Browsing by Author "Sarpong, D.B"
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Item Agricultural credit rationing in Ghana: What do formal lenders look for?(Agricultural Finance Review, 2014-08) Awunyo-Vitor, D.; Al-Hassan, R.M; Egyir, I.; Sarpong, D.BPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of agricultural credit rationing by formal lenders in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Heckman’s two-stage regression model to identify types of rationing faced by farmers and investigate factors that influence agricultural credit rationing by formal financial institutions. Data used in this study are gathered through a survey of 595 farmers in seven districts within Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Findings – The result reveals that farmers face three types of rationing. Evidence from the Heckman two-stage models shows that engagement in off farm income generating activities, increase in farm size, positive balances on accounts and commercial orientation of the farmers has the potential to reduce rationing of credit applicants by formal lenders. Practical implications – The results provide information on the factors that need to be considered as important in an attempt to reduce agricultural credit rationing by formal lenders. Originality/value – The value of this study is that farmers would use the results of this study to improve access to required amount of agricultural credit from formal financial institutions. The information would also benefit stakeholders in the agricultural sector, particularly youth in agriculture program organized by Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Ghana as how to improve access to credit and reduce rationing of program participants by formal financial institutions. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Item Climate Change and Agricultural Policy Processes in Ghana(Future Agricultures Consortium, 2012-09) Sarpong, D.B; Anyidoho, N.AThis paper examines agriculture-climate change policy discussions in Ghana in the context of, on the one hand, increasing international interest and activity around climate change and agriculture, and on the other, concerns over whether climate policy and funding priorities are aligned to domestic development priorities. The paper poses the following questions: What are the contested areas and dividing lines in policy discussions and practices around climate change, which actors are supporting different viewpoints, and what traction do they have in the types of interventions that are being promoted? The Ghanaian economy is growing fast, and agriculture is key to the country’s development ambitions (see NDPC 2010). However, despite its importance to the Ghanaian economy, agriculture has only recently become a central part of climate change policy discussions in the country. The current dominant policy framing of the climate change-agriculture nexus is that climate change is a new, externally imposed, risk that may hinder the drive for modernised agriculture as an engine for growth and poverty reduction. Ghana, according to this framing, should be helped to access funds and technologies to make the agriculture sector more robust and “climate proofed” to face climate change challenges. This dominant framing is supported by key government institutional actors (clustered around environmental units), and by key bi- and multilateral donors in Ghana. Most of climate change activities and funding arising from this framing centre on mitigating the effects of climate change. Ghana exemplifies the ways in which international climate policy discussions meet domestic policy processes, where outcomes are a result of interplay between external and local discourses, interests and actors. While it is clear that the mitigation focus is pushed by international funding structures, there are also key national processes and interests that promote this orientation. These include a legacy of environmental framing of the climate change problem, the active involvement of mainly environmental actors in climate change policy making, and an interest on the part of government and non-governmental actors in the funding available for mitigation activities. But there are also divergent views in the Ghana policy space. The benefits from a focus on mitigation opportunities, following on from the disappointing experience with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, are being challenged. The argument is that mitigation is an interest that first and foremost serves external actors and that it distracts from what should be Ghana’s main task, namely to adapt to climate change. This critique is related to a counter-narrative by NGOs and some donors that policy discussions should focus on how households and communities can be made less vulnerable to current climate risks that hinder agricultural livelihood activities and deepen poverty. Again, the contention is that this goal will be advanced through adaptation activities. Reorienting the country’s priorities towards adaptation, moreover, will mean breaking out a cycle of dependence on external actors for policy direction and funding. However, these alternative framings have so far had little traction in major policy debates. In the absence of an influential civil society understanding and affecting the climate change agenda in Ghana, or a national policy framework that balances different interests, there is a risk of disconnected policy solutions in the face of climate change.Item Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Cocoa Grafting in the Eastern Region of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-07) Brako, D.E; Sarpong, D.B; Anim-Somuah, H; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and AgribusinessCocoa production is very critical to the livelihood and survival of many smallholder farmers in Ghana. However, one of the challenges of the sector is low yields which is partly attributed to the widespread presence of old cocoa trees. It is therefore imperative to provide