Agriculture In Ghana Research Articles

Effect of climate variability on yields of selected staple food crops in northern Ghana

Agriculture in Ghana is vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate variability. This poses a challenge to food security across the country. Despite this vulnerability, limited research has been conducted to understand the effect of climate variability on the yields of staple food crops in Ghana. This study assessed the effect of climate variability on the yields of selected staple food crops (millet, sorghum, rice, groundnut and maize). The study used the Mann-Kendall trend test and multiple regression analysis to assess how climate variability (in annual rainfall, onset, cessation, number of dry days and temperature) has affected the yields of selected food crops in five districts in northern Ghana (Bole, Nanton, Tolon, Kassena Nankana East and Wa) over a 21-year period (1995–2016). Results suggested a marginal decrease in annual rainfall ( p > 0.05) and a significant increase in temperature ( p < 0.05) over the period of study in the districts. Variability in the onset, cessation, length of rainy days and number of dry days was statistically significant from year to year, and also across the districts ( p < 0.05). Results indicated substantial variability in the yields of the selected staple food crops. Temperature, number of dry days, onset, annual rainfall and cessation explained about 43%, 32%, 30%, 25% and 14%, respectively of the variations in the yields of groundnut, sorghum, millet, maize and rice. Our results generally suggest that the changing climate substantially affects food production in the study districts, highlighting the need for adaptations including the use of agricultural diversification and the greater use of drought tolerant varieties of these staple crops, as well as the continuing investment in crop breeding programmes to enhance drought tolerance. • Climatic variables (annual rainfall, onset, cessation, number of dry days and temperature) are erratic in northern Ghana. • Changing climate substantially affects food production in northern Ghana. • Continuing investment in crop breeding programmes to enhance drought tolerance.

Agricultural insurance access and acceptability: examining the case of smallholder farmers in Ghana

BackgroundWeather-related risks thwart agricultural productivity gains especially in the face of climate change. Agricultural insurance serves as a reliable risk mitigation instrument for coping with climate-related hazards. This notwithstanding, agricultural insurance penetration among smallholder farmers in the global south remains low. This study investigated the access and acceptability of agricultural insurance among smallholder food crop farmers in Ghana.MethodThe study employed a mixed-methods approach involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study was carried out in the Northern, Volta and Western regions involving 7 communities in 5 districts. A total of 200 farmers were sampled through a multi-stage purposive sampling and interviewed. A cross-sectional survey involved 100 respondents under the quantitative approach whilst the qualitative study engaged additional 100 farmers.ResultsThe results show that smallholder farmers’ access and acceptability of agricultural insurance is low (14%) and scarce but ironically considered useful by many (90%) as an effective tool to deal with agricultural risks. Inadequate knowledge about agricultural insurance products constituted the most stated reason (64%) for the scarce adoption rate, followed (23%) by the unavailability of insurance products in areas needed but absent. A few (5%) reported insurance to be expensive. Acceptability and accessibility of agricultural insurance are further influenced by gender, educational level, low knowledge, information asymmetry and wrong perception concerning agricultural insurance products. Sense of security and reduced impact of climate variabilities constituted important benefits guaranteed by agricultural insurance.ConclusionsAgricultural insurance access and acceptability is constrained by limited knowledge of agricultural insurance products. It is recommended that more insurance companies be incentivized to augment already existing efforts by Ghana Agricultural Insurance Pool (GAIP) to enroll more smallholder farmers. The government can consider bundling existing insurance products with credit or inputs under the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme (PFJ) to improve uptake and accessibility of agricultural insurance.

