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Local Goyerament

1.17    The yillage (sona 10,000 in total) it the basie territorial and social entity in Niger. Several yillages make up a 'canton* (of mhich there are ssre than 200), each goyerned by a chief uho is elected by the chiefa of the yillages concemed and mho receiyes a Goyerament allovance. The 35 districts ("arrondissements") are legał entities and have autonooous budgets funded from local fees and tazes, and the Goyerament transfers payments and loans from the "Caisse des prits auz collectiyitds territoriales*. The districts are goyerned by district Goyeraors (^asous-prdfets^a), vho report to the Ministry of the Interior. The district and proyincial Goyeraors coordinate goyerament seryices in their area through technical comnittees respectiyely C0TEAR ("COmitds TEchniąues d^vA&rondlssements^a) _v and COTEDEP (^aC0mit6s TEchniąues de DEpartements*). This strućturę is gradually being complemented by the Deyelopment Society ("Socidtd de Ddyeloppement*- SD), which is a hierarchical 8 truć turę of deyelopment councils at yillage ("Conseil Yillageois de Ddyeloppement* - CYD), canton ("Conseil Local de Ddyeloppement* - CLD), district (^aConseil Sous-Rdgional de Ddyeloppement -

CSRD), proyincial (*Conseil Rdgional de Ddyeloppement* - CRD), and national leyels (^aConseil National de Ddyeloppement” - CND).

1.18    The Deyelopment Society thuo calls for decentralization in decision-making and management of deyelopment actiyities from central ministrie* to the proyincial and district authorities.

D. Sector Issues and Bank Strategy

Production Potential

1.19    Prospects for productiyity gains in crop production are grim. High yielding yarieties haye had little impact on sorghum and millet production, and it is belieyed that no major yariety-led production breakthrough can be reasonably ezpected in the near futurę. Application of fertilizer is not likely to inerease yields unless soil moisture is higher and morę assured. Yield-stabilizing yarieties have better adoption ratę8 but although they can reduce risks during drought, their impact on production is likely to be limited. In the longer term, wide adoption of yield-stabilizing yarieties may accelerate the degraćation of the resource base, sińce they permit farmers to ezpand cultiyation into marginal areas.

1.20    Similarly, the prospects for productiyity gains in liyestock production are eztremely limited. The introduction of improyed genetic stock is unlikely to inerease production potential because of the limitations impo8ed by poor nutrition. The scope for better nutrition is limited because feed resources such as crop residues and foliages are already put to effectiye use, and improyement in rangeland productiyity is difficult to achieye. There is same scope for improying animal health, particularly that of smali rum in ant s and camels, and thus the production of these animal 8 could be augmented.

1.21    Forests are managed by the State through the administration of use permit8 and the enforcement of regulations. Forestry seryice agents often acted as police rather than as eztension agents, although due to a lack of personnel and me ans, forests are in reality open access resources. Population