solutions to improve yield, of which the side grafting technology is a proven method. The study assesses Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Cocoa Grafting in the Eastern region of Ghana. The research sought to find the level of awareness of side grafting in cocoa among farmers, the amount farmers are willing to pay for cocoa side grafting as well as the factors influencing willingness to pay amount. The multi-stage sampling technique was used to sample 217 cocoa farmers in the Eastern region. A well-structured questionnaire was used to solicit data from farmers. The contingent valuation method was used to estimate the willingness to pay amount of cocoa farmers. The double hurdle model was then used to estimate the factors influencing willingness to pay for side grafting. From the analysis of the data, it was realized that majority (87%) of the cocoa farmers are unaware of side grafting as a canopy substitution method, with majority (89%) willing to adopt the technology should it be introduced. The contingent valuation analysis also revealed that the maximum amount farmers are willing to pay for a side grafted cocoa tree is GH₵10 and the minimum amount is GH₵.10. The average WTP amount is GH₵2.84. On adoption of side grafting, farmers’ yield of 0.98 tons is higher as compared to the national average of 0.4 tons. The percentile distribution of WTP amounts show that at the 25th percentile, farmers are willing to pay GH₵0.50 or less. The result also showed that education, frequency of extension visit, age of cocoa farm, income from cocoa and household head status positively influence farmers’ WTP for side grafting whiles farm size negatively influences WTP. Furthermore, education, frequency of extension visit, age of farm, awareness, income from cocoa, and household head status positively influence farmers’ WTP amount for side grafting whiles farm size and yield negatively influences farmers’ WTP amount. The study recommends that demonstration centers should be set up in various areas of the region to aid acceptance of cocoa side grafting among farmers. Moreover, FBOs should be supported to enhance their capacity so they can effectively educate farmers on the technology. For a wider coverage of the side grafting technology, implementing institutions could peg the price for side grafting a cocoa tree at GH₵0.50 or less. Produce buying companies and NGOs could also intervene by providing the technology for farmers on deferred payment.Item of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness The Impact of Education on Productivity in the Commercial Poultry Industry in the Greater Accra Region (Ghana)(University of Ghana, 2001-06) Larbi-Apau, J.A; Asante, V.O; Sarpong, D.B; University Of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and AgribusinessThis study examines the impact of education on productivity (output) in the commercial poultry industry. Studies have focused on the role of production inputs including the human capital on agricultural productivity, with little emphasis on commercial poultry production. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 60 production managers of the commercial poultry enterprises in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana for the production period of 1999. The levels of education of the production managers of the enterprises were factored into the Cobb-Douglas Production Function together with other explanatory variables of day-old-chicks, purchased variable inputs, capital, feed consumed, influence of ownership to the enterprise, the enterprise as full-time employment (job) of the managers, extension visits and experience. The estimate of the impact of education on productivity (output) in the commercial poultry industry in the study is positive and markedly higher at the secondary and tertiary levels with estimated coefficients of 2.4 and 1.5 respectively. The computed percentage in productivity (output) due to tertiary education relative to the lower (secondary) education is 10 percent Tertiary education coefficient is significant at 10%, while secondary education coefficient is statistically insignificant. The interactive term of basic educational level of primary/middle/JSS, experience and extension education is positive, but statistically insignificant. Both capital (0.40) and labour (0.80) as other explanatory variables are positive and statistically significant at 0.05% and 0.01% respectively. Financing for the commercial poultry enterprise and other government policies such as high interest rates, high cost of inputs and uncontrolled liberalisation of the import of frozen poultry products are identified from the study as some of the main constraints to increased output and growth in the industry. Most of the operators are also under-utilising their installed capacities and are producing only when demand for the product is high. It is recommended among others that, the level and quality of human capital (education and experience), be developed through improving quality of education, provision of in-service training and short courses to improve on the innovative, technical and management efficiency, together with an enabling economic environment, to encourage domestic investment in the quest to achieve self-sufficiency in meat production. Poultry managers with technical and management expertise can utilize available and transferable technology to permit efficiency in supplying good quality and inexpensive products to increase their sales. This can help them to compete with imported poultry products that have flooded the domestic market. There should be quality and quantity differentiation of poultry products for different segments of the domestic marketItem Socio-Economic Evaluation of Animal Trypanosomosis Control in the Northern Region of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2004-02) Zakaria, A.M; Al-Hassan, R.M; Sarpong, D.B; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science (DABCS)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