“…Critics have argued that subsidies are expensive, and they may distort the market and divert resources from other complementary investments, such as R&D, irrigation infrastructure and soil improvements. The recurring instances of food shortages and rising food prices in developing countries, however, have led to a renewed interest in agricultural input subsidies (Duflo, Kremer and Robinson, 2011; Bardhan and Mookherjee, 2011;Jayne and Rashid, 2013;Goyal and Nash, 2017). Subsidy programs are appealing because they encourage changes in farming practices that result in short-term increases in productivity and food security while putting downward pressure on food prices (Carter et al 2014).…”