550
country that is heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, low levels of soil fertility
and frequent dry spells are two major causes of low maize production and productivity (Ngwira et al. 2013a; Weber et al. 2012). Increasing nitrogen (N) application,
maintenance and use efficiency, and drought resilience are important avenues to
achieve sustainable increase in maize harvests (Snapp et al. 2014). The Malawi
National Agriculture Policy (NAP), therefore, puts emphasis on timely and equitable access to high-quality productive inputs such as inorganic fertilizer and promotion of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies (Government of Malawi 2016b).
Among key policy instruments is the Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) that
enhances access to and use of inorganic fertilizer (Dorward et al. 2008). The program started in the 2005–2006 cropping season and officially subsidizes two 50-kg
bags of inorganic fertilizer for maize production (Chirwa and Dorward 2013). The
expectation was that the program would break the low-input/low-output poverty
trap among smallholder farmers, kick-start growth, and raise agricultural incomes
and food security (Ricker-Gilbert and Jayne 2017). Early evidence showed that the
country achieved 53% national food surplus in 2006–2007 from a food deficit of
43% in 2004–2005. Average maize productivity jumped from 1.05 Mg per hectare
(ha) in 2003–2004 and 0.76 Mg/ha in 2004–2005 to 1.59 Mg/ha in 2005–2006 and
2.04 Mg/ha in 2006–2007 (Denning et al. 2009).
This chapter reviews empirical evidence on impacts of subsidized inorganic fertilizer and related CSA technologies on maize productivity. Specifically, the chapter
reviews: (a) impact of subsidized inorganic fertilizer on maize productivity; (b)
marginal impact of subsidized inorganic fertilizer on maize productivity; and (c)
impact of integrating inorganic and organic fertilizer on maize productivity.
Inorganic and organic fertilizer technologies are potentially complements and are
vital for sustainable maize production (Munthali 2007), but they could also be substitutes and compete for resources (Holden and Lunduka 2012).
2 Conceptual Approach
Figure 1 conceptualizes the symbiotic relationship between inorganic and organic
CSA technologies, specifically focusing on inorganic fertilizer accessed through
FISP and adoption of organic fertilizer through investment in agricultural research
and extension services. Path 1 shows that government investment in FISP would
reduce costs for inorganic fertilizer, thereby increasing input profitability for smallholder farmers (Lunduka et al. 2013). This would then encourage participating
farmers to invest in other productivity-enhancement inputs such as CSA practices
(Karamba and Winters 2015; Lunduka et al. 2013). Investment in CSA technologies
would increase soil response to subsidized inorganic fertilizer as complements and
improve input use efficiency (Karamba and Winters 2015; Ricker-Gilbert and Jayne
2017; Snapp et al. 2014). This cyclic and mutual relationship would result in parallel increase in use intensity of organic and inorganic fertilizer and other CSA technologies, thereby increasing maize production and productivity.
S. P. Katengeza
country that is heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, low levels of soil fertility
and frequent dry spells are two major causes of low maize production and productivity (Ngwira et al. 2013a; Weber et al. 2012). Increasing nitrogen (N) application,
maintenance and use efficiency, and drought resilience are important avenues to
achieve sustainable increase in maize harvests (Snapp et al. 2014). The Malawi
National Agriculture Policy (NAP), therefore, puts emphasis on timely and equitable access to high-quality productive inputs such as inorganic fertilizer and promotion of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies (Government of Malawi 2016b).
Among key policy instruments is the Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) that
enhances access to and use of inorganic fertilizer (Dorward et al. 2008). The program started in the 2005–2006 cropping season and officially subsidizes two 50-kg
bags of inorganic fertilizer for maize production (Chirwa and Dorward 2013). The
expectation was that the program would break the low-input/low-output poverty
trap among smallholder farmers, kick-start growth, and raise agricultural incomes
and food security (Ricker-Gilbert and Jayne 2017). Early evidence showed that the
country achieved 53% national food surplus in 2006–2007 from a food deficit of
43% in 2004–2005. Average maize productivity jumped from 1.05 Mg per hectare
(ha) in 2003–2004 and 0.76 Mg/ha in 2004–2005 to 1.59 Mg/ha in 2005–2006 and
2.04 Mg/ha in 2006–2007 (Denning et al. 2009).
This chapter reviews empirical evidence on impacts of subsidized inorganic fertilizer and related CSA technologies on maize productivity. Specifically, the chapter
reviews: (a) impact of subsidized inorganic fertilizer on maize productivity; (b)
marginal impact of subsidized inorganic fertilizer on maize productivity; and (c)
impact of integrating inorganic and organic fertilizer on maize productivity.
Inorganic and organic fertilizer technologies are potentially complements and are
vital for sustainable maize production (Munthali 2007), but they could also be substitutes and compete for resources (Holden and Lunduka 2012).
2 Conceptual Approach
Figure 1 conceptualizes the symbiotic relationship between inorganic and organic
CSA technologies, specifically focusing on inorganic fertilizer accessed through
FISP and adoption of organic fertilizer through investment in agricultural research
and extension services. Path 1 shows that government investment in FISP would
reduce costs for inorganic fertilizer, thereby increasing input profitability for smallholder farmers (Lunduka et al. 2013). This would then encourage participating
farmers to invest in other productivity-enhancement inputs such as CSA practices
(Karamba and Winters 2015; Lunduka et al. 2013). Investment in CSA technologies
would increase soil response to subsidized inorganic fertilizer as complements and
improve input use efficiency (Karamba and Winters 2015; Ricker-Gilbert and Jayne
2017; Snapp et al. 2014). This cyclic and mutual relationship would result in parallel increase in use intensity of organic and inorganic fertilizer and other CSA technologies, thereby increasing maize production and productivity.
S. P. Katengeza