Key Principles for Smart Fertilizer Subsidy Programs

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has expressed concern about the poor performance of fertilizer subsidy programs in the region and stated the need, in its new Regional Agricultural Investment Program for Food Security and Nutrition (RAIPFSN, 2016 – 2020), to harmonize input subsidy policies across Member States in an attempt to improve their effectiveness. One of its main technical partners, the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), has echoed this call and has conducted activities under its USAID-funded West Africa Fertilizer Program (WAFP, which ended on July 31, 2017) to review current fertilizer subsidy programs and make recommendations for their improvement. The review exercise resulted in the development of 13 key principles and 36 associated actions that provide tested, mutually agreed, and validated guidelines to countries across the ECOWAS region for designing and implementing “smart” fertilizer subsidy programs. The thirteen principles are, Inclusive participation, specialization, fair competition, efficiency, targeting, transparency, timeliness, appropriate and quality products, proper incentives, complementary inputs, exit strategy, sustainability, and accountability. This guide will almost certainly be applicable to other agricultural inputs and its effective use is expected to bring about significant changes in fertilizer use, crop yields, and agricultural growth, hence contributing to improve food security and reduced poverty across West Africa.
Description
Keywords
Fertilizers, Subsidies
Citation
Collections