Fertilizer Adoption and Use Intensity Among Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana: A Case Study of the AGRA Soil Health Project

Edward Martey,Francis Kusi,Alexander Nimo Wiredu,S S J Buah,John Bidzakin,Mathias Fosu,Benjamin D K Ahiabor,Prince M Etwire

doi:10.5539/sar.v3n1p24

Abstract

<p>Northern Ghana is characterized by food insecurity largely due to over reliance on rain-fed agriculture under low farm input conditions. The present study investigated the effect of factors influencing mineral fertilizer adoption and use intensity among smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana. A total of 330 smallholder farmers selected through multi-stage sampling technique were interviewed. Adoption of fertilizer technology was determined by age, nativity, farm size, access to credit, and distance to agricultural office. The result of the truncated regression estimates indicated that income of household head, membership of farmer association, distance to agricultural office, access to input shop, income earning household that do not participate in agricultural development project and income earning male headed household were the significant factors influencing fertilizer use intensity. Distance to agricultural office was a key positive determinant of fertilizer adoption and use intensity. The study recommends improvement in road infrastructure and technical training of agricultural extension agents. Farmer based organization must be trained on regular basis to enhance their productive skills and technology uptake.</p>

Highlights

1.1 Background and Problem StatementAgriculture in Ghana is predominantly on a smallholder basis
The result of the truncated regression estimates indicated that income of household head, membership of farmer association, distance to agricultural office, access to input shop, income earning household that do not participate in agricultural development project and income-earning male-headed household were the significant factors influencing fertilizer use intensity
The extent of fertilizer use was significantly determined by income of household head, membership of farmer association, distance to agricultural office, access to input shop, income earning household that do not participate in agricultural development project and income earning male headed household

Summary

Introduction

1.1 Background and Problem StatementAgriculture in Ghana is predominantly on a smallholder basis. Production is largely rain-fed with limited mechanization and inadequate use of improved technologies such as high and stable yielding crop varieties, good agricultural practices, fertilizers, and other agro-inputs. These among many other things have contributed to the observed low levels of productivity in the agricultural sector (Chamberlin, 2007). The individual either adopts or does not The framework for such analysis has its root in the threshold theory of decision making in which a reaction occurs only after the strength of a stimulus increases beyond the individual’s reaction threshold (Hill & Kau, 1981). This implies that every individual when faced with a choice has a reaction threshold influenced by several factors

Methods

Results

Conclusion