N ID-TEMu VJA1ONG PROJECT The Dryland Agriculture Applied Research Project USAID Project 608-0136 Morocco Prepared for: U.S. Agency for International Developent USAID/Rabat by Dillard N. Gates, Team Leader Carl E. Ferguson, Agronomist/Soil Scientist Robert K. Waugh, Farming Systems/Extension Specialist Kenneth B. Young, Forage Agronomy/Livestock Specialist under Winrock International Rosslyn Plaza 1611 North Kent Street Arlington, Virginia 22209 'Indefinite Quantity Contract PDC-1406-I-00-4086-00 Work Order No. 11 May 1986 41 TABLE OF CONNS Table of Contents Acknowledgments List of Acronyms Executive Summary 1 I. BhCKGROUD 4 II. EVALUATION SCOPE OF WORK 5 III. EVALtWTION METHOOLOGY 5 IV. PROJECT STRUCTURE AND INSTITUTIONL COM D?1' 5 V. PROJECT STATUS, ANALYSIS AND RATI( ALE 7 A. Agronomy, Plant Protection and Soil Science 7 B. Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization 15 C. Forage Program 17 D. Farming Systems and Extension Program 20 E. Socio-Economic Program 28 F. Institution Building and Research Management 32 VI. HODIFICATNICS REQUIRED WITHIN PRESENT LOP 44 A. Agronomy and Soil Science 44 B. Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization 45 C. Livestock Forage Program 45 D. Farming Systems Research and Extension 45 E. Institution Building and Research Management 45 .F. Socio-Economic Program 46 VII. FOLIOW-M ACTVITIES/PROJECT AA=TSION A. Agronomy 47 B. Agricultural Engineering 49 C. Livestock Forage System 50 D. Farming Systems Research and Extension 51 E. Institution Building and Research Management 54 F. Socio-Economic Research 55 G. Projected Stages of Research Development 56 VIII. LESSONS LEARNED 59 IX. COCLUSIOS 60 X. RECOMEDATIONS 62 XI. APPENDICES A. 7he Evaluation Scope of Work B. The Logical Framework C. Evaluation Methodology D. Bibliography of aterials Consulted E. Evaluation Team Schedule of Activities and Interviews F. Agronomy, Plant Protection and Soil Science G. Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization H. Livestock Forage System I. Farming Systems Research and Extension Program J. Institution Building and Research Management K. INRA-MIAC Technical Staff, Participant Trainees and Schedules, Advisory Staff and Consultant Visits L. Projections by IlAC Staff of -Time RequiTed to Achieve Results and Expected Impact on Moroccan Agriculture The Evaluation Team is grateful for the assistance provided to it by maw institutions and individuals during the evaluation process. We would like to express our appreciation to USAID/abat, INRA headquarters and field staff, MIAC field and support staff, to ,RA, the 001 and to the many others that made the mission possible. LIST OF AOF43 AID Agency for International Development AIRC Agricultural Information Resource Center - Settat (Centre de Conjuncture) ANAFID National Association for Land Consolidation Irrigation and Drainage (Association Nationale des Ameliorations Foncieres de l'Irrigation et du drainage) ANEVR Africa and Near East (Bureau) / Technical Resources (Office) / Agriculture and Rural Development CDN National Documentation Center (Centre de Documentation National) CDSS Country Development Strategy Statement CIMYT International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center CT Extension Center (Centre du 'Travaux) CRSP Cooperative Research Support Project DAARP Dryland Agriculture Applied Research Project DR Division of Development Resources (Direction du Development Rural) DPA Provincial Level Agricultural Office (Direction Provincial d'Agriculture) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FSIP Farming Systems Infrastructure and Policy FSR Farming Systems Research FSRVE laming Systems Research/Extension GO1 Government of Morocco GNP Gross National Product IANR Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources ICARDA International Center for Agriculture Research in Dry Areas ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics INRA National Agronomic Research Institut, (Institut National de la Recherches Agronomiques) ISNAR International Service for National Agricultural Research IAV National Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (Institut National Agronomique et Veterinaire - HASSAN II) LOP Life of Project LWC Less Developed Countries MA Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (Ministere de l'Agriculture et de la Reforme Agraire) MIAC Mid America International Agricultural Consortion Mw Memorandum of Understanding PACD Planned Assistance Completion Date PE Professional Engineer PT Participant Trainee RCRSF Small Ruminant/Cooperative Research Support Project TA Technical Assistance TRC Technical Resources Center U4L University of Nebraska, Lincoln USAID United States Agency for International Development The Dryland Agricultural Applied Research Project (DA ) was first implemented in 1980 to increase basic