Asia
1. Outline of the ProjectCountry:

Project Title:

Bangladesh

The Poultry Management Techniques Improvement Project

Issue/Sector:

Cooperation Scheme:

Animal Industries

Project-type Technical Cooperation

Division in Charge:

Total cost:

Livestock and Horticulture Division, Agricultural
Development Cooperation Department

469 million yen

Period ofCooperation

Partner Country's Implementing Organization:

1 November 1997 - 31 October
2002

Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), Ministry ofFisheries and Livestock (MOFL)

Supporting Organization in Japan:
National Livestock Breeding Center

Related Cooperation:
1-1 Background of the Project
In Bangladesh, many of its people have been undernourished arising from poverty, therefore, the government of Bangladesh(GOB) made poverty alleviation (increase of income) and improvement of nutritional level the key objective in the 5th Five YearPlan (1996 - 2000) following the 4th Five Year Plan (1990 - 1995). GOB has set the development of the stockbreeding,especially poultry husbandry, as the major subject to achieve the above mentioned objectives.
In Bangladesh, egg and chicken have been the most easily purchased animal protein second to fish, so that poultry husbandry
was expected to produce animal protein and to bring small scale farmers cash income with small investment over a short periodof time.
Small-scale farmers have already produced most of the chicken in Bangladesh. However, those chickens were of a nativespecies producing small amounts of eggs and meat, because of genetic factors, inadequate feeding management andprevention of diseases. Therefore, it was an urgent task to develop and disseminate appropriate poultry management
techniques for small-scale farmers. Under these circumstances, GOB requested to the government of Japan (GOJ) for technicalcooperation on improvement and dissemination of poultry management techniques in order to improve the income andnutritional state of small-scale farmers.

1-2 Project Overview
In order to improve the poultry farming for small-scale farmers in Bangladesh, the project, together with the Bangladesh
Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MOFL) as an implementing organization,
implemented cooperation activities on demonstration and exhibition model farms, improving poultry feeding management
techniques and transfer of development techniques on appropriate breeding.
(1) Overall Goal
To enhance the poultry production at the farmer's level, especially at the level of small-scale farmers in Bangladesh.

(2) Project Purpose
To improve the poultry management techniques for small-scale poultry farmers by developing appropriate techniques on poultry
feeding management, disease control, and on the appropriate breeding suitable for small-scale farmers.
(3) Outputs
1) Poultry feeding management techniques are improved.
2) Poultry breeding management techniques are improved.
3) Poultry disease control techniques are improved.
4) Poultry management techniques suitable for small-scale farmers are developed, verified and demonstrated.
(4) Inputs
Japanese Side:
Long-term Experts

7Equipment

64 million yen

Short-term Experts

13

Local Cost

21 million yen

Trainees Received

14

Local Operation Cost

20 million yen

23

Equipment

4.7 million TK(9 million yen)

Bangladesh's Side:Counterparts

Land and Facilities
Facilities Development Cost

33.957 million TK (79 million yen)

Local Cost

26.546 million TK (61 million yen)

2. Evaluation Team
Members of
Evaluation TeamTeam leader: Shinki SUZUKI, Vice-President, JICA
Vice Team Leader/Project Evaluation: Noriaki NIWA, Director, Livestock and Horticulture Division,Agricultural Development Cooperation Department, JICA
Cooperation Evaluation: Kazuhisa SHIMAZAKI, Section Chief, Technical Cooperation Division,International Affairs Department, General Food Policy Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry andFishery
Poultry Management Techniques: Aya YAMAMOTO, National Livestock Breeding Center
Planning Evaluation: Makoto SHINKAWA, Livestock and Horticulture Division, Agricultural
Development Cooperation Department, JICA
Evaluation Analysis: Satomi SUZUKI, Associate Expert, JICA

Period of Evaluation

1 June 2002 - 15 June 2002

Type of Evaluation:
Terminal Evaluation

3. Results of Evaluation
3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results(1) RelevanceGOB sets the livestock breeding as its key sector, aiming at poverty alleviation, employment generation, production increase,improvement of nutritional condition through livestock and poultry farming. Therefore, the major purpose of the project is toenhance the poultry production at small-scale farms in Bangladesh and retain consistence with the national development plan of

