Resource information
This research report examines the
technical efficiency and impact of the Zambia Fertilizer
Support Program (FSP). The FSP was launched by the
Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) in 2002 as a
temporary measure to provide subsidized hybrid maize seed
and fertilizer packages to smallholder farmers and to
promote the participation of private traders in supply. When
the FSP was announced, the Government indicated that farmers
would be eligible to receive support for two consecutive
seasons only and that the subsidy level would be reduced by
25 percent per year. The program was meant to run for three
years to the end of the 2004/05 farm season. Contrary to
these initial plans, the scale of FSP operations has grown
significantly since the program was launched with large
additions to the numbers of farmers targeted in some years,
a change in the subsidy level from 50 percent to 60 percent,
little attention to the intended two-year
"graduation" requirements, and a significant
escalation of total costs and cost per beneficiary. The
budgeted amount for 2007/08 was ZMK 150 billion. This
assessment was prepared to help answer these questions and
provide an improved basis for discussing the current and
future role of agriculture input subsidies in Zambia. The
request for this attests to the Zambian Government's
commitment to transparent decision making. The analysis
focuses specifically on the 2007/08 agriculture season.
