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Objectives
 The
overall objective of the project is to improve the incomes and living
conditions of the small producers and fishermen in the semi-arid zone
of the States of Falcon and Lara, while promoting rational management
of national resources. Specific objectives are to:
- improve water collection and storage;
- develop a suitable technology for watershed management, and provide
training and incentives to farmers for improved management of natural
resources;
- strengthen the institutional capacity to provide services such as
training, extension and credit assistance to producers’ groups,
and promote the establishment of financial services in the area;
- develop intensive production of irrigated crops and improve the productivity
of rainfed agriculture and goat-raising activities through training
and extension, validation and transfer of technology and support for
produce marketing;
- strengthen grass-roots organizations and promote farmer participation;
- strengthen the productive role of women and women’s enterprises,
in particular goat cheese-making; and
- provide credit and training to artisanal fishermen.
Activities
The major project components are as follows:
- soil and water management;
- production support activities; and
- credit.
Outcome
High population dispersion and poor communications hindered
the project target of reaching 5 185 families. Almost 90% of the
planned beneficiaries had been reached by November 1999 but it was decided
that the entire beneficiary population would be included when the project
was extended.
The achievement of project objectives was limited by delays
in counterpart funding and in contracting, which resulted in the achievement
of only 50% of the planned project activities. Project administration
was hampered in October 1999 when protesting employees blocked access
to the project office for three months. The project was reformulated the
same year, and extended for three years in order to achieve the planned
objectives and disburse the remaining funds.
Access
to inputs and infrastructure
| There are virtually no government
institutions or NGOs in the project area that deal with production.
In some areas, the Institute of Agricultural and Livestock Credit
(ICAP), the National Agrarian Institute (IAN) and the National Institute
for Agricultural Training (INAGRO) have carried out substantial
work in providing loans, titling and training and in agricultural
research, but generally work is fairly marginal and there is no
organized extension service. However, seasonal courses where participants
learn a given technological package are provided by INAGRO on demand. |
| Planned |
|
Achieved |
| Fund credit to about 2 800 producers
through ICAP. For individuals, eligible investment costs excluding
family labour would be financed by a loan of up to USD 3 000.
Working capital would be financed to a limit of USD 1 500.
For artisanal fishermen's associations, the credit limit is fixed
at USD 24 000.
Improve water resources by the construction of about 350 farm
cisterns of 12 m³ capacity, equipped with collectors to channel
rainwater; 150 watering ponds to provide water for goats; 220
irrigation ponds; 20 wells of 40m depth and 170 wells of 8-10m
depth. Additional activities were to include a hydrological survey
and experimental watershed management over a total of 400 ha.
Within a fenced area, efforts were to be made to establish vegetative
cover useful for erosion control and forage and to create living
livestock-proof borders. |
|
The credit component was executed by
the Revolving Fund for Farming Activities (FRAC) instead of ICAP.
FRAC provided approximately 400 loans to more than 600 families
in the project area. From 1997 on, government institutions administered
the project credit component.
Fifty-nine per cent of the planned farm cisterns were completed
and about 15 million litres of water for human consumption were
collected and stored, benefiting 5,830 persons. All of the irrigation
ponds were completed, and 3.2 million litres of water were collected
and used for irrigation purposes on 670 ha of agricultural land.
Eighty per cent of the watering facilities for goats were built
and approximately 160 000 goats had access to water. All
of the experimental watershed management activities were accomplished.
Producer associations were created to maintain and manage the
watering ponds and cisterns. |
Organizations
and people
| There
are two types of organizations in the project area. Among the
traditional forms of organization that operate at the community
level and meet daily community needs, the neighbours' association
is the most widespread. Formal organizations include cooperatives,
producers’ associations and farmers’ unions. The most
active is the "Cooperativa Constancia y Esperanza de Pedegral",
founded in 1968. It is well managed and provides services including
savings and credit, sales of goods and intermediary support
for handicrafts activities. Some goat producers belong to the
Association of Goat Producers, which has not yet managed to
become an effective pressure group in the area. |
| Planned
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|
Achieved
|
| Train staff, farmers
and fishermen (with a specific training line for women only,
including topics such as goat cheese production, to support
their participation in the project). |
|
As of 1998, 75 training
sessions for project beneficiaries had been carried out, with
1 030 individuals and 760 families participating. Ninety
per cent of the training sessions were dedicated to vegetable
and goat production. Problems included the formality and inflexibility
of training, and the absence of follow-up and supervision at
the individual level. |
Risk
management
| Local
markets play an important role in the purchase of production
inputs and sale of farm produce. Goat owners, small producers
and artisanal fishermen frequently have arrangements with buyers
or truckers who deliver inputs and collect produce. Both Coro
and Barsiquisimeto have well-established wholesale markets,
where inputs are readily available and practically all farm
produce can be sold. |
| Planned
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|
Achieved
|
| Fund 50 cheese making
microenterprises, benefiting 300 women.
