farmers input support program research proposals in zambia

2021- Technical Report on Zambia’s Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) Index Insurance Product Improvement

The Zambia Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and WFP, with the support of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) and financial partners Mayfair, Zep Re and ACRE, collaborated on the design of an improved index insurance product for the Government of Zambia’s Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) for the 2021/22 season.   

This improved product incorporates best practices from both the current FISP insurance product and WFP’s Rural Resilience Initiative (R4) project. A key aspect of this “blended” index is incorporating the perspective of farmers to ensure that the product accurately reflects local patterns of vulnerability and risk. To this end, WFP and IRI supported MoA in the collection of focus group data from almost 1,000 agricultural camps across the country, the largest such exercise IRI has ever supported. This data was then used by the inter-ministerial technical working group to tune the index, using interactive tools developed by IRI.

This document presents an update on milestones, workshops and activities related to the FISP index insurance program in 2020/21, as well as a summary of the inter-ministerial technical working group on index insurance recommendations for the 2021/22 index.

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2023- r4 rural resilience initiative factsheet.

R4 Rural Resilience Initiative Quarterly Report 3: July-September 2020

R4 Rural Resilience Initiative 2020 Annual Report

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Publication: Zambia's Farmer Input Support Program and Recommendations for Re-designing the Program

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The Farmer Input Support Program Zambia 2021 and Beyond

Agriculture plays a vital role in Zambia’s economy. According to the policy for monitoring and evaluation (PMRC) up to 70% of the labour force is currently engaged in the agriculture sector. It is estimated that approximately 1.6 million small-scale farms and about 1,000 large-scale farms characterize the sector . A large majority of individuals in the agricultural sector comprise of small to medium scale farmers who mostly produce staples (maize/corn) for their own consumption and sell off any surplus. Some of the major challenges faced by farmers every farming season is the high cost of procuring inputs with which to grow their crops (mostly corn).

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Against this background, successive governments in the republic of Zambia, in an effort to make the country food secure and reduce poverty decided to provide essential inputs such as fertilizer and seed to these small-scale farmers at a subsidized cost.

The UPND has also taken up the responsibility to prioritize agriculture in its manifesto and has identified the sector as a tool for poverty alleviation and economic diversification and growth. In this sector, the UPND intend to “ implement a comprehensive programme of agricultural transformation as a key to boosting labour productivity and increasing agricultural production .” They intend to do this by “ providing targeted farm input packages including livestock through pass-on programmes, fertilizer, seed and appropriate farming technologies to vulnerable groups of small-scale farmers and enhance agricultural diversification away from maize .”

The farmer input support programme,  also commonly referred to as FISP has been an integral part of boosting small scale farmer productivity and securing Zambia’s food security since its inception. According to PMRC “ Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) was first introduced in 2001 as the Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP). It was later revised and renamed in 2009, to Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). Under FISP the input pack size given to farmers was reduced from eight (8) 50 kilogram (50kg) bags of fertilizer and 20 kilograms (20kg) bags of maize seed to four (4) 50 kilogram bags (50kg) of fertilizer and 10 kilogram (10kg) bags of maize seed .”

While the programme was intended to benefit the majority small-scale farmers in Zambia, it has faced a number of challenges in its administration. According to the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI), “ Poor implementation has resulted in the late delivery of fertilizer to farmers, a situation that compromises farmers’ crop yields. When fertilizer is provided, it is not necessarily used effectively by smallholder farmers and the one size fits all blanket fertilizer recommendation fails to take into account spatial variability of soil fertility and climatic conditions .” The result of this is that yields among small-scale farmers have remained low despite the availability of fertilizers.

Furthermore, the program has encountered problems reaching its intended recipients “ a reasonable share of subsidized fertilizer has not been reaching those who can not afford to buy commercially priced fertilizers . The smallest farmers in Zambia i.e. those cultivating less than 2 hectares who account for over 70% of all the smallholder farms in the country participated only marginally in the maize production expansion of 2010/11 ”.

In addition, the burgeoning indirect costs incurred as a result of administering the FISP program have resulted in higher expenditure for the government of Zambia. According to IAPRI “ government expenditure on input subsidies via FISP has remained very high due to the tendering process, transportation, and storage. ” This message was further reiterated in the Finance Minister’s budget speech were he indicated that “ the Direct Input Support mode of delivering inputs is unsustainable to the Treasury with expenditures increasing significantly over the years with limited change in the number of beneficiaries and input package .”

In response to these challenges, the government in 2015 decided to launch the e-voucher system known as e-FISP in an effort to enhance the efficiency of the programme and reduce costs. However, the Minister of Finance recently indicated in the 2022 budget speech that the e-voucher system has encountered problems of its own, specifically; the minister stated “ in areas where the e-voucher system is being used, some farmers have not been receiving inputs despite making a contribution .”

