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This study examines the problems of low productivity, inefficiency and food insecurity among smallholder farmers in Zambia despite the efforts of input subsidy programs such as the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to enhance access to improved seeds and fertilisers. Using a counterfactual non-experimental design approach, this study uses a sample of 404 maize farmers (234 FISP beneficiaries and 170 non-beneficiaries) across the Southern province of Zambia. An initial probit regression model was used to identify the determinants of FISP access, and an endogenous switching regression model was used to measure the effect of FISP access on maize yield and income. The results show that age, household size, marital status, cooperative membership, and off-farm income are all positively related to FISP access, while gender, farm size, and farming experience are all negatively related to FISP access. The endogenous switching regression results suggest that FISP access is a real boon for beneficiaries in terms of increasing maize yield and farm income. For instance, beneficiaries of FISP would have harvested 144.97kg/ha less maize and earned 744.69 ZMW less in the absence of input subsidy. On the other hand, the non-beneficiaries would have harvested 730.815kg/ha more maize and earned 2233.09 ZMW more if they had accessed the input subsidy. These results show that FISP positively impacts agricultural production and economic returns and calls for targeted policies that address gender barriers, support smallholder farmers, and improve cooperative structures.
