Samuel A. Donkoh

TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF RICE PRODUCTION AT THE TONO IRRIGATION SCHEME IN NORTHERN GHANA

Aim: To investigate the determinants of technical efficiency of rice farmers at Tono Irrigation Project. Study Design: Cross sectional. Place and Duration: The Kassena-Nankana District of Upper East Region of Ghana in the 2007/2008 cropping season. Methodology: One-step estimation of the Stochastic Frontier Model. Results: The technical efficiency estimates ranged from 0.41 to 1.00 with a mean value of 0.81. The factors that determined farmers’ technical efficiency included education and the adoption of modern inputs such as seeds and chemical fertilizers. Conclusion: The sustainability of the farmers’ high efficiency will be dependent on the continuous support they receive in the areas of input supply and education, among others.

Food expenditure and household welfare in Ghana

The main objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of household food expenditure and its effects on welfare. As a result of potential simultaneity between food expenditure and welfare, a simultaneous equations model was estimated using the two-stage least squares method. The findings confirm the theoretical and empirical evidences that households reduce the percentage share of their food expenditure as they become richer. Also, increases in the food budget share lead to a reduction in welfare. Different households which spent greater percentages of their incomes on food were as follows: female headed households; households headed by the aged; households whose heads had little or no formal education; households whose heads were married; smaller households; rural households; households in the forest and savannah belts; and households living farther from the nation’s capital. Also, welfare was greater for the following households: female headed households; households headed by the aged, households whose heads had formal education, smaller households, households who owned assets; households living in the urban centres, as well as those living closer to the nation’s capital. Households that must be targeted for support include male-headed households, households headed by the relatively young, larger households, rural households and households farther from the nation’s capital, including those in the savannah belt.

Determinants and income effect of yam postharvest loss management: evidence from the Zabzugu District of Northern Ghana

Globally, postharvest loss reduction has been emphasized as an effective option for improving food security and environmental sustainability. Yam production in the Zabzugu district of Northern Ghana suffers from high postharvest losses, with varying degrees of economic, social and environmental implications. Improving the welfare of farmers through postharvest loss reduction requires farmers’ effective management of the losses. The purpose of this study is to examine how effectively farmers manage postharvest losses and the rewards derived from such efforts. Using a cross-section of 201 randomly selected yam farmers from major production communities in the Zabzugu district of Northern Ghana, we applied a simultaneous equation modelling approach to examine the contemporaneous correlation between postharvest loss management and income. Results provided evidence that good postharvest loss management improves welfare of yam farmers through increased income earnings and vice versa, especially for those who produce for commercial purposes. On the other hand, subsistence farmers were better at managing postharvest losses, though with lower monetary rewards. The policy implications are that interventions should target farmer education and training to improve the skills of farmers in managing postharvest losses.

Participation and output effect of a Block Farm Credit Programme in selected districts of Northern Ghana

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) Block Farm Credit Programme (BFCP) participation on crop output in four districts in the Northern region of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 240 beneficiary and non-beneficiary farmers of BFCP. The treatment effect model that accounts for selectivity bias was employed to examine the socioeconomic determinants of farmers’ decision to participate in the BFCP and the effect of BFCP participation on crop output. Findings Even though the BFCP participation increases output, inadequacy and late delivery of BFCP inputs, low publicity about the programme and difficulty in accessing the inputs from the districts agricultural officers are factors that prevent the full realization of the benefits of the programme. Improving extension services to create more awareness and a re-introduction of the BFCP to make inputs available and affordable to farmers can help boost farm productivity. Practical implications The positive effect of the BFCP means that the provision of low-cost production credit has the potential to increase productivity and improve incomes. Hence, MoFA should endeavour up scaling and properly managing the scheme. Originality/value This study is the first to evaluate the BFCP in Northern region of Ghana, particularly in relation to its contribution to crop value. The findings are very useful to advise policy by taking account of the programme deficiencies and enhance effectiveness.

Farmers’ Livelihoods and Welfare in the Wa West District, Upper West Region of Ghana

This paper examines the socioeconomic determinants of farmer livelihood diversification and its effects on welfare. We selected 184 farmers in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region of Ghana through a comprehensive, multistage process based on agro-ecological, engineering, and socioeconomic resilience/vulnerability profiles. A simultaneous equation model was estimated using the two-stage least squares method. The results suggest that the number of livelihood activities is highest for female farmers, relatively young farmers, farmers with little or no formal education, farmers with large families, and richer/wealthier farmers. On the other hand, welfare is highest for older farmers, female farmers, farmers with little or no formal education, farmers with small family size, and farmers with higher number of livelihood activities. Thus, despite the fact that younger and large-sized families engage in more livelihood activities, they have relatively low welfare. Therefore, these categories of farmers should be targeted for policy interventions. However, in general, we recommend the promotion of more livelihood activities to increase the welfare of farmers. These livelihood activities should not be vulnerable to the adverse effects of climatic factors.

