Description

In this study, the effects of recent policy changes in Malawi are examined. A survey of 800 Malawian farms from 1997-1998 was used to determine the effects of two policies: implementation of the

Starter Pack Scheme and an input-market liberalization program. It was found that both policies produced positive results when used in specific circumstances. For example, within nutritional and marketing constraints, the Starter Pack Scheme was found to have a rate of return of fifty percent. Studies such as these illuminate the beneficial impacts of policy changes on assisting smallholders rise above poverty.