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farming comnunity would ensure that reiearch findinga are paaaed on to farmera aa ąuickly aa poaaible, and that the farmera⁹ feedback reachea the appropriate branch of reaearch. Procedurea for thla cooperation would be included ln the reaearch protocola, atarting with the diagnoatic aurweya, diacuaaion of "aolutions to be teated" with farmera and eztenaion staff, and involvement of eztenaion ataff in on-farm teating. The proJect will 8trengthen the SP program aa the major link between research and extension. SP will play a leading role in the diaaemination of reaearch results to eztenaion and will aaaiat with the training of eztenaion aubject mat ter apecialiata (SMS).

3.21    The project would aupport thia priority program by providing funda for eatabli8hing email multidiaciplinary teama at Niamey-Univeraity, Tahoua and Tama. Thia would involve ten reaearchera (four at Niamey-Univeraity, three at Tahoua, and three at Tama) with two internationally recruited ataff in aupport.

3.22    In addition, in order to aaaiat the SP Program Coordinator in defining the overall program orientation and content, as well aa ita organization (including the functional relationahips with coomodity research programs and with eztension) and in the training of team membera in SP methodology, an internat ionally recruited Agricultural Economist thoroughly famillar with farming system reaearch methodology, would be funded for the fir8t four yeara of the project (Terma of Reference are in Annez 13). Alao, the project will prowide financial aupport to the University for the support co8ta of a aociologist to work part-time with the program. In addition, the project would prowide funda for vehiclea and incremental operating costs, including funding for 20 additional techniciana.

3.23    Ąnimal Production. There are eight research themes identified within the Plan Quinquennal program covering cattle and sheep improvement, liyestock nutrition, liveatock pathology and agroatology. The proposed project would asaist with the financing reąuired for the animal nutrition, agroatology and smali ruminants management programs. Livestock research Staff would alao contribute to the Natural Resources Management reaearch program. The Univer8ity would asaist INRAN with the microbiological/nitrogen fization research work required within the agroatology project. In addition, an intemationally recruited Livestock Production Research Scientiat (Annez 13) would be hired during the firat four years of the project to assist the program⁹ 8 staff in drawing up and initiating a coherent reaearch program. In the meantime, staff would carry out a critical review and summary of past reaearch. To better underatand the warlous liweatock production sySterna and conatraint8 faced by producera the team*8 apecialiat would, in collaboration with SP ataff, deacribe eziating livestock farming syatema. The project would finance vehiclea, equipment and operating coata and five additional reaearchera and ten techniciana. Aasurancea were obtained at negotiations that INRAN would prepare and fumiah to IDA for rewiew a liveatock production reaearch program with detailed inwestment propoaala, by December 31, 1990 (para. 6.01).

3*24 Rainfed Cropa (millet, aorghum, cowpeaa, groundnuta). The rainfed crop8 research program la already adequately supported by the USAID, and it aeema that only smali productiwity improvementa will be possible through fur the r wariety and husbandry improvementa. The proposed project would