Determinants of consumer willingness to pay for certified safe vegetables

ABSTRACTVegetable production in urban and peri-urban areas involves use of wastewater for irrigation and agrochemicals, which pose risks to consumers’ health. To some degree, certification assures consumers of food safety. Certification is costly, requiring consumers to, at least partially, bear the cost. Consumer willingness to pay for certified vegetables was examined in Tamale, Ghana, based on a survey of 300 consumers using the contingent valuation method. Young, well-educated, and affluent consumers would pay price premiums for certified vegetables. A differentiated market could target educated and wealthy households when introducing certified vegetables. Consumer trust in local certification institutions need to be enhanced in Tamale. Consumers are willing to pay price premium for certified safe vegetables to avoid health-related risks associated with use of wastewater for irrigation and agrochemicals.

Pest management among smallholder cabbage growers

ABSTRACT Vegetable production is practiced in urban and peri-urban settings in many countries, where agricultural lands are decreasing. Farmers need to understand how to manage pests when production is in close proximity to people, especially since they have adopted intensive agricultural practices where more synthetic chemicals are used to control pests. Other issues including climate change, rapid urbanization, limited access to resources – land, training, and technology influence pest management strategies. A mixed method was used to collect data which examined how farmer interactions with other actors and technologies have influenced management of pest infestations and profits. All farmers in Tamale intensively cultivate cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) and we noted differences in profitability between farmers with, and without, formal training. There was a positive association between long-term farm experience and good pest management practices. Farmers with >10 years experience growing cabbage were more mindful of pre-harvest intervals in respect to pesticide application compared to those with less-farming experience. Farmer-to-farmer transfer was the most efficient way of disseminating agricultural information and creates an opportunity for sharing information on integrated pest management. There is a need for the creation of formal farmer–farmer training and education by government extension officers, building on informal opportunities provided by farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer on safe handling, storage, and application of pesticides in peri-urban and urban farms.

Adoption of rice cultivation technologies and its effect on technical efficiency in Sagnarigu District of Ghana

Abstract This study examined the adoption of rice cultivation technologies on farmers’ technical efficiency in Sagnarigu District. The stochastic frontier model was used to estimate the determinants of output and technical inefficiency while propensity score matching was also used to analyse the average treatment effect (ATE) and the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT). A total of 120 respondents comprising 60 adopters and 60 non-adopters were randomly selected from six communities in the District and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Farm size, fertilizer, weedicides and household labour had positive and significant effect on rice output. Farmers who adopted the rice cultivation techniques were less technically inefficient than those who did not adopt. The ATT was 0.121 which implies that farmers who adopted the rice technologies increased their technical efficiency by about 12% and this was significant at 10% for the PSM with similar results obtained for the nearest neighbour matching. The ATE value of 0.102 which was also statistically significant at 10% means that farmers on the whole increased their technical efficiency by 10.2%. Moreover, the mean technical efficiency estimates for adopters and non-adopters were about 58% and 48% respectively under regression adjustment and inverse-probability weights. The existence of a technical efficiency gap of 10% between adopters and non-adopters of rice technologies emphasized the significant effect of technology adoption on farmer’s technical efficiency. The study recommends that more rice farmers should be encouraged to adopt the rice production technologies in order to improve their technical efficiency levels.

Consumers’ preferred purchasing outlet of safer vegetables in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract This study assesses consumers’ preferred purchasing outlet of safer vegetables in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso using Multinomial Logit. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered on 350 consumers of vegetables (cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes) selected through a multistage random sampling procedure from 10 districts of the capital city, Ouagadougou. Descriptive statistics was used in describing consumers’ socio-economic characteristics. Multinomial logit was used to estimate how consumers’ socio-economic characteristics affect their preference for purchasing point/outlets for safer vegetables. The Garrett’s ranking technique was then used to rank the constraints to accessing safe vegetables. The result revealed that 52.57% of the consumers preferred to buy safer vegetables from the roadside market, 31.43% preferred to buy from the supermarket, while the remaining 16.00% preferred to buy from the farm gate. From the estimation results, the supermarket was a preferred choice for the following categories of consumers: the married; the formally educated; the salaried workers; the relatively rich; and those who purchased vegetables much more frequently. With respect to the constraints to accessing safe vegetables, inadequate supply of safe vegetables was ranked first while cultural barriers was the least ranked. Based on the findings, the study recommends that stakeholders should work at scaling up the production of safer vegetables and the marketing of same via the supermarkets. This is against the backdrop of the existence of a potentially huge market among the affluent society of Ouagadougou.

Effect of postharvest management practices on welfare of farmers and traders in Tamale metropolis and Zabzugu District, Ghana

Abstract Postharvest losses are a significant threat to the actors in the yam value chain. In this article, we examined the key postharvest management practices and its effect on the welfare of yam farmers and traders in selected towns of Northern region. We randomly sampled a cross section of farmers and traders for data collection, and analyzed the data with beta regression and linear regression models. Results show that farmers lose an average of 9.6% of stored yam in 2-month period, while traders lose 3.3% of yam stored in a month. The main postharvest storage-management practices used by farmers and traders include heat-control measures, sorting-management practices, and cleaning-management practices. Our regression results verify that good storage-management practices improves postharvest management, thereby reducing storage losses and enhancing the welfare outcomes for traders. However, no statistically significant effect was detected for farmers. Therefore, we suggest that information on and availability of improved postharvest storage-management practices should be delivered and fostered among farmers and traders in the study areas to maximize efforts aimed at reducing postharvest losses and improve welfare outcomes.