Farm input subsidy programs have once again become a popular policy tool that many
African governments use to improve agricultural productivity and address rural poverty.
Zambia is one of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that over the past decade has
devoted a considerable share of its agricultural budget to the Farmer Input Support Program
(FISP). Input subsidy programs have received considerable research attention in recent years.
Unfortunately, the issue of late delivery of inputs under government subsidy programs has
received little or no research attention, even though it has been a longstanding problem in
many countries, including Zambia. Neither has the effects late of delivery on input subsidy
programs’ effectiveness been seriously considered in policy debates.