Targeted Not Blanket Allocation, is key to improving effectiveness of input use through voucher schemes

Agriculture development strategies continue to play an integral role in the economies and livelihoods of the poor in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) because of their predominantly agrarian economies and agriculture provides employment to large proportions of the population. Despite their importance to local economies, these strategies have historically been driven by funding from international development agencies. […]

Agriculture development strategies continue to play an integral role in the economies and livelihoods of the poor in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) because of their predominantly agrarian economies and agriculture provides employment to large proportions of the population. Despite their importance to local economies, these strategies have historically been driven by funding from international development agencies. Most such strategies have supported farmers by subsidizing either producer and/or consumers’ prices. In this regard, the government of Tanzania renewed interest in transforming its agricultural sector, particularly in recent years. This has led to an increase in the involvement of various development partners both domestic and external. One such effort is the National Agricultural Input Voucher Scheme (NAIVS)