Comparing FISP to Alternative Programs

Malawi has made the Farm Input subsidy Program (FISP) the major pillar of both the country’s agricultural development strategy and its social protection policies since 2005/06. Expenditure on the FISP has been high, ranging from 5.6% of the national budget in 2005/06 to 16.2% of the national budget in 2008/09. The general findings on FISP impacts are that the program has made a relatively small positive contribution to maize production and farm income. However, the program’s impact on rural poverty remains unclear.