National Agricultural Extension and Research Program Support Project

The project will contribute to improve farmers agricultural productivity and incomes in a sustainable way, through providing support to an integrated, farmer-orientated agricultural extension system and a demand-driven research system. It aims at completing the reform of one of the two main operational branches of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Agricultural Production (DPA) initiated with the Bank financed PNVA. While attempting to provide services to all farmers, the project will progressively concentrate on small resource-poor farmers and women food crop producers on a priority basis. It will assist farmers, particularly market-oriented farmers to develop professional associations capable in due course to provide technology transfer services to their members on a financially sustainable basis. It will test alternative methods for agricultural services delivery.