Does Accountability Undermine Service Delivery? The Impact of Devolving Agriculture in Ghana

In recent years, many developing countries have devolved services to locally elected governments. Although this may strengthen downwards accountability to citizens, does devolution improve service provision? Ghana began devolving agriculture in 2012 to its Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). Drawing on an original survey with 80 District Directors of Agriculture and 960 households, as well as district-level budget data and interviews with national and local government stakeholders, this paper shows that agricultural expenditures and services have been negatively affected by the transition. The imperative of electoral accountability encourages assembly members to de-prioritize agriculture in the budget process in favor of more visible goods and services. Budget allocations, however, do reflect the preferences of local citizens, a majority of whom value using elections to sanction their district politicians. The findings indicate that devolution may increase accountability but result in sectoral trade-offs in service provision, which may undermine national policy objectives.

Forestry insurance preference among tree growers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana: a tobit and multi-nomial regression approach

PurposeThe study analyses the preference for forestry insurance amongst tree growers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Specifically, the authors examine the factors influencing the amount of forestry insurance and the choice for forestry insurance types.Design/methodology/approachA total of one hundred and seventy (170) tree growers were sampled for the study. The tobit model, multi-nomial regression and Kendall's tau were employed to analyse the factors affecting the amount for forestry insurance, the choice for forestry insurance types and the perils to forest quality, respectively.FindingsThe results of the study indicate that the incidence of bush fire and theft were the key perils that affect forest quality. In total, 52.94% of respondents preferred forest plantation fire insurance as named-peril insurance whereas 70.59% preferred a combination of forest plantation fire, windstorm and consequential loss insurance as multi-peril insurance. The majority (89.4%) of the respondents were willing to pay an amount between Ghc 10.00–49.00 (US$ 2–8) per stand. On the one hand, results of the tobit model reveal age, income, experience in forest management, land ownership and the previous occurrence of fire as the factors affecting the amount for forestry insurance. On the other hand, the multi-nomial results indicate the previous occurrence of fire, gender, forest size, income and risk aversion significantly influenced the choice for forestry insurance types, namely named peril and multi-peril.Originality/valueSeveral studies exist for forestry insurance in the developed countries. However, in West Africa specifically, Ghana, studies on forestry insurance appear to be non-existent. Above and beyond, this study, therefore, adds to the paucity of research on forestry insurance in Ghana and serves as a framework for agricultural insurance institutions such as the Ghana Agricultural Insurance Pool (GAIP) and World cover and other agricultural insurance institutions globally.

Capital mobility and knowledge diffusion from China into Ghana's food production subsector: Implications for the law and politics of food sector development strategies

Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion (CMKD) is visibly present in Ghana's agriculture sector. This has been crystallized in investments, trade, and inventor mobility. Situating this work within the Social Structure of Accumulation theory, I ask: How have Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion influenced political interactions between state institutions and industry players in the agricultural sector? In what ways do Ghana's state institutions work to ensure she takes or refuses to take advantage of the opportunities which accompany Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion? This study addressed these questions by analyzing qualitative data from 49 purposively selected end users of Chinese agricultural inputs, distributers, and co‐owners of Chinese agricultural input, experts, and policy makers in the agricultural sector. The study finds that state institutions' response to economic opportunities embedded in the Chinese capital mobility and knowledge diffusion in the sector was generally indifferent albeit some appreciable political interactions and institutional processes.

Water quality indicators of the Nima Creek, and potential for sustainable urban agriculture in Ghana

ABSTRACT Urban and peri-urban agriculture, a widely accepted practice of food cultivation in urban centers contributes to positive environment. It has the benefits of job creation, increased access to healthy and affordable food, and important means of improving community health. Use of wastewater or disturbed surface water for urban agriculture is a common practice in the developing world due to lack of adequate infrastructure and widespread poverty. This study assessed the urban water quality parameters of the Nima Creek, a major water resource for peri-urban and urban farming in Southeastern Accra. Water sampled from six locations along the NE – SW stretch of the creek were evaluated for physicochemical parameters including pH, conductivity, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), cations, zinc, iron, oil and grease, Biological Oxygen demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen demand (COD). Results show high enrichment of nutrients, ammonia (NH3), nitrate (NO3), and phosphate (PO4) as well as elevated levels of BOD, COD, and grease at sites receiving solid and liquid wastes. The physicochemical parameters such as conductivity, TSS, and TDS exhibited periods of elevated values that were congruent with seasonal rainfall patterns within the catchment area. Sodium concentration ranged from 32 to 297 mg/L. Nitrate levels generally ranged from 1.5 to 7.13 mg/L. The cation concentrations showed broad temporal and spatial variation characteristic of disturbed surface freshwater. Principal component analysis of the data discriminated four distinct components accounting for 63.6% of the total variance. The component plots constrained three major classes explaining the physical quality of the water and two other groups defining nutrient and alkalinity levels in the water.

