Agricultural Extension and Research · Achievements and Problems in National Systems

This report reviews the World Bank ' s experience in supporting the development of national agricultural research and extension systems in developing countries in the early 1980s and 1990s, and makes recommendations for future support. The review covers all of the Bank ' s operational regions, excepting East and Central Asia (represented by Turkey only). It concludes that Bank interventions have had a significant positive impact, but also maintains that serious deficiencies persist in most of the supported national systems. Better planning and appropriate guidance during implementation could have reduced many of these problems. Of particular concern is the sustainability of institutions and systems developed under Bank projects. Future projects must be more cognizant of the circumstances of each country in supporting a particular scale and mode of operation, since these projects are essentially institution building and long-term investments. Public spending on research and extension services and on external support of implementing institutions needs to continue, but fiscal resources need to be used more efficiently.