The study looked at how fertilizer subsidies in Malawi affect farmers' fertilizer purchases and maize production over time. They found that receiving subsidized fertilizer for multiple years slightly increases commercial fertilizer purchases in the following year. However, the impact on maize production is only modest in the same year and has no lasting effect in subsequent years. This suggests that the long-term effects of fertilizer subsidies in Malawi are limited, and additional interventions to improve soil fertility are needed to make fertilizer use more profitable and sustainable for smallholder farmers in Africa.