The FISP programme is set to undergo some substantial changes going forward, especially after the change in government. In a recent ministerial statement to parliament, the minister of Agriculture Hon. Mtolo Phiri indicated “ the government will not engage local transporters in the districts. This measure has been taken to ensure equity across all aspects of the programme and to rationalise expenditure under FISP .” The Minister further indicated governments indebtedness to transporters and prioritized dismantling the debt before engaging them further.  In a statement to ZNBC the agricultural Minister stated that “ agro dealers will not be used in the distribution of inputs this farming season because the amount of inputs with them is failing from what is required by the farmers. ” The minister further committed to reducing the cost of inputs as per the UPND manifesto promise.

Finally, the Misnister of finance hinted that the FISP program is set to be overhauled to ensure that the past problems faced by the programme are fixed. In his budget speech, the Finance Minister signaled that “ government will implement a new comprehensive agriculture support programme commencing in the 2022/2023 season. This programme will be cost effective, better targeted and equitable across beneficiaries. It will also support the supply of quality inputs, attain diversification of crops as well as increase production and productivity. ”

Based on all of this, the future of the FISP programme appears to lie in a more efficient, cost effective programme, with a more equitable distribution of inputs (including female-headed households), diversification away from the exclusive production of corn and transparency in the tendering process. However, the UPND’s promise to reduce the price of inputs could mean that the amount allocated to purchasing and subsidizing these inputs will need to increase as well.  The substantive key reforms of the FISP beyond 2022 remain unclear; however, the farming community and nation will be following the Finance Minister’s pronouncements with ardent interest.

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The effectiveness of farmer input support programme in promoting household food security: The case of Chiawa, Kafue district

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Farmer Input Support Program Impact on Small Scale Farmers in Zambia: A case study of Solwezi Central Farm Block, Zambia

This study was carried out to determine the Farmer input support program impact on small scale farmers in the central farm block of Solwezi district. It was to determine if the design of the program, government policies, financial constraints and the environment had an impact on the small scale farmers. The target population was 12,000 small scale farmers benefiting from FISP in Solwezi district .Out of which the accessible population of 4093 farmers was drawn from Solwezi central farm block. A sample of 120 respondents was sampled. A stratified sampling technique was employed to compare views among the farmers from the various selected camps and cooperatives respectively in this farm block. Data analysis was both qualitative and quantitative using descriptive statistics. Data presentation was in form of tables, bar and pie charts to help interprets findings and generate conclusions that aided solutions to identified problems. The research established that the design of the FISP, government policies, financial constraints and the environment had an impact on the production of crops by small scale farmers. The study recommended that government must double the subsidy so that many small scale vulnerable but viable farmers can have access to input and produce more food. This will in term reduce the high food prices currently being experienced in Zambia. Farmers on the other hand must have a positive attitude towards farming by fully getting involved personally at all stages of the farming cycle, if poverty has to be alleviated. Above all, the nongovernmental organisations must lobby government to distribute more input to the farmers. All this will eventually help improve food sustainability and create wealth for the common citizen in this nation.

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Mubanga Mpundu

Alex Simbilima

This research aimed at assessing the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) and its implication on food security among small scale farmers in Chibombo: A Study of Ten Miles Area. The research target population comprised of farmers at Ten Miles Area, out of which, a random sample of 30 farmers was drawn, using simple random sampling method. The research used semi-structured questionnaires to collect data from the respondents. The research revealed that farmers were able to grow a variety of crops due to support they receive from FISP. The research also revealed the FISP had been instrumental in providing food security, although it had not been able to substantially increase the income of small scale farmers. The research also established that small scale farmers faced several challenges such as delayed delivery of agricultural inputs, lack of financial resources to pay cooperative membership, rigidity of the e-voucher system, lack of transport to inputs and limitation of inputs provided by FISP to the small scale farmers. It was generally concluded that, despite a myriad of challenges faced by small scale farmers, the FISP program had steadily contributed to the increase of income generated from farming activity, thereby adding to the food security at household levels, although at a minimal rate. It was then recommended that the Ministry of Finance to be releasing FISP funds well in advance so that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare, can ensure swift deliverance of inputs to allow farmers have a timely production, in the quest to sustain food security; and that a further research needed to be conducted to find out what challenges the government, administratively, faced in ensuring farmers received farm inputs on time.

