ABSTRACT

Traditionally large-scale agriculture and rural development sector projects were identified by the planning staff of technical Ministries of national governments with reference to established national macro-economic and sector policy goals and in terms of desired responses to perceived sector development constraints or opportunities. Project planners should be aware of the role of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Investment Centre. Project planners should be aware that external financing agencies have their own policy positions concerning the types of programme and project loans which they wish to support in a given country. In terms of their own project identification criteria, external financing agencies may require that an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) be carried out on all projects accepted for inclusion in their lending programmes. Alternative project proposals emerged one of which was to rehabilitate the five existing sugar estates and factories in the country.