Farm Input Subsidy Programme, FISP
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Programme type
Programme Details
Programme objectives
To improve food security and income of smallholder farmers by facilitating their access to improved agricultural inputs.
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
Start date
2005
Dorward, A.R., and E.W. Chirwa. 2011. “The Malawi Agricultural Input Subsidy Programme: 2005-6 to
2008-9.” International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 9(1): 232–247. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<https://www.agriskmanagementforum.org/sites/agriskmanagementforum.org/files/Documents/The%20
Malawi%20agricultural%20input%20subsidy%20programme%2005-06%20to%2008-09.pdf>.
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
Community-Based Targeting
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
Target groups
Smallholder farmers who own land and are legitimate residents of their villages.
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility for the programme was very open-ended, in the form
of advice for the responsible community authorities to select
‘vulnerable households’, though no specific criteria were provided.
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
Coverage and other information
Type of benefits
Vouchers or coupons for fertiliser, hybrid seeds and pesticides at reduced prices.
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
Amount of benefits
For the 2008-2009 season, each household was granted 2 vouchers,
enabling them to purchase 100kg of maize fertiliser at just 8 per cent
of the market price and around 6kg of seeds. Coupons for 100kg of
tobacco fertiliser were also offered. Since then, redemption prices
for maize fertilisers have been fixed at MWK500.
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
Dorward, A.R., and E.W. Chirwa. 2012. “Current issues in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme
in Malawi.” Policy Brief, No. 4. London: SOAS, University of London. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/16740/1/Dorward%20and%20Chirwa%202012%20FISP%20Issues%20
Policy%20Brief%20June%202012%20Draft%20Final.pdf>.
Payment/delivery frequency
Seasonal grant
Benefit delivery mechanism
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
Benefit recipients
Landowners
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2011. “The impacts of agricultural input subsidies
in Malawi.” Policy Note, No. 5. Washington, DC: IFPRI. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://ebrary.ifpri.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15738coll2/id/124970/filename/124971.pdf>.
