3 Review(s)

The subject of project appraisal and evaluation has become an integral part of development programmes in UDCs with the obvious reason that the advanced countries and international finance agencies like World Bank now insist that before any aid is sanctioned, they must be satisfied about the rate of return on a project and its social profitability. To determine the actual benefits provided by the project in ex-post is as important as appraisal in ?ex-ante? by comparing the expected project results with the real results one can justify the usefulness of investments. The World Bank has been financing many agricultural extension projects in almost all the Third World countries. The methodologies used for evaluation of such projects obviously vary from country to country. The present work analyses the rationale for public sector involvement in the dissemination of technological information to farmers and justifies the government. Participation in the field. Agricultural extension through the ?Training & Visit? system has proved to be a principal way to disseminate information in Haryana State (India). The Criteria adopted has been to look into extension effectiveness, cost benefit analysis and financial viability of the project About the Author Dr. Jagvir Singh Yadav (b. 1954) joined the Monitoring & Evaluation Cell (World Bank Project) under the Department of Agriculture, Haryana in 1979. In the year 1986 he joined the Mewat Development Board (Govt. of Haryana) as Project Economist. He formulated, monitored and evaluated a number of developmental projects relating to all sectors of economy and gained real field experience. His present research interests are in the area of appraisal of agricultural marketing. At present, he is on the Faculty of the Centre for Agricultural Marketing, a pioneering national level organisation set up by the Government of India for specialized training, consultancy, education and research in the field of agriculture marketing in the capacity of an Asstt. Director. Dr. Yadav has to his credit many papers published in the journals of national and international repute. Appraisal of agricultural marketing projects is his area of special interest. The author has been closely associated with various Studies/Reports/Investigations in the agricultural sector. During his service he had an opportunity to work in the rural ambience which has helped him in understanding the ground realities of agricultural problems including of agricultural marketing at the grass-root level. The long experience of the author in the area of Appraisal and Evaluation of Agricultural Projects has also stood him in good stead in the analysis of rural problems