Four new Future Agricultures working papers and five accompanying policy briefs look in detail at the impacts of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) in Malawi, which aims to support farmers and boost the economy by subsidising seeds and fertilizers.
The new publications look at the role of the private sector; the impacts of FISP on household welfare; issues of targeting at certain groups; and what observations can be made from modelling the impacts of FISP on different livelihood groups. Also considered are the themes of ‘graduation’, where households no longer depend on subsidies, and how to achieve equal opportunities for women and men.
These papers are part of a long-running project to inform the Malawi Government and other stakeholders about implementation and impacts of the FISP. An extended list of publications from this project is available at the CeDEP website.
The working papers are:
- The Role of the Private Sector in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi (pdf) by Ephraim Chirwa and Andrew Dorward
- Repeated Access and Impacts of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi: Any Prospects of Graduation? (pdf) by Ephraim Chirwa, Mirriam Matita, Peter Mvula and Andrew Dorward
- Targeting in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi: Issues and Options (pdf) by Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa
- Impacts of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi: Informal Rural Economy Modelling (pdf) by Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa
The policy briefs are:
- Fertiliser Use on Women’s Plots: An Intra-Household View of the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Programme by Ephraim W. Chirwa, Peter M. Mvula, Andrew Dorward and Mirriam Matita
- Private Sector Participation in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi by Ephraim W. Chirwa and Andrew R. Dorward
- Thinking about ‘Graduation’ from the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi by Ephraim W. Chirwa, Andrew R. Dorward and Mirriam Matita
- Factors Influencing Access to Agricultural Input Subsidy Coupons in Malawi by Ephraim W. Chirwa, Mirriam Matita and Andrew Dorward
- Targeting in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi, 2006/07 – 2011/12 by Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa
More information about each of them is below.