Abstract |
The $323 million Fruit Tree Productivity (PAF) Project represented 49% of the total compact and consisted of five activities, four of which were covered in this evaluation, and aimed to reduce the volatility of agricultural production and increase the volume and value of tree crops to promote economic growth in the agricultural sector and reduce poverty in the country. Accounting for the nature of the PAF intervention, the expected impacts had not yet all been generated at project closure, as it was too early for any impacts on agricultural revenue and household incomes to have accrued. Nonetheless, the evaluation does reveal some positive and encouraging assessments from beneficiaries, although the evaluation results were heavily impacted by the unfavorable weather conditions of 2013. The Rain-fed Olive, Almond, and Fig Tree Intensification and Expansion Activity consisted of two sub-activities that were the subjects of two separate evaluations, as well as this more broad evaluation of the project as a whole. Preliminary results show that the Expansion sub-activity had positive outcomes on direct job creation for local populations in the target areas, and the Rehabilitation sub-activity had led to slight increases in olive production and revenues in the treatment areas. The results of the Olive Tree Irrigation and Intensification in PMH Areas Activity show that about half of the farmers reported that the project made a satisfactory contribution to meeting their needs, despite the estimated average gross margin for the entire sample amounting to even less than that of the baseline. As for the Date Tree Irrigation and Intensification in Oasis Areas Activity, the average gross farm income per farm in the oasis area was estimated to have increased by 7% compared to the baseline, but remained 13% lower than the end of the Compact target. About half of date tree growers surveyed expressed satisfaction with the project's contribution to the needs of their household although impacts on date tree productivity in oasis areas were unclear due to the unfavorable weather conditions of 2013, having achieved an average productivity of even less than the baseline. Although the interventions of the Fruit Tree Productivity Project failed to achieve all of the expected results, they most likely mitigated the negative effects of the adverse weather conditions of crop year 2012-2013. |