How agricultural input subsidies have affected subsistence crop production in Botswana

What is it about?

Agricultural input subsidies have been used to increase food production and food security in Africa, including Botswana. The paper shows that the agricultural Input subsidy programme in Botswana has increased cereal area planted, yields and production, and hence, may have increased food security. However, the program is costly to taxpayers since public expenditure on input subsidies is about twice the value of crops produced. The paper concludes that the input subsidy program in Botswana is therefore unsustainable and should be redesigned as a poverty reduction program targeting resource poor farmers rather than a universal programmme.

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Why is it important?

The paper is important in that it adds to the literature on how input subsidies have helped smallholder farmers in Africa and the rest of the developing world. It is also meant to influence public policy debate on the design of input subsidies in africa, their effectiveness and sustainability.

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