Welfare impacts of climate-smart agriculture in Ghana: Does row planting and drought-tolerant maize varieties matter?

Welfare impacts of climate-smart agriculture in Ghana: Does row planting and drought-tolerant maize varieties matter?

How and why large scale agricultural land investments do not create long-term employment benefits: A critique of the ‘state’ of labour regulations in Ghana

Support for large scale agricultural investments in Africa has been mainly premised on their employment prospects for local populations. However, despite earlier calls by Tania Li to centre labour in the land grabs debate, labour is generally invisible in both mainstream policy and academic research. This paper, through a governance lens, draws attention to the implications of the global land rush on wage labour. In principle, policy frameworks that emphasise the labour potentials from large-scale land investments also gravitate towards regulations that seek to facilitate capital accumulation and mitigate negative impacts on communities – congruent with Ghana’s policy direction. This paper assesses the political-economic context of the legislative gaps in the current governance framework for wage labour and large-scale agriculture in Ghana; characterised mainly by absent, illusively present and repressive institutions. It is supported with empirical findings from the nature of farm workers’ incorporation into a transnational oil palm plantation in Ghana, their struggles over the nature of the investment, and the political orientation of the existing regulatory institutions. The study calls for policy measures which address power relations that shape the distribution of benefits from land investments, and also recognise structural inequalities that exist in and outside of agriculture.

Evaluating the Impact of Rural Finance on Cocoa Farmers Productivity: A Case Study of Bodi District in Ghana

Background: Agricultural finance from rural and community banks play a major role in increasing both yield and income of rural farmers in agricultural-dependent economies. These finances are needed for purchasing raw materials, paying labor fees and buying farming equipment, etc. However, substantial evidence about their roles in improving farm productivity is lacking, especially in the cocoa sector in Ghana, where rural and community banks are the forerunners in advancing credit to cocoa farmers in Ghana’s deprived rural cocoa-growing communities. This research, therefore, seeks to determine the impact of rural and community banks’ credit on cocoa farmers' productivity in the Bodi District of Ghana.&#x0D; Methodology: Using random sampling method, a cross-sectional data of 350 cocoa farmers from 5 operational areas (Afere, Bodi, Amoaya, Kama and Suino) located in Bodi District in the Western region. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Statistical software (SPSS v20 and STATA v14) were used to analyze quantitative data on cocoa productivity.&#x0D; Results: The results revealed that cocoa farmers with access to credit experienced significant yield increase (p&lt;0.05) with a mean of 359.71 kgha-1 as compared to 235.30 kgha-1 for non-credit takers. Further, only 34.3% of farmers accessed credit for farming. With Pseudo R2 value of 0.78, farm tenure system, fertilizer use, access to credit and access to extension services significantly influenced cocoa yield, while the age of cocoa farmer, age of farm trees and vulnerability of farm to natural disaster negatively affected cocoa yield. Tukey HSD results (p&lt;0.00) indicate that rural banks credit allocations to non-agricultural activities such as trade and transport, and social loans had the highest percentage means which suggests that agriculture is treated less favorable in rural banks' credit portfolio. These findings give credence to the assertion that rural banks are deviating from their core mandate of supporting agriculture in Ghana.&#x0D; Conclusion: This study reaffirms the supporting roles played by rural and community banks in increasing cocoa yield in Ghana. However, this research recommends that, the Bank of Ghana should closely monitor the activities of these unit banks to reduce the instances of diverting all their funds to non-agricultural related activities.

