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Objectives
The project was planned and developed as a continuation
of the National Livestock Project (186), with the principal objectives
of strengthening livestock-sector institutions and undertaking development
activities aimed at raising livestock productivity and alleviating poverty
among herders.
Activities
Institutional strengthening:
- Restructure FNEC for the purpose of improving its input distribution
system, grass-roots development and ability to manage markets, and of
rendering it more democratic.
- Establish an inter-professional livestock development fund to manage
financial services in the livestock sector.
- Establish a mutual credit and savings scheme managed by a competent
entity satisfactory to the donors.
- Draft new model statutes for the establishment of ZAGROPs and submit
to Parliament any proposed amendments to the laws governing ZAGROPs.
 Development
support:
- Train staff of ANDE in animal control measures, and provide equipment
for five new border posts.
- Set up 19 ZAGROPs, each covering an area of 40 000 ha, and rehabilitate
400 km of track and 800 km of secondary access roads used by herders
to enter the settlement areas.
- Create 120 new herder groups and strengthen existing groups to enable
them to become independent, member-managed organizations capable of
providing literacy and management training and support to mutual savings
and credit groups.
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Support the creation of a mutual savings and credit
system by providing an office building, vehicles, equipment, staff
training and associated operating costs. This component also included
a herd-rebuilding scheme under which six breeder animals were to be
provided to 1 850 poor herders identified by the herder associations.
Staff training:
- Train ANDE staff in extension techniques aimed at farmers wishing
to diversify into crop production.
- Train project staff of FNEC and the livestock development fund in
project management techniques.
Outcome
The project as a whole encountered many setbacks that considerably
affected both its implementation and impact. Start-up was delayed by the
late arrival of the technical project manager and by the Government’s
tardiness in paying its contribution into the special fund. The two army
mutinies that occurred shortly after the project became effective led
to political instability throughout the country from then onwards and
significantly disrupted project implementation.
The lack of security caused herders to abandon the ZAGROP
in Djobe-Bapi. Raiders from Chad harassed herders in isolated camps, taking
children hostage and demanding ransom money, and murdered a number of
men who tried to protect their families. The Government’s half-hearted
reaction had little practical impact, and the herders reportedly abandoned
the area.
Before the onset of widespread insecurity, however, the
project had achieved some success. One of its major achievements was to
train staff of ANDE, FNEC and the livestock development fund. Although
the project later faced serious implementation problems, it can be assumed
that the capacity created by the training will be used to improve the
livestock sector, regardless of whether or not this will take place within
an external donor programme or within a national one.
Due to donor pressure, FNEC’s statutes were amended
in August 1994. The number of traditional clan chiefs on the board of
directors was reduced and the representation of trustees from grass-roots
associations was increased.
Many of the activities foreseen in the appraisal report,
including herd reconstitution for poor herders and the setting up of a
mutual credit and savings scheme, were not in fact implemented.
Access to Inputs & Infrastructure
| The project
planned to implement a restocking grant/beneficiary contribution
system of 'pass on the gift', targeting the poorest herders, a
system pioneered in many developing countries by the American
NGO, Heifer Project International. The major characteristics of
the approach are that it is self-sustaining and each participant
subsequently becomes a donor to others. |
| Planned
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Achieved
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| Target 1 850 poor
herders (to be identified by the herder associations) to benefit
from the 'pass on the gift' approach.
Finance the training of ANDE staff in the field
of regulatory and control duties associated with animal health
interventions. Train herder children and provide ANDE staff with
transportation (12 pick-up trucks, 55 motorcycles and 108 mopeds).
Equip five new control posts on the borders with Chad and Cameroon.
Rehabilitate feeder roads to improve access to existing
livestock markets and increase the availability of consumer goods
in pastoral areas. This was intended to encourage pastoralists
to increase off-take. |
|
The 'pass on the gift'
approach was not implemented.
ANDE staff were trained successfully. No information
is available on any other institutional-strengthening activities.
No information is available on the rehabilitation
of feeder roads. It is likely that civil unrest caused this component
to be abandoned. |
Organizations & People
| Prior
to the project, there were three main professional associations
in the livestock sector: FNEC, ANBC and ACCB. FNEC, whose main
function involves input distribution, is the oldest and most
effective of the three organizations. The Ministry of Agriculture
and Livestock supervise all three organizations, but this arrangement
is considered to be too restrictive as it eliminates the organizations’
decision-making responsibilities.
FNEC, one of the project’s major executing
agencies, is composed of herder and agro-pastoral groups, which
operate the veterinary supply system through a small pharmacy
where members and non-members purchase their supplies. |
| Planned
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Achieved
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| Equip a pastoral department
to create 200 additional herder associations and train their
leaders and auxiliaries.
Strengthen the financial and administrative management
of FNEC through the provision of staff and equipment; and expand
its distribution system through the construction and staffing
of 30 depots. |
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No herder associations
were created. In fact, according to the World Bank supervision
report, the number of such associations fell from 238 to 228
during the period when the project was operational. It was reported
that four associations had been disbanded because of herder
migration to Cameroon; three owing to repeated attacks; while
another three may have relocated to the eastern part of the
country.