Provide credit and TA to improve and increase
goat cheese production and marketing; and stimulate pig production
by using goat milk by-products as base feeding.
Establish marketing teams to study marketing channels,
collect and disseminate market information and work with communities
and groups of producers on improving the marketing strategies
for local products. Design and execute specific training activities
(50 courses in all). |
|
No information is
currently available on the implementation of these components. |
Range
management
| Goat production is the
most widespread activity in the project area. The main goat husbandry
system involves free range extensive grazing, with the animals
feeding almost exclusively on native species. Grazing is practised
on communal land, with a mixture of different flocks. The three
main production systems are goats, goats/rainfed crops and goats/irrigated
vegetables.
The inadequate nutritional status of the flocks, the lack of
even elementary management and health care standards and the
low genetic potential of the animals all lead to low productivity.
Under present conditions, the mortality rate among young animals
is high (30% and more), the milking period is very short (90-120
days) and milk production is very low (150-200 grams per day).
The animals are small and their adult weight is 30-35kg. As
a result, production levels are quite low, and only those farmers
who have more than 300 goats are able to earn satisfactory incomes.
Less than 5% of the population have title to their land. In
the overwhelming majority of cases, land holding status is undefined.
Rural families cultivate small plots, mainly for subsistence,
but their goats graze over vast areas of unfenced public lands.
Such families may ‘occupy’ less than 5 ha but ‘use’
several hundred. |
| Planned |
|
Achieved |
| Establish 100 farm validation trials
throughout the project area during the first three years of the
project with a view to testing the best technology. Results are
to be disseminated through continuing farm demonstrations involving
farmers' groups. An extensive programme of over 300 field days
will provide the opportunity for interaction between producers,
project field staff and researchers. These activities should reach
about 5 200 producers per year.
Regularize the land tenure situation of over 3 500 small
farmers (1.23 million ha). |
|
Among other agricultural training activities,
four organizational units were established so as to enhance technology
transfer to goat producers. In some areas of the project, forage
packages (e.g. Buffel grass, Star grass, Leucaena) have
been established successfully. Yields have been acceptable, resulting
in the possibility of preserving forages as silage or hay in order
to supply goatherds during the dry season. Goat manure has been
used in the regeneration of vegetative cover in eroded areas.
The forage potential of Leucaena in semi-arid environments
was evaluated in collaboration with the National Fund for Agricultural
Research (FONAIAP). Additional activities included a seminar on
dairy products and goat producers, goat
farming management demonstrations
and research and extension related
to animal health and nutrition. No
information regarding the land tenure component is currently
available. |
Livestock feed
| Planned
|
|
Achieved
|
| Improve goat-raising
productivity through training and extension, validation and
technology transfer. |
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Some research and
extension activities were carried out on the influence of mineral
salts on goat production and of different feeding diets on goat
weight, and on the establishment of a protein bank and forage
silage techniques. |
Animal
health
| FONAIAP
has prepared technical packages for almost all the crops cultivated
in the project area. It has also completed a research-demonstration
project on developing appropriate technologies for goat production.
Some state veterinary services are available to
goat owners. |
| Planned
|
|
Achieved
|
| Improve goat-raising
productivity through training and extension, validation and
technology transfer. |
|
Some research and
extension activities were carried out on the control of internal
parasites using plants such as Pasote (Chenopodium Ambrosioides)
and Neem (Azadirachta Indica), and on the causes of abortion
(mainly malnutrition, poor management and toxic plants). |
Lessons learned
- Flexible project management made innovations possible in response
to the realities of the situation in rural communities.
- Modification of the participatory evaluation mechanism might lead
to a better balance between the problems encountered during project
implementation and actual results achieved.
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| Project information |
Total project cost: USD 26.74 million, Livestock cost (as percentage
of total): n.a.
Beneficiaries: The project is designed to directly benefit about 5 200
families (32 000 people) in priority areas with a high population
concentration and good productive potential and environmental conservation.
Approximately 1 800 of the beneficiaries will be women.
Project area: The project area is located in the states of Falcon and Lara, including
all or part of 22 municipalities, and covering an area of 12 280
km².
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| References |
Report and Recommendation of the President to the Executive
Board on a Proposed Loan to the Republic of Venezuela (1991).
Informe de la misión de evaluación ex-ante. Informe No.
VE (1991)
Informe de la Misión de Supervisión (1999). Proyecto de
apoyo a los pequeños productores y pescadores de la zona semiárida de
los estados de Lara y Falcon de la República de Venezuela. Corporación
Andina de Fomento (CAF)
Informe de Ejecución (1996-1999). Proyecto de apoyo a
pequeños productores y pescadores artesanales de la zona semiárida de
los estados de Lara y Falcon (PROSALAFA)
Plano Operativo Anual 2000 (1999). Proyecto de apoyo a
pequeños productores y pescadores artesanales de la zona semiárida de
los estados de Lara y Falcon (PROSALAFA). Instituto de Crédito Agrícola
y Pecuario (ICAP). |
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