Browsing by Author "Kwadzo, G.T.M."

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Assessing the dimensions of transaction cost in the poultry industry: The case of the Ashanti Region of Ghana
(Journal of Food Distribution Research, 2009) Kuwornu, J.K.M.; Opoku, M.K.; Kwadzo, G.T.M.; Mensah-Bonsu, A.
This paper analyzes the dimensions of transaction cost in the poultry industry. We analyze asset specificity, frequency, uncertainty, and opportunism in the poultry industry in the Ashanti Region in Ghana. We examine these dimensions for all firms in the production chain: input suppliers, wholesalers, and retailers. The empirical analyses for the industry consisting of 128 firms (18 input suppliers, 50 farmers, 20 wholesalers, and 40 retailers) reveal that retailers assets are specific and cannot be redeployed for other purposes; retailers experience some opportunistic (self-seeking) behavior from trading partners (i.e., producers, wholesalers, or both), and wholesalers also experience opportunism from their trading partners (i.e. producers, retailers, or both). The assets of input suppliers and producers are not specific and can be redeployed for other purposes. Transaction was frequent and certain for all the firms in the industry. Based on these results we recommend that retailers should have market-contract relationships with both wholesalers and farmers to safeguard themselves against the hazards of opportunistic behavior, as their assets are specific. Furthermore, wholesalers should also have some market-contract relationship with farmers to protect them from farmers’ opportunistic behavior.
Crop diversification and household food security status: evidence from rural Benin
(Agriculture and Food Security, 2018-11) Adjimoti, G.O.; Kwadzo, G.T.M.
Background The government of Benin has initiated since 2006 many policies to promote crop diversification. The aim was to help rural household to be more resilient to food insecurity. The objective of this research is to determine how crop diversification has affected the food security status of the rural household. Methodology Primary data from 420 rural households were collected in the Collines Region in Benin. We use principal component analysis (PCA) to construct a multidimensional food security indices and a Simpson diversity index has been used to measure the degree of crop diversification. A linear regression model was used to determine the effect of crop diversification on household food security status. Results We found that crop diversification has a positive effect on household food security status. The diversity of crops grown through dietary diversity can improve household food security. In rural remote areas where household access to food depends largely on it production, crop diversification provides farmers with the different crops that they cannot access either because of the cost or because of the poor infrastructure constraints (physical access). Beyond, the results also show that some other factors are also affecting the household food security status such as access to extension services and storage facilities.
Factors Influencing the Adoption of Organic Fertilizers in Vegetable Production in Accra
(University of Ghana, 2013-07) Lavison, R.K.; Kwadzo, G.T.M.; Amegashie, P.K.
Continuous tillage of soils results in nutrient mining. It leaves the soils in very fragile conditions and therefore nutrient augmentation through the application of fertilizers has become imperative to maintain crop yields of to feed the ever growing population of Ghana. The use of organic fertilizers has its pros and cons. This study sought to determine the factors that influence the adoption of organic fertilizers, in vegetable production in Accra. Vegetable growing areas were purposively selected and the farmers were randomly selected. Both primary and secondary data collected were analyzed using cost functions, descriptive statistics, multinomial logistic regression, partial farm budgeting techniques and Kendall‟s coefficient of concordance. The software used for data entry and analysis were SPSS, STATA and Microsoft Office Excel. It was found that currently, 96% of the respondents are users of organic fertilizers, 45.3% can be classified as adopters. The significant factors influencing the adoption of organic fertilizers include gender, type of farmer, consumer preference for organically grown vegetables, income from using organic fertilizers, income from using inorganic fertilizers and the type of market that a farmer produces for. Income from using inorganic fertilizers, consumer preference and type of market influence the adoption of organic fertilizers negatively. Income from using organic fertilizers, type of farmer and gender influence the adoption of organic fertilizers positively. Farmers using organic fertilizers incur a high transaction costs. The most pressing constraint associated with the use of organic fertilizers was bulkiness and there was agreement among farmers in the ranking of constraints. It is recommended that the use of organic fertilizers should be properly supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that excessive levels are not applied, as this could result in environmental pollution. Vegetable production in the city should be promoted by city authorities and other stakeholders as because it is a profitable venture and a viable source of livelihood. Suitable areas of the city of Accra such as marine drive, La Korle-bu, GBC and Dzorwulu should be reserved mainly for vegetable cultivation and other forms of agriculture by city authorities because increasing development could lead to a reduction in land area available for urban agriculture. The Government should introduce a fertilizer subsidy policy that is geared towards the production of vegetables and also one that consists mainly of organic fertilizers. Scientists should devise ways of reducing the bulky nature of organic fertilizers. Entrepreneurs and investors should be given incentives such as tax rebates and credit to invest in setting up more composting sites and organic fertilizer manufacturing plants to satisfy the demand for the fertilizers.
