Starter Pack (SP2) Evaluation Programme 1999-2000 (Module 2)

The 1999-2000 Starter Pack Evaluation Programme concerned the National Level Starter Pack campaign under which the intention was that each rural household with land is provided with one pack containing 0.1 hectare worth of fertiliser and seed in time for the start of the rains. This was the second year of the Starter Pack campaign (SP2). The key objective of the Starter Pack campaign was to increase household food availability and combat household food insecurity. The 1998/99 and 1999/2000 Starter Pack campaigns were both designed to cover all rural smallholder households, rather than attempting to target beneficiaries based on areas of income/wealth groups. Nevertheless, it is likely that the campaigns might have had differential impact and it would be interesting to policy makers, if the differential welfare impact of the Starter Pack campaign on households was measured. The SP1 evaluation included a rudimentary attempt to assess farmers' willingness/capacity to pay for the Starter Pack in future, if funding for the packs would be reduced or withdrawn. The module 2-evaluation study was, therefore, intended to extend this analysis with the objective of providing a more reliable farmer valuation of the Starter Pack Scheme (SPS).