Fourth, farmers groups would receive increasing help with input supply management, marketing, irrigation, tree planting, and soil conservation. The earliest pilot of this changed approach was applied with success to agricultural extension in Kenya. A similar positive result was documented in Burkina Faso. A qualitative rating of performance on policies regarding agricultural prices, fertilizer, extension and infrastructure was undertaken for a number of countries. A more detailed analysis indicated that the poor performers performed poorly in both economic and agricultural policy.
Countries doing least well on policy and investment tend to do least well in agricultural growth.
Some countries that are implementing many parts of the strategy but are not consistent performers include Weaknesses in the new strategy One of the most debilitating weaknesses has been the widespread failure of structural adjustment to create an enabling environment for private investment in the rural sector. Donors have also not emphasized the need to establish good instruments to support the private sector, and donor loans through government to the private sector have not worked well. Alternative financing vehicles to the failed parastatal credit banks have not been developed quickly enough to provide for the credit, banking and savings mobilization needs of the private sector. Although NGOs are increasing in importance, some are repeating the past errors of the donors, including expatriate management and hundreds of small-scale projects that prove unmanageable and unsustainable without the NGOs. National programs and price increases often do not reach subsistence farmers .