Technology Adoption and Output Difference Among Groundnut Farmers in Northern Ghana

Abstract

Adoption of improved groundnut production technologies is an important avenue for increasing productivity and improving the living standard of farmers. This study seeks to analyze technology adoption and output difference among groundnut farmers in Northern Ghana. The study used primary and cross-sectional data from 250 groundnut farmers. The Probit regression model and t test were used to analyze the objectives of this study. Results of the study reveals that while household size, distance to district capital, farmer-based organization, and access to credit significantly affects adoption of improved groundnut varieties (IGV), only household size and distance to district capital affected the adoption of agrochemical in production. Also, apart from extension and education which affect adoption of mobile phone, factors such as sex, marital status, distance to district capital, household size, farmer-based organization (FBO), and access to credit significantly influenced the adoption of mechanization and mobile phone, respectively. The study revealed that the average output level of adopters of these improved groundnut technologies was relatively higher than non-adopters. The study recommends that projects/programs and policies related to the introduction and dissemination of improved groundnut production technologies in northern Ghana should draw lessons from studies like this to ensure improved technology uptake.