Determinants of smallholder horticultural farmers’ participation in the Impact Accelerator Subsidy (IAS) programme in Botswana : case study from Kweneng District : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agribusiness at Massey University, New Zealand

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of smallholder farmers’ participation in the Impact Accelerator Subsidy (IAS) programme, a horticulture subsidy initiative in Botswana, with a focus on market dynamics and co-financing barriers to smallholder farmer engagement. Despite the IAS programme being ambitious in stimulating horticultural production and improving livelihoods through partial input subsidies and technical support, the participation of smallholder farmers has been uneven and constrained. The study employed a qualitative case study design, engaging smallholder farmers in three categories: participants, intended participants, and non-participants across Kweneng District in Botswana, through semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, document reviews, and field observations. The data were analysed guided by Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic data analysis framework, where the themes are inductively derived from the data. The findings of this study show that while some farmers participated, enabled by ownership of land, access to adequate borehole water and external funding sources, broader systemic barriers dominated. Chief among these barriers were a high co financing threshold, which excluded resource-poor farmers and the prevailing unregulated market conditions that subjected farmers to exploitative pricing and inconsistent demand. Other challenges included weak extension service delivery, policy ambiguity, and logistical infrastructure challenges. These challenges undermined the uptake and participation in the IAS programme. The study argues that without adequately addressing the underlying market dysfunctions and offering more inclusive financing models, the transformative goals of the IAS programme remain limited. This study concludes by calling for revisions that prioritise market formalisation, strengthen farmers' bargaining power, and provide more equitable cost-sharing arrangements. These insights offer insights on designing subsidy models that are accessible and sustainable in the context of Botswana’s horticulture sector.