Abstract
Ghana is characterized by obvious economic disparities between northern and southern Ghana. In this paper, we analyze these disparities and economic growth by examining the current farming structure with reference to land use patterns and farming practices and linkages with the market economy. Using data collected through household surveys from 2004 to 2015 in the Dagomba area, gathered from five compounds of 12 to 14 farmers each, the study concludes that the position of agriculture as a source of income in rural areas has declined rapidly, indicating a potential de-agrarianization in rural Ghana. Nonetheless, in northern Ghana, which is resource-poor, agriculture is still seen as an important income source. Because of the unfavorable position of agriculture in the Ghanaian context, outmigration is occurring from rural to urban areas, especially by male family members, resulting in significant change in household composition (more elderly household heads). Changes in family composition and decreased farm sizes have an important implication for food security and livelihoods of Ghanaian families. All these adversities suggest the need to craft farming systems that encourage increased food production through the introduction of new production technology and crop diversification.
Highlights
The economy of the Republic of Ghana was sluggish during the 1970s but moved toward improvement since Jerry Rawlings’ government in the 1981s
These primary products consist of agricultural products and mineral resources, which are very unstable contributors to the national economy
In the compound-level survey, we interviewed the HHH about family composition, situation of living and livelihoods, land management, and inheritance system
Summary
The economy of the Republic of Ghana was sluggish during the 1970s but moved toward improvement since Jerry Rawlings’ government in the 1981s. Farmers in northern Ghana remain economically disadvantaged because of increased prices of daily necessities and low labor wages. These conditions resulted in poor agricultural growth and poor agricultural performance, which are associated with a shrinking government budget [1]. In the southern part of Ghana, crops cultivation for export and domestic sales is carried out by utilizing the high potential of agricultural production. Food crops are mainly grown for self-consumption because of the poor cultivation conditions. Such dual production structures show an obvious economic disparity between northern and southern Ghana [2].
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