549
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
B. R. Singh et al. (eds.), Climate Impacts on Agricultural and Natural Resource
Sustainability in Africa, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37537-9_31
Impact of Farm Input Subsidies Vis-à-Vis
Climate-Smart Technologies on Maize
Productivity: A Tale of Smallholder
Farmers in Malawi
Samson Pilanazo Katengeza
Abstract Farm input subsidies in Malawi are historically a strategic agriculture
policy tool, particularly for enhancing maize production for national and household
food security. This chapter presents a review of the impact of access to inorganic
fertilizer through the Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) on maize productivity,
and compares it with the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies,
specifically the integration of inorganic and organic fertilizers. Results show a modest impact of FISP on maize productivity. Maize–fertilizer response rates, reported
as nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) among FISP beneficiaries, ranges from 3 to 14 kg
of maize per 1 kg of nitrogen (N) (kg/kgN) fertilizer used, which is below the
expected agronomic average of 15 kg/kgN. Conversely, the NUE is 17–36 kg/kgN
on experimental plots with integration of inorganic and organic fertilizer. These
CSA technologies ensure efficient and optimal nutrient uptakek and drought resilience. This suggests that the impact of FISP can be enhanced if application of subsidized inorganic fertilizer is integrated with CSA technologies. FISP implementation
strategy should therefore consider abandoning the current farmer-based targeting
system and subsidize the soil by targeting adopters of CSA technologies. This
approach has potential to provide the Government of Malawi with a sustainable exit
strategy from FISP.
1 Introduction
Sustainable maize production and productivity dominates agriculture policy priorities in many developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where a
majority of the rural population depends on maize for food security. There is a
knock-on effect that starts from poor and low maize production and productivity to
limited access to quality and nutritious food (Hawkes and Ruel 2008). In Malawi, a
S. P. Katengeza (*)
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi
e-mail: skatengeza@luanar.ac.mw
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
B. R. Singh et al. (eds.), Climate Impacts on Agricultural and Natural Resource
Sustainability in Africa, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37537-9_31
Impact of Farm Input Subsidies Vis-à-Vis
Climate-Smart Technologies on Maize
Productivity: A Tale of Smallholder
Farmers in Malawi
Samson Pilanazo Katengeza
Abstract Farm input subsidies in Malawi are historically a strategic agriculture
policy tool, particularly for enhancing maize production for national and household
food security. This chapter presents a review of the impact of access to inorganic
fertilizer through the Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) on maize productivity,
and compares it with the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies,
specifically the integration of inorganic and organic fertilizers. Results show a modest impact of FISP on maize productivity. Maize–fertilizer response rates, reported
as nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) among FISP beneficiaries, ranges from 3 to 14 kg
of maize per 1 kg of nitrogen (N) (kg/kgN) fertilizer used, which is below the
expected agronomic average of 15 kg/kgN. Conversely, the NUE is 17–36 kg/kgN
on experimental plots with integration of inorganic and organic fertilizer. These
CSA technologies ensure efficient and optimal nutrient uptakek and drought resilience. This suggests that the impact of FISP can be enhanced if application of subsidized inorganic fertilizer is integrated with CSA technologies. FISP implementation
strategy should therefore consider abandoning the current farmer-based targeting
system and subsidize the soil by targeting adopters of CSA technologies. This
approach has potential to provide the Government of Malawi with a sustainable exit
strategy from FISP.
1 Introduction
Sustainable maize production and productivity dominates agriculture policy priorities in many developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where a
majority of the rural population depends on maize for food security. There is a
knock-on effect that starts from poor and low maize production and productivity to
limited access to quality and nutritious food (Hawkes and Ruel 2008). In Malawi, a
S. P. Katengeza (*)
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lilongwe, Malawi
e-mail: skatengeza@luanar.ac.mw