Peter de Valk

International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development

Dr Darlington A Mangaba, PhD

Agriculture is one of Zambia’s economic drivers and a mainstay of the livelihood of a larger proportion of the country’s population. Agricultural production is mainly dependent on seasonal rain-fed cultivation with maize as the principal staple food crop. Crop diversification can be used as a tool to augment farm income, generate employment, alleviate poverty and conserve soil and water resources. In striving to improve food security and minimize risks associated with heavy dependence on maize monoculture, the Zambian government has been gradually promoting diversification into high-value crops of late. The Farmer Input Support Program has led to reduced crop diversification rates because of its biased support towards maize production. There is no access to subsidised inputs and government-driven consumption market as well as substantial extension service for nonstaple food crops.

Mweemba Mwiinga

Since its inception, more than fifteen years ago, the Farmer Input Support Programme has continued to assist small scale farmers with subsidised agricultural inputs in all the Districts of Zambia. The total number of beneficiaries has been steadily going up in each farming season with the current number recording more than one million. In the same vein, the budgetary demand for this Programme is weighing heavily on the Ministry of Agriculture affecting the other equally important activities. This is in addition to other inconsistent modifications to the implementation of the policy that have been made mostly pioneered by the changes in the political arena. The initial design of this Programme was in such a way as to allow farmers who have been benefiting to be weaned off to give room to other needy farmers to be considered. However, more than a decade into this Programme the same initial beneficiary farmers have continued to be part of the Programme and being treated like the other new farmers who are just added to the list every year. A research was conducted in the different agricultural Camps of Monze and Choma districts of Southern Province of Zambia to assess the policy adequacy of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) on agricultural development pertaining to small scale farmers. A total of 500 small scale farmers – 250 from each district - were interviewed with the help of Research Assistants from both districts to get firsthand information from both the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. To get more clarity on policy matters and Programme implementation, officials involved in the FISP implementation at both National, Provincial and District levels were also interviewed. The research reviewed among other things that despite the fact that some farmers are better off after three to four years in the Programme, there is a lack of a proper plan to guide in the monitoring of the progress of these beneficiary farmers to ensure they are weaned from the Programme. Political influence has also contributed to the inability to graduate those farmers who seek empathy from the political leadership to enable them continue appearing on the beneficiary list.

LAMECK SIANTALE

ABSTRUCT The research was carried out in three areas of Mumbwa District (Sanje, Mululi and Mulungushi). The people in these areas mainly depend on farming as a source of their livelihoods. However Sanje area is mainly dominated by formal government employees but participate in the FSP are dependable maize producers in the District. The other two areas are dominated by full time farmers who entirely depend on agriculture and other off farm activities for their survivor. Government supported farming in Zambia since independence through various programmes and subsidising inputs with a view of reducing rural poverty and ensuring that National food security was guaranteed. However, the introduction of a free market economy in the 1990s by the MMD government under his excellence Dr. F T J Chiluba brought about the removal of government’s direct participation in most sectors of the economy, including the agricultural sector. Small scale farmers were disadvantages greatly because conditions under the private sector driven economy were not favourable for them and their livelihoods were threatened. This prompted the initiation of the FSP during the 2002/2003 farming season by the MMD government under president Levy Patrick Mwanawasa SC This research was designed to assess the social economic impact of the FSP on the livelihood of the beneficiaries. The main idea was to find out how the programme has performed since its inception based on its challenges and successes. The sources of information included all stake holders (government offices, cooperative societies leaders and small scale farmers that were sampled. Data was also collected from existing literature and from the research’s observation. Findings have reviewed that the programme impacted positively on beneficiaries’ livelihoods although insufficiency of the inputs, problems of raising the down payments, competing for the same inputs with formal employees and other constraints highlighted have made accessibility of the inputs difficult for the vulnerable rural small scale farmers. The research has also revealed that the programme has not given beneficiaries capability to access all the assets (capital) that could enable them come up with sustainable means of survival. The success recorded was not sustainable because indications were that most of the full time farmers would not manage to sustain themselves if the programme was stopped

brian mahuni

Ngolia Kimanzu

Elizabeth Mukozho

The Farm Input Subsidy programme (FISP), a programme implemented in 2005 in Malawi, as a way to overcome food insecurity and to reduce reliance on the donor community, has been widely researched, due to the change it brought to the food security status of the country. Limited research has been conducted to determine the effect of the subsidy on food security at a household level. Analysis of data collected using the SPSS and STATA, revealed that close to three quarters of households under study were headed by male decision makers. Generally, the more experienced farmers received inputs through the FISP as compared to those who had minimal farming experience. The greatest proportion (58%) of the population had been to school up to the primary level whilst 21.2% had never been to school. Generally, FISP recipients had greater pieces of land whether arable, cultivated and total land area, household size and greater yields both in the 2013/14 growing season and in the years after implem...

Lumba Siyanga

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