The organisation of agricultural research in Ghana: Priorities, problems, implications for domestic food production and policy issues

Abstract

In 1960–1975 the relatively high growth rate attained in food production in Ghana was through land area expansion because crop yield per unit area was low and did not improve. Real income is low and there is an abundant supply of cultivable land; consequently, public investment in food crop production research was low. Research on export and industrial crop production was emphasised more than research on food crop production and the limited research on food crops focused mainly on technical production problems although food problems in Ghana are as much social, institutional and concerned with policy as they are technical. However, because of the long delay in return to investment in agricultural research and because population and real income in Ghana are expected to increase at higher rates in 1976–1990 than in 1960–1975, it is necessary to expand public investment in social and technical research on food production and consumption immediately.