SAID Administrator Andrew Natsios last year identified agriculture as a priority planning area for the agency. As part of this effort, USAID commissioned evaluations of three subsectors within its agricultural portfolio: aquaculture and fisheries, integrated pest management, and sustainable agriculture. The reviews are slated to be completed by mid-year.Although the PD/A CRSP had planned to submit a new five-year proposal to USAID this spring, this work has been deferred pending the aquaculture and fisheries subsector review; new priority areas and directions identified by the reviewers will now be able to be incorporated into our new proposal.
For the time being, the PD/A CRSP has received a one-year extension of its current grant, through July 2004. Program activities through then will center on ongoing Tenth Work Plan investigations and selected new work to be carried out under the Eleventh Work Plan. (Because of the one-year extension, new work will necessarily be limited to investigations lasting one-year or less.) Program administrators are working with researchers now to craft individualized one-year extension plans.
The program’s commitment to students and to host country counterparts remains foremost as we look into ways to maintain and strengthen capacity and existing relationships.
