Mid-Term Review of the project “Economic Valorization of Olive Genetic Resources and Creation of Pilot Demonstration Nursery Centers CFC/IOC/09”
The main purpose of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) meeting was to conduct an overall assessment of the implementation of activities in the first two years of the project life cycle and to make recommendations for improvement for the remaining operational period of the project.
Marrakech, Morocco, 3 to 5 February 2016
Participants : Representatives from the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) , the International Olive Council (IOC), the PEA – Institut de l’Olivier (IO-Tunisia) and the four national implementing Agencies: Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA-Morocco), Institut Technique de l’Arboriculture Fruitière et de la Vigne (ITAFV -Algeria), Horticulture Research Institute (HRI - Egypt) and Office National d’Huile (ONH - Tunisia).
The main purpose of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) meeting was to conduct an overall assessment of the implementation of activities in the first two years of the project life cycle and to make recommendations for improvement for the remaining operational period of the project. The review of presentations made by the implementing countries and discussions that followed clarified that the project is proceeding on an uneven level in the 4 countries, with Tunisia being more advanced in implementation of all the 3 main project components (Establishment of one Pilot Nursery Centre, Pilot production of high quality olive plants, and Training and technology dissemination). The field activities in the other three countries are generally still behind schedule, especially in the completion of the Pilot Nursery Centre, commercialization of olive varieties, and activities of farmers awareness and training.
The project activities in the coming months are expected to concentrate on the finalization of the Pilot Nursery Centres, the multiplication of the selected secondary varieties following the best practices indicated by the IOC and on the implementation of farmers’ field days to increase the awareness of farmers on the value added, in terms of crop yield and quality, of secondary varieties best adapted to the environmental conditions of the country and resistant to local pests.
