Somalia project 649-0038 · 1965

Evaluates one component of the Agricultural Services project in Somalia for the period 1/62 - 12/64. The component evaluated is the National Agricultural Research Station being established near Afgoi which will consolidate major agricultural experimentation efforts into one area. A good deal of initial planning and development work has been done. Land has been cleared and prepared for farming, equipment and supplies procured, a reasonably well-trained staff is available, and funding has been arranged. Some trials of sorghum and rice have been conducted. The project is, however, 12 to 18 months behind schedule. Failure of the host government to grant to the Ministry of Agriculture title to the land and legal rights to irrigation water from the river was the chief factor hampering early progress of the project. Once title to land and water were granted in mid-1964, studies of the land water, irrigation, and planning of the station moved rapidly. Additional implementation delays are caused by the long time required to procure supplies and equipment, particularly spare parts. The author also points out that the Somali cultural background is not particularly conductive to the rapid b

Source: DEC abstract, PD-AAB-845-A1 (1965). The source's own text.