Farmers’ perceptions of irrigation and constraints on rice production in Benin: a stakeholder-consultation approach
(International Journal of Water Resources Development, 2017-05) Nonvide, G.M.A.; Sarpong, D.B.; Kwadzo, G.T.M.; Anim-Somuah, H.; Amoussouga Gero, F.
This article examines rice farmers’ perceptions of irrigation and constraints on rice production in the municipality of Malanville, Benin. Farmers’ positive perceptions of irrigation include the use of irrigation for insurance against drought, crop yield improvement, higher income, food security and poverty reduction. Analysis of constraints reveals that farmers face major constraints such as lack of agricultural credit, poor access to production inputs, inadequate knowledge of water resources management, poor access to agricultural information and markets, and flooding of fields. Specific constraints in the irrigation scheme of Malanville include the high cost of irrigation and unavailability of water.
Information & communication technology: The added value of technology
(Appropriate Technology, 2011-12) Kwadzo, G.T.M.
George T-M. Kwadzo explains how a project using GPS data connected Ghanaian farmers to new buyers and export markets, and improved the value chain for a range of commodities in the country. The project was set up to support farmers, export businesses, government departments and related agencies to document, manage and monitor distributed production systems. TIPCEE trained field officers, mostly agricultural extension officers, to use GPS receivers in the course of their routine work. When they visited farms, they noted the exact coordinates of the crops, along with the size of the farms and other relevant details. GPS coordinates act like an address for the farmers, and show buyers, exporters, and certification bodies exactly where farms and farmers associations are located - literally putting farmers on the world trade map. The project looked at who was already growing which crop and what university studies or other research existed on it.
Maize Technology Package Adoption by Smallholder Farmers: Acceptability Index and Logit Model Analyses
(Insights to a Changing World Journal, 2010) Kwadzo, G.T.M.; Ansah, W.; Kuwornu, J.K.M.; Amegashie, D.P.K.
Agricultural research has produced various technological packages for farmers to increase their productivity and profitability. Evidence available seems to suggest that adoption of these technologies among smallholders is limited. The acceptability index and the logit model have been used to study the determinants of maize technology adoption among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The results show that the adoption levels for improved maize varieties is good but adoption levels for fertilizer and the technological package are poor. The main determinants for maize technology adoption include the farmer characteristics, socio-economic, and institutional factors. Improvements in policy and implementation could enhance adoption rates.
Poultry and policy in Ghana: Lessons from the periphery of an agricultural policy system
(Development Policy Review, 2017) Sumberg, J.; Awo, M.; Kwadzo, G.T.M.
We analyze poultry-related policy documents from Ghana and ask how the problems identified and the actions proposed have changed over time. The analysis highlights the fact of limited and poor quality data, and associated uncertainty, ambiguity and poor specification of both problems and interventions. It also points to a long-term commitment to intensive commercial production as the preferred pathway to deliver more animal protein. However, in the face of persistent feed constraints and economic liberalization, imports of frozen chicken have sky-rocketed since the early 2000s, and a new pathway has come to dominate. We discuss this outcome and what it says more generally about policy around minor crops and livestock species. © The Authors 2017. Development Policy Review © 2017 Overseas Development Institute