Moreover, an analysis of government spending patterns provides evidence that many of the countries throughout Africa have shifted public investment priorities away from agricultural research. But these overall patterns of development mask important differences between countries and among institutions within countries and these differences have real policy consequences. The rapid buildup of research staff is not paralleled by an equal growth in financial resources. Spending per scientist has continuously declined during the past 30 years, but most dramatically during the 1980s. Resources are spread increasingly thin over a growing group of researchers, which has negative effects on the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural research.
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