by the villagers themselves. The third component, Improved Agricultural Services, will provide for: a) institutional strengthening of agricultural services at district, provincial, and central levels for the delivery of extension services; and b) adaptive research and demonstrations. The fourth component will support the policy of transferring responsibility for irrigation management and system to water user associations. The fifth component, environmental management, will finance activities for raising awareness among farmers and extension staff of environmental issues. The sixth component sill provide support for the implementation and coordination units, and in particular strengthen capacity in monitoring and evaluation as well as in financial management.