Bangladesh. The project purpose met the needs of local farmers who are the target group of the project, improving their living
standards. The purpose was also in line with the key areas referred to in JICA's country program for Bangladesh (developmentof agriculture and improvement of productivity). Judging from the above, the implementation of the project was evaluated as
relevant still at the terminal evaluation.
(2) EffectivenessThe level of indicators, which show the improvement of poultry breeding management such as higher incubation rate andbrooding rate, was improved at BLRI through the project activities. The counterparts became able to develop an annual
breeding plan and correct their disease control techniques. Therefore, the project purpose, "development of poultry
management techniques for small-scale poultry farmers", was mostly accomplished. Through demonstration and exhibition ofpoultry management techniques for small-scale poultry farmers, it was confirmed that the transferred techniques by the project
were effective for small-scale poultry farmers, too. However, techniques developed by the project were suitable for the following
small-scale farmers; 1) those who could frequently receive technical advice and necessary training, 2) those who could obtain aloan for purchasing chicks and feeding them until they become 22 weeks old, or whose life is supported as there are initial fivemonths period without income from poultry farming, 3) those who were able to prepare initial capital for investment. Therefore, inextending techniques transferred through the project, further study to improve techniques is necessary in order to extend thetechniques across the country.
(3) Efficiency
Most of the necessary inputs were provided as planned from the Japanese side, although the delay of some inputs adversely
affected the project activities. When the project was started, facilities (such as modern poultry shed, hatcheries, and poultry
disease diagnostic control laboratory) were not equipped properly for implementing project activities, which delayed theprogress of the extension activities. Although some of the facilities' constructions have been delayed, most parts of the expected
outputs seem to have been achieved. In addition, due to the low capacity of electricity in the laboratory, some of the equipment
could not be used due to the unstable supply of electricity. Moreover, outbreak of poultry diseases soon after the project
introduced parent stock from Japan affected the efficiency of the activities.
(4) Impact
The following positive impacts were observed in the project.
1) Many model farmers increased their income through the profit of poultry farms. In particular, the model farmers where female
members took the initiative in operation and management, the female members gained self-confidence in the society by getting
additional income through the poultry management.
2) Some neighboring farmers were motivated by watching the demonstration and exhibition of model farmers, and started
poultry farms by themselves.
3) Almost all the model farmers increased their intake of protein from eggs and meat.
(5) Sustainability
1) As for the institutional sustainability, the necessary facilities and personnel were about to be put into place at BLRI, and thecapacity of technical development was improved. BLRI and Department of Livestock Service recognized the importance ofcooperating with each other and deepened the cooperation, therefore, the institutional sustainability was assured.
2) As for the financial sustainability, the budget for the project activities was assured as a project of the GOB till June 2003.
However, it is important to improve the methods to expand and extend the impacts to small-scale farmers after the project,therefore, assuring the budget for the future dissemination is crucial.
3) As for the technical sustainability, the counterparts can now continue the activities and maintain and manage equipment andfacilities without the support from the Japanese experts. Also, some skilled temporary staff for the project became permanentstaff.
4) From the view point of extending to small-scale farmers, the current methods are likely to increase instability of income as
feeding cost accounted for 70% of the total production cost, as most of the forage is imported. Considering the future extension,
it is necessary to establish poultry management methods utilizing locally available feed ingredients at reasonable prices toreduce the feeding cost. The initial capital for investment, especially the cost for chicken houses seems to be expensive forsmall-scale farmers. In order to facilitate the extension of the techniques developed by the project, the constructing cost should
be reduced. Necessary manuals were completed, and the counterparts learnt how to implement seminars efficiently. However, itis necessary to enhance the cooperation with organizations which are in charge of dissemination and improvement of themethods.

3-2 Factors that Promoted Realization of Effects(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A.
(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
1) At the beginning of the project, the delay of facility construction adversely affected the progress of the project activities;
however, with the efforts of dispatched experts, the original purpose could be accomplished during the project period.
2) Some model farmers who did not satisfy pre-set qualification were selected at some sub-sites, through which experienceswere accumulated, and that the activities at the other sub-sites were implemented efficiently.

3-3 Factors that Impeded Realization of Effects(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A(2) Factors Concerning to the Implementation Process
1) In the planning period, feed was going to be developed with the cooperation of the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA), but the activities of CIDA did not make much progress. Therefore, in the latter half of the project, the issue had
to be coped with by the dispatch of short-term experts and the provision of necessary equipment.
2) BLRI is an organization with the main objective of livestock technique research. Partly due to this, a return on investment of
the methods developed in the project was not fully analyzed. Therefore, when the superior organization which consideredextending them nationally asked for cost effectiveness, BLRI could not offer the information necessary for their decision making.
There remained some problems with developing techniques that small-scale farmers could introduce easily and with feasibility.

3-4 Conclusion
Although there were some delays in the inputs, mostly, the project progressed smoothly, and the project purpose will mostly beaccomplished.

3-5 Recommendations(1) GOB should assign an adequate number of personnel including the counterparts to continue the work even after thecompletion of the project in order to attain sustainability.
(2) Allocation of necessary budget and proper maintenance of the equipment supplied under the project are required forcontinuing research and development activities after the completion of the project.
(3) It is necessary to improve the poultry management model continuously as a comprehensive package applicable to smallscale farmers including a managerial point of view.
(4) BLRI and DLS should cooperate with each other to develop the techniques concerning poultry farming, in order to reduce thefeeding cost.
(5) MOFL should prepare a future plan for utilizing the project's achievement effectively. Based upon the plan, DLS should playa major role in extending the project outcomes in collaboration with BLRI.
(6) It is necessary that GOB should provide support for a sustainable micro-credit system so that small-scale farmers canmanage initial investment to start the poultry farming.

3-6 Lessons Learned(1) In case a project is developed by organizing a model which is to be disseminated in the future, feasibility of the model should
be analyzed for beneficiaries from the management point of view so as to clarify cost effectiveness.
(2) It is necessary to contemplate the method to extend the transferred techniques from the beginning of a project if necessary,even in its prime target is technical development. This will promote the effective utilization of the techniques by the targetedusers, so that the effects of the project are fully demonstrated.

3-7 Follow-up Situation
Follow-up expert on small-scale poultry extension has been dispatched to Bangladesh from 19 June 2003 to 18 June 2005.