Through the Chad Improved Agricultural Program, ORT is providing technical assistance and training to improve agricultural techniques and animal breeding for a group of Chadian farmers in the cantons of Kom , Miandoum and B ro, included in the Esso Pipeline Exploration and Production plan. The program is being offered as compensation for those individuals who surrendered their land over a two-year period. The local population, which suffers from poverty, practices rainfed agriculture throughout the project area for subsistence. The traditional farming system yields low productivity due to poor soil fertility resulting from brush fires and poor crop/soil management, limited access to inputs such as improved farming tools, and the lack of improved seeds and fertilizers as well as education in improved agricultural techniques such as crop rotation, weed control and erosion control. Students at the Chad Agricultural Improvement Project. ORT is improving the welfare of the target beneficiaries through a combined program of improved agricultural techniques and the development of animal breeding. Improved rainfed agriculture interventions include the following: Soil Fertility Land Preparation Planting Crop Care and Plant Protection The project is being implemented through a series of consultations with participating farmers and seeks to involve the farmers in preparing the intervention programs that will address the techniques that are being used, how to implement them, and how to evaluate results. This approach was successfully developed and implemented by ORT under the six-year USAID-funded Agricultural Program in Lake Chad and Mid-Chari. In the project area, small-scale animal breeding is commonly practiced by many families and animals are generally sold as a means of generating income for the family. During the course of the project, ORT will provide training to small-scale breeders on the following skills: improving habitat to store the animals; animal feeding and animal care. Crop yields show the success of the programme. The main activity for the program is the training of participants on the various improved agricultural techniques and consist of the following: specialized training for technical delegates who are volunteer farmers with capabilities that are recognized and respected by their peers and; group or individual training sessions with the assistance of the technical delegates. ORT has been instrumental in forming farmer associations which are led by women in selected villages of the three project cantons. Each association has been legally registered with the government and with ORT training is now prepared to disburse credit to the farmers in order to increase production for higher yields resulting in additional income. Partners: ESSO Exploration and Development Farmer Associations