food production and establish an applied agricultural research program. It was redesigned and expanded in 1984 to more fully meet the needs of dryland farmers in the 250-450 om precipitation zone. The DA is essentially an institution building project. The primary project components are technical assistance, research, training, funding and facilities. The GCM provides the physical facilities, operational inputs and participant trainees and MIAC provides the technical assistance (TA) staff, equipment, and training for long and short-term participants. Physical facilities provirkd by INRA include buildings for offices, laboratories, workshops, a mechanization center and greenhouse headhouse at the Aridoculture Center. In addftion, -IM -provides -four satellite-research stations. The IIAC staff supervises the academic and research programs of PTs. The PTs complete their course work in U.S. universities and dissertation research in Morocco. M.S. level degrees will be awarded by U.S. univer­ sities and doctorate degrees by IAV. Since implementation of the redesigned project in 1984, the project has made excellent progress. All MIAC TA positions are filled and the staff is actively engaged in research and in providing advice to participant trainees. Research is being conducted by INRA and MIAC staff in Aridoculture Center laboratories, at three satellite research stations and on private farms. The on-farm research trials provide an opportunity to conduct research under a broad range of environmental conditions. Research projects involve cereal breeding, food legumes breeding and management, crop management, soil and water conservation and management, forages, agricul­ tural engineering and mechanization, socio-economics research and plant pest management. The research program is generally developmental oriented. Exceptions are in cases where PTs are doing thesis research of a more fundamental nature to meet dissertation requirements. The direction of the research work is generally on target. However, additional support is needed in plant pathology and agricultural economics. The forage component should also be strengthened and a livestock component added later when the project is extended. While good progress has been made with diagnostic trials at the farm level, the focus to date is largely on production components without much integration of the components into farming systems. The farming systems research and extension approach has been initiated but needs further development, much of which can only be implemented in an extension of the project. In addition to the long-term Th, MIAC has also provided in excess of six person years of short-term assistance. Short-term consultants provide. guidance and advice to PTs, evaluate research plans, support MlIAC research and administrative staff. 1 The DUM calls for cooperation among Mh, MW and IV staff. 1Av faculty mers were to serve as co-advisers to IfA PTs and serve on graduate com ittees. To date and for reasons not well understood by the Evaluation Team, cooperation has been minimal. The problem should be solved, in part at least, as the PTs move through the process of completing Doctor of Science requirements at IAV. The project is now established and moving deliberately to meet its goal and purpose. However, the institution building process is long-term. It is the judgement of the evaluation team that another ten years of assistance will be required before the Aridoculture Center can stand alone. The importance of agricultural mechanization has become apparent as new technologies become available and more farmers progress from subsistence toward comercial agricultural production. However, in some areas, particu­ larly those with sloping to steep and/or shallow, stony soil, animl traction is utilized. The agricultural uechanizaton--reearch -program no in progress places major emphasis on farm equipment to meet the needs of the farmer with small or mid-size land holdings. Tractor power for this size equipment is readily available in Morocco but there is a need for improved tillage, planting and harvesting equipment. The need for new technologies to accommodate the sall-scale farmer is also being addressed. Additional emphasis will be given to the mechanization needs of the small-scale farmer with the assignment of an animal traction mechanization specialist from International Center for Research in Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to the project. The place of forages in the cropping system has been given relatively little attention by the project. Further, despite the fact that 70 percent of the livestock production in Morocco is associated with cereal crop pro­ duction, the project has had no livestock c"Aponent. In order to more fully utilize available land and inoisture resources and optimize farmer income, livestock