PROSPER Intervention: Cash for Inputs
This learning paper summarises the evaluation of the Cash for Inputs intervention under the PROSPER Project which is part of the Building Resilience and Adapting to Climate Change (BRACC) programme.
The PROSPER Cash for Inputs intervention provided stipends of MKW5,000-10,000 to be spent on agricultural inputs from any qualifying agrodealer. Participants had to provide receipts showing they used the cash for inputs to be eligible for the programme in subsequent years. This intervention was partly prompted by Covid-19 making unfeasible the initial intention for Input Fairs.
The learning paper has been produced as part of the 2021 evaluation of the BRACC programme. The evaluation found that Cash for Inputs was well received and contributed to agricultural investment, diversification, adoption of resilient crops and varieties, and improved yields, which in turn created transformative downstream benefits. Many participants appreciated the flexibility of the cash approach, but others liked aspects of the Input Fair approach, such as reduced travel and the fact that there was less temptation to spend money on other things. Input supply systems and market access remain a challenge and need to be considered in the design of Cash for Inputs schemes.