Abstract:
The Northern Region of Ghana is important agriculturally and contributes significantly to
the livestock sub-sector. Livestock production in the region is, however, bedevilled with
many constraints such as animal diseases and inadequate feed and water for livestock
during the dry season. Among animal diseases, trypanosomosis is identified as the most
important constraint and the sustainability of the control of tsetse, which is the main
vector of this disease, is the focus of this study. Contingent Valuation (CV) techniques
were used to generate estimates of farmers’ willingness to pay in cash or labour for tsetse
control. With respect to the low trypanosomosis risk villages, only 1.1% of the 90
fanners declined to contribute some resources for tsetse control. In addition 4.4% and
23.3% pledged monetary and labour contribution respectively. Furthermore, 71.1% were
willing to contribute both money and labour. The average proposed monetary
contribution is between 7,062 and 15,000 Ghanaian cedis (US$0.78-1.70). In the high
trypanosomosis risk villages, the proposed average monetary contribution is between
8,040 and 11,500 Ghanaian cedis (US$0.89-1.30). Only 1.7% of the 181 farmers declined
to contribute while 7.7%, 34.8%, and 55.8% pledged monetary, labour and both labour
and monetary contribution respectively. Factors affecting monetary contribution as
identified by the simultaneous equations model include: household income, household
farm size, and household expenditure on associations. Farmers in the high
trypanosomosis risk villages are found to use more veterinary drugs than those in the low
risk villages. Factors that influence the use of these drugs are household income,
household cattle size and household size. Key policy recommendations from the study
are: (1) Government and non-governmental organizations should assist communities in
the study area with reliable sources of water to solve the perennial water problem, (2) The
Veterinary Services Department should be adequately resourced to embark on a massive
and comprehensive educational campaign to educate farmers on how to identify and
handle simple livestock disease situations, the correct usage of animal drugs and the need
to avoid bush fires, (3) A research should be conducted to find shrubs and trees that can
stand the conditions of the study area to provide alternative feeding for animals in the
dry season and (4) Government and other donor agencies should review their budgetary
allocations to tsetse control to reflect the seriousness of trypanosomosis on both humans
and livestock
