Call Prefix : PR-T

Call Suffix : 1985

Call Cutter : T - AgMa 1

Location : SEARCA Library

Format : TD

Publisher : University of the Philippines Los Baños,

Publication Date : May 1985

Publication Place : Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines :

Summary : The study aimed to present and assess the interfacing of the private and government sectors in implementing a development project, the Nhong-wa Village Agricultural Project (NVAP). Specifically, it aimed to: (1) analyze the conceptualization and implementation of NVAP; (2) determine the project's impact on farmer-cooperators and the benefits derived by the participating entities; (3) identify problems and gaps in the project's implementation; and (4) formulate and come up with alternative courses of action and recommendations. The data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Complete enumeration of 50 respondents and entities were involved. A descriptive technique was used in the analysis of project implementation while the "before" and "after" method of analysis was used to evaluate the impact to respondents in terms of changesin the level of income and over-all well being. Other statistical tools were also used to facilitate analysis. The NVAP which was organized by the Bangkok Bank Ltd. (BBL) and the Bangkok Farm Co. Ltd. (BFL) in cooperation with the district government of Phanom-Sarakham was an example of an "integrated farming system." In 1978, 34 families who joined the project comprised the first batched, 4 families constituted the second batch in 1979 while 12 families as third batch was admitted in 1982. To determine the income effect, the study compared the average annual income of the families from the first group (composed of the first and second batches) before and after joining the project. The first group had an average annual income of P17,111 before joining the project. After six years of being with the poject, their average annual income became P44,420 which is equivalent to a 159 percent increase. The second group (composed of families from the third batch) P47,033 (about 74 percent) after joining the project. Thirty-six percent of the project net income went to the farmer-cooperators, while 31 percent and 33 percent went to BFL and BBL, respectively. The assessment of the farmers' well-being indicated that they had an enhanced well-being and were satisfied with the project. However, the farmers still felt that they needed some help from the BFC and BBL such as farm inputs and marketing which indicated that they still had no enough managerial capability to effectively operate or handle the project. The project had some worth-noting strengths such as 1) adequacy of resources; 2) effective project design; 3) vast and new knowledge incorporated in the trainings; and 4) strong cooperation between the local people and the private sector. Despite of these, however, the project had also some weaknesses such as a) inadequacy of training in management; b) low level of participation in desicion-making; 3) limited development for integrated skills; 4) failure to develop the enterpreneural ability of the farmer-cooperators; and 5) absence of a study on the geographic characteristics of the project area. Several activities were suggested to strengthen, if not to correct the projects's weaknesses. These included: a) a study and analysis of the geophysical characteristics of the area; b) enhancement of the institutionalization of the project; c) modification of the production and marketing schemes; d) procurement of feed ingredients from nearby areas; and e) intensification of the corn and soybean production.