Welfare impacts of climate-smart agriculture in Ghana: Does row planting and drought-tolerant maize varieties matter?

This study provides new evidence of the impact of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) – row planting and drought-tolerant maize varieties - on farm and welfare outcomes by estimating a multinomial endogenous switching regression model that corrects for selection bias and farmer heterogeneity in CSA choice. Application of our model to panel observations of 438 households in Ghana show that adoption of CSA increases both yield and intensity of maize commercialization but negatively affect own consumption. Specifically, the magnitude of the impact is relatively higher for adopters of row planting relative to adopters of drought-tolerant maize seeds. These results suggest the need for development practitioners to increase awareness and emphasize the importance of row planting as a key component of climate-smart agriculture.

Characteristics of Foreign Direct Investment into Agriculture in Ghana

The paper investigated the characteristics of foreign direct investment( FDI) to Ghana's agriculture by examining the flow of funds, projects, employment and possible pre-independence legacies in FDI inflows from Ghana's former partners in colonial relationships and the slave trade. Using moving averages, percentages, cross tabulations and chi-squares tests, to data from 1994-2010, the following conclusions were drawn; a) FDI flows, measured by estimated cost of projects remained stable and low for most part of 1994-2010. However, huge jumps were witnessed after 2008, coinciding with Ghana's second time of successful and peaceful transfer of political power to another government; b) Clustering of agricultural projects in Greater Accra Region, c) a strong attraction of large FDI firms for the crops subsector; d) 75% of the FDI projects are SMEs; e) Among European countries, Ghana's former slave and colonial masters, Britain, Netherlands and Denmark contribute most FDI projects to Ghana's agriculture. Volta Region has strong attraction for projects from Germany. Strategies need to be designed to attract projects beyond Greater Accra, where poverty reduction may be better felt.&#x0D; Keywords: FDI;Agriculture;Employment;Distribution;Projects.

Pre- and Post-Harvest Practices of Urban Leafy Green Vegetable Farmers in Accra, Ghana and Their Association with Microbial Quality of Vegetables Produced

Vegetable farming is the most practiced urban agriculture in Ghana. A previous study of our laboratory revealed poor microbial quality of, and presence of Salmonella on, leafy green vegetables grown or sold in Accra, Ghana. The aims of this study were to determine agricultural practices of urban vegetable farmers and the association between agricultural practices and microbial safety of vegetables produced. A survey was conducted among 102 farmers from 12 farming areas who produced exotic and indigenous leafy greens in Accra, Ghana to identify their farming practices. It was observed that water from waste drains pumped into shallow wells was used for irrigation by 70% of the farmers. Incompletely composted manure was commonly used (99%) in farming. Vegetables were usually harvested using bare hands (96%) and knives (73%) and transported mainly in sacks (94%) to market centers under non-refrigerated conditions. Over 60% of the farmers disagreed that the use of polluted irrigation water can contaminate vegetables or make consumers sick. According to the seemingly unrelated regression model, farmers with no formal education and less food safety knowledge and had been planting on their current farmlands for several years were likely to produced vegetables with higher fecal coliform and Enterococcus sp. counts compared to other farmers. Vegetables cultivated by farmers who disagreed that the use of contaminated water can make consumers sick were associated with the production of vegetables with high fecal coliform and Enterococcus sp. counts. Education and improved agricultural and post-harvest handling practices should be encouraged among vegetable producers in the area to improve food safety.

