How culture and religion influence the agriculture technology gap in Northern Ghana

Abstract

Agriculture technology adoption is recognised as a possible method of improving farmers’ technical efficiency globally. This paper aims at analysing technology gap among non-adopters and different adopters of improved rice varieties in Northern Ghana. The paper used current survey data of 464 farmers to extend Meta-frontiers analysis to adopters of rice developed domestically and imported improved rice varieties. The estimations are supported with the association of cultural and religious norms as critical determinants of technical efficiency. The findings indicate that adopters of the different kinds of improved rice do not share the same level of technology. Also, adopters of the combined domestic and foreign varieties are less technical efficient relative to adopters of only one brand of improved rice. However, adopters had less technology gap relative to non-adopters. After showing the technology gap and identifying that cultural and religious practices are critical determinants of technical efficiency, we recommend an integrated approach of factoring culture and religion to agriculture technology diffusion to enhance technical efficiency.