No information is available on the strengthening
of FNEC. It is not known how many depots, if any, were built. |
Risk management
| At appraisal,
it was reported that herders rarely saved any money. However,
a survey carried out by the American NGO, VITA, among its urban
clients indicated that 76% of the herders would welcome a credit
facility. It was felt that this would also be a welcome service
for most rural herders.
The project planned to provide for the development
of a mutual savings and credit system to help the herders cope
with intermittent difficulties. Three types of credit were to
be provided: for input needs; for investments for personal gain
(such as increasing herd size); and for group projects. |
| Planned
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|
Achieved
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| Establish a mutual
savings and loan network, providing a central office and setting
up 12 regional mutual savings and loan offices and 85 village
funds. Finance the cost of setting up the network (vehicles,
computer, furniture and other office equipment) and training
network staff; fund the first two years’ operations and
provide rediscount funds (if and when the MTR confirmed that
the project had got off to a sound start), making it possible
to increase the lending/savings ratio. |
|
Due to civil unrest,
the mutual savings and credit scheme was not implemented, and
thus the targets were not met. |
Range management
| It is
generally acknowledged that the Central African Republic has
an abundance of grazing resources and that there is potential
to expand livestock activity. Nevertheless, there is a need
to introduce appropriate range management practices and techniques
before existing degradation becomes difficult to reverse. Many
of the rangelands near potential markets, such as those adjacent
to the border with Cameroon, are currently overgrazed. This
demonstrates that, despite the reported abundance of land, there
is beginning to be a shortage of the land preferred by herders.
Many of the herders know of techniques to prevent
rangeland deterioration. However, they are reportedly reluctant
to implement them because of the time that would be involved,
the insecurity they feel about the land and their fear that
no benefits would accrue to them or their descendants. The ZAGROPs
were to have covered areas of about 40 000 ha where the
herders would have had exclusive land rights, and their creation
would have provided herders with the opportunity to implement
improved rangeland management techniques for their own benefit.
The lands were to have been managed by committees made up of
representatives of different herder families.
At least one ZAGROP was established under the
earlier National Livestock Project (186). However, it appears
that there had been no adequate consultation among the users
of the areas, farmers and hunters, which led to tension among
the different groups. |
| Planned
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Achieved
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| Encourage the Government
to set up 19 ZAGROPs of 40 000 ha each by the end of the
project.
Assist the Ministry of Rural Development to develop
extension and training packages and strengthen its capacity
to carry out research and pastoral settlement. |
|
No new ZAGROPs were
established during the course of the project, which only managed
to identify priority sites for three new ZAGROPs in the eastern
part of the country.
From the reports available, it is not clear whether
or not assistance was provided to the Ministry of Rural Development. |
Lessons learned
- Herder associations were formed and accepted by the herders. However,
they proved too weak to help the herders when cattle prices declined
drastically due to the economic downturn experienced in the region.
- FNEC is not politically independent due to continued interference
in its management (mostly with regard to the selection of its Secretary-General).
- During project implementation, problems of communication arose between
IDA and IFAD. At times, IFAD felt that IDA was not keeping it informed
of implementation issues.
- There is no mention of an M&E system in the appraisal report,
MTR or supervision reports. This leaves one to suppose that either there
was no such system, or, if it existed, that it functioned inadequately.
- Other factors that had a negative effect on the project were the lack
of counterpart funds, the quality of the accounts and apparent mismanagement
of funds on the part of ANDE and FNEC.
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| Project information |
Total project cost: USD 32.5 million, Livestock
cost (as percentage of total): 100%.
Duration: The credit was scheduled to close on 30 June 2000.
In 1996, the World Bank (cooperating institution and main project financier)
suspended its operations in the Central African Republic. IFAD operations
in the country were suspended in 1999.
Beneficiaries: The project’s intended beneficiaries were 25 000
Peul and Mbororos herders and their families (about 270 000 individuals
in all) practising transhumance or mixed crop/livestock production. The
entire target group had annual incomes of less than the national average
of USD 410 per person, and about 40% had less than half of that. |
| References |
Report and Recommendation of the President to the Executive
Board on a Proposed Loan to the Central African Republic (1994).
Projet de développement de l'élevage et des ressources naturelles
(PDERN), mission de pré- évaluation de la deuxième phase.
Staff Appraisal Report: Central African Republic. Livestock
Development and Rangeland Management Project (Loan Number 361). Document
of the World Bank. Report No. 13075-CA
Central African Republic, IFAD Strategy. Africa Division,
Project Management Department (1997).
Mid-Term Review, Central African Republic Livestock Development
and Rangeland Management Project.
World Bank memorandum from Mr. Noel Chabeuf to Mr. Vincent
Ferrer.
Portfolio Review Report 1998. West and Central Africa Region. |
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