Ghana Commercial Bank and Agriculture financing in Ghana, 1960s — 1980s

The British Bank of West Africa (BBWA) now renamed Standard Chartered Bank Limited and Barclays Bank Ghana Limited were the two prominent foreign Commercial Banks first established in the Gold Coast in 1897 and 1917 respectively. In the colonial era, these British banks only dealt with large businesses and did not extend credit to individual Gold Coast farmers because they were tagged as not credit-worthy or could not arrange suitable collateral for loans. Essentially, lack of access to credit continues to be a key factor contributing to the poor performance of the agriculture sector in general.1 In 1953, the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) was established as the first indigenous commercial bank to serve the people of the nation.1 Since 1953, the Ghana Commercial Bank has made agriculture financing its priority and has extended loans to its agricultural customers. This paper, which is multi-sourced, uses archival documents, Government Records, Annual Reports and scholarly secondary works, to examine the approaches and strategies used by GCB to support agriculture in Ghana from the late 1960s to 1980s. The paper specifically sheds light on the measures adopted by the bank to transform agriculture in the country.

Formal sector workers’ participation in urban agriculture in Ghana: perspectives from the Wa Municipality

This paper assesses the participation of formal sector employees in urban agriculture and their contributions to food supply in the Wa Municipality, north-western Ghana. A cross-sectional research design was employed with survey as the data collection method. Respondents were randomly selected from various public sector agencies within the Municipality. Logistic regression was employed to identify the factors influencing participation in agriculture. The findings revealed that majority (62.1%) of the respondents were not participating in agriculture. Respondents who participate in urban agriculture practice food crop farming or animal rearing or both. The probability of a formal sector worker participating in agriculture is influenced by sex, age, education, household size, finance and formal workload. Participation in agriculture contributes to household food supply through physical availability of food, income earning and savings. Providing formal sector workers with information about the significance of urban agriculture could be a way of encouraging their participation.

Screening Groundnut (Arachis hypogeae) Genotypes for Resistance to Early and Late Leaf Spot Diseases

Background for the Study: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important crop both in subsistence and commercial agriculture in Ghana. Early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidicola) and late leaf spot (Cercosporidium personata) are major limiting factors to groundnut productivity in Ghana.&#x0D; Aim: The objective of the study was to screen groundnut genotypes for resistance to Early and Late leaf spot diseases.&#x0D; Study Design: The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three (3) times.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted from May to December 2013 at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute experimental site at Nyankpala in the Northern Region. The site lies between latitude 9°25´141 North and longitude 0°58’142 West and an altitude of 183 m.&#x0D; Methodology: The land was done using a tractor and field divided into plots of 2 m x 5 m with 1 m interval between plots. Sowing was done on 3rd June 2013. One seed was planted per hole at a depth of approximately 4 cm. Early and late leaf spot ratings were recorded at 30, 60 and 90 days after planting, using a ten-point scale. At pod maturity, plants from the middle two rows of each plot were hand-harvested and weights of the above ground foliage and underground pods were oven-dried to obtain dry haulm weight and pod yield respectively. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using Genstat statistical package (12th edition). Means were separated using the least significant difference at 5%.&#x0D; Results: The were significant differences (P &lt; .001) among the groundnut genotypes in terms of severity for both early and late leaf spot diseases. F-Mix, NC 7, PC 79-79, F-Mix × SINK 24 and NKATIE-SARI had lowest score for both early and late leaf spot diseases. Among the 21 groundnut genotypes, F-Mix recorded the highest pods yield of 1100kg/ha and haulm weight of 5867 kg/ha followed by NC 7 with total pods yield of 900 kg/ha and haulm weight of 5373 kg/ha. PC 79-79 had a total pods yield of 666.7 kg/ha and haulm weight of 4867kg/ha. The pods yield of F-Mix × SINK 24 was 533.3 kg/ha and haulm weight of 4600 kg/ha. NKATIE-SARI recorded pods yield of 500 kg/ha and haulm weight of 4633 kg/ha.&#x0D; Conclusions: From the study, the genotypes F-Mix, NC 7, PC 79-79, F-Mix × SINK 24 and NKATIE-SARI were found to be resistance to both early and late leaf spot disease whereas Chinese, Doumbala, GM 120, GM 324 and ICGV 86015 were susceptible to both diseases.

