Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/87307 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper No. 12-090/V
Publisher: 
Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Abstract: 
We measure the impact of the Farmers Income Diversification Program (FIDP), an EU funded program implemented in Malawi from late 2005 onwards, aiming at increasing agricultural productivity, diversification, value addition, commercialization and trade of subsistence farmers. The geographical spread of the implementation of FIDP is exploited to identify its impact. Computations are based on annual data by Extension Planning Area, 198 in total, fully covering Malawi, for the period 2003-04 to 2009-10. The estimations support a statistically significant impact of FIDP on agricultural productivity, with increases reaching 20% to 24% relative to base period levels, with a lag of at least one year after the start of the program and increasing over the years. Evidence on diversification of crop income is less strong but still suggests increases ranging from 5% to 10%. Results are robust for instrumental variables, synthetic controls, clustering of standard errors and inclusion of additional covariates.
Subjects: 
agricultural policy
impact evaluation
subsistence farming
Malawi
Africa
JEL: 
F35
O13
O55
Q11
Q13
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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