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preaaure increased demand for fuelwood, and the resulting overexploitation of forestry resources has led to deforestation. However, potentlally effectiva systems of foreat cover management by willagers are being tested. The Foreat Servi.ce have eatabllshed technically acceptable harvest rates and auperviae tree planting and foreat management activitie8.
1*22 Although no panacea exists to increase crop and live8tock productivity substantially, a modę8t posslbility of improvement through eroaion control, integration of agriculture and llve8tock and better management of natural reaources does exist, Eroaion-control bunds and water harvestlng ayatems can reduce run-off 1088 of top soli, organie matter and fertilizer while inereasing aoil moisture. Morę integrated mixed farming using manurea/compost and legume fallows can increase the organie matter in the aoil and thua improve soil fertility. While the physical potential for a productivity gain is limited, there is atill scope for inereasing production by reducing losaes caused by diseaset insects, birds and post* haryest wastage.
Experience vlth Past Lending and Lessons Learned
1.23 Development efforts in the past decade or so have proven inadeąuate to increase the productivity of the agricultural resource basev or to even prevent further deterioration. The Bank has so far financed three projects in rainfed agriculture (Dosso, Maradi I and II); two in irrigation (Namarigoungou and Irrigation Rehabilitation); two in forestry (Forestry I and II); and one in Livestock.
1.24 In rainfed agriculture, both Doaso and Maradi II experienced implementation problema and failed to increase crop production as expected, mainly because of inadequate technical packages. In Irrigation, priority was gisren to rehabilitating the existing systems and establishing effective operational and maintenance systems. The Liwestock project aimed at establishing a participative approach to management of animal, water and pastures resources. The Foreatry II project was reoriented to concentrate on the maintenance and rehabilitation of the plantation already in place and on pilot rural resource management schemes. In addition to project lending, IDA financed two adjuatment operations (Struć tura 1 Adjustment Lending and Public Enterprise Sector Adjustment Program) which included important components for agricultural policy reforms, namelyt grain marketing and pricing policy; agricultural input subsidies; agricultural credit; and agricultural research.
1.25 The major lessons learned from past experience are that:
(i) due to heterogeneous soils and localized rainfall pattems, a single technical package is not widely applicable; (ii) areas with good production potential exist but are quite localized and of limited size; (iii) to avoid further deterioration of natural resources, it is necessary to establish morę integrated mixed farming systems; (iv) partieipation of the rural population in deciaion mak ing, execution and maintenance Lr, crucial, and self-help endeavoura and decentralization should be encouraged; (v) services and advice provided to farmera by the public administration have to be upgraded.