Drivers of Export-Led Agriculture in Ghana: The Case of Emerging Cashew Production in Ghana’s Brong Ahafo Region

The Brong Ahafo region, often referred to as the 'breadbasket' of Ghana, in the last decade has become the centre of increasing expansion of cashew nuts production for export. Farmers in the region are increasingly devoting their time and lands to the production of raw cashew nuts for the export market instead of producing food for the local market. We adopt a political ecology approach to demonstrate how the historical legacy of export-led agriculture and its integration of local agriculture into the global market drives the production of cashew nuts in Ghana. Our analyses were informed by interview responses from farmers, and a review of critical agrarian scholarship, policy documents and cashew production and consumption reports. We find that historical legacies, government policy narratives and global market integration are driving the commodification of local agriculture in Ghana and conclude that there is an urgent need to plan for an agricultural transition that considers both immediate and long-term impacts.

Pesticides use and exposure among yam farmers in the Nanumba traditional area of Ghana.

Over the years, pesticides have become a dominant feature of Ghana's agriculture. In the past, pesticides usage was restricted to the cocoa, cotton, vegetables, and fruits sectors. Today, there is a widespread use of pesticides in the cultivation of yam. Since the introduction of pesticides into yam production, farmers have expressed satisfaction about the relief it has brought them with regard to labor and productivity. However, there has been public concern about the human and environmental health impacts of pesticides. In this study, 100 farmers were interviewed through a structured questionnaire to determine their knowledge, awareness, and use practices of pesticides and to determine their level of exposure. The study revealed that the common pesticides currently being used for yam production are herbicides. Although the farmers are aware of the risks associated with the use of pesticides, they use more than the recommended doses and do not pay attention to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) thereby predisposing themselves to the potential health effects of pesticides. A significant percentage (20 to 40%) of the farmers reported to have never used these PPEs and over 44% of them use glyphosate above the recommended dose (between 1.5 and 2L/ha). This resulted in an average farmer exposure to glyphosate of 4.2mg/kgBW/day, well above the acute reference dose (ARfD) of 0.5mg/kgBW/day. The government should develop and implement programs to train pesticides dealers, educate farmers, enforce the laws on pesticides, and support farmers to uphold protective measures.

‘IT'S ALL WORK AND HAPPINESS ON THE FARMS’: AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE BLOCS IN NKRUMAH'S GHANA

AbstractThis study assesses the agricultural sector under the government of Kwame Nkrumah as a dynamic Cold War front. After Ghana's independence in 1957, Nkrumah asserted that the new nation would guard its sovereignty from foreign influence, while recognizing that it needed foreign cooperation and investment. His government embarked upon a development program with an emphasis on diversifying Ghana's agriculture to decrease her dependence on cocoa. Meanwhile, both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to establish footholds in Ghana through agricultural aid, trade, and investments. In the first years of independence, the Ghanaian state encouraged smallholder farming and American investment. Later, in a sudden change of policy, the government established large-scale state farms along the socialist model. This article brings to light the ways that Ghanaians in rural areas engaged with and interpreted the increasingly interventionist agriculture projects and policies of Nkrumah's government.

Smallholder farmers&amp;#8217; social networks and resource-conserving agriculture in Ghana: a multicase comparison using exponential random graph models

Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H., P. Matouš, and M. E. Isaac, 2019. Smallholder farmers’ social networks and resource-conserving agriculture in Ghana: a multicase comparison using exponential random graph models. Ecology and Society 24(1):5. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10623-240105

Catering Ghana's Agricultural Development

Anthropology NewsVolume 59, Issue 6 p. e193-e197 November/December Online Content Catering Ghana's Agricultural Development Joeva Rock, Joeva RockSearch for more papers by this author Joeva Rock, Joeva RockSearch for more papers by this author First published: 12 August 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/AN.1042AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume59, Issue6Special Issue: Silicon ValleyNovember/December 2018Pages e193-e197 RelatedInformation