Department of Agricultural Extension

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    The Effect of Participation of Non-Governmental Organisations in Extension Delivery on Farmers’ Accessibility to Information
    (University of Ghana, 2002-08) Aidoo-Mensah, D.; Atengdem, P.B.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    The dissemination of the relevant information for agricultural production is the institutional duty of all stakeholders committed to the development of agriculture of which the agricultural extension agent and his organisation play a prominent role. As a formal public (government funded) institution, the agricultural extension service has been observed to be undergoing a period of change in respect to the provision of material and financial resources to carry extension activities. As a result, many farmers cannot be reached by the government funded extension services. Data analysis from FAO reports indicate that in Africa, two out of every three farmers have no contact with the public extension services. For this reason, many attempts have been made to resolve this issue. Such attempts include improving management of available resources (both material and financial), A seeking external assistance to support government funded extension activities, use of investment fund to finance extension activities and networking with an NGO. This study therefore looked at the option of networking with NGOs as an attempt of improving upon farmers’ accessibility^to information. It is widely recognised that throughout the world particularly in the developing countries NGOs play important roles in agricultural production. These NGOs may be local, national or international. Funding agencies have been observed to see the NGOs in a more favourable light hence their willingness to support activities undertaken by these NGOs. This study, which was conducted in the Dangme West district of the Greater Accra region purposively, sampled one hundred (100) farmers of which fifty (50) have access to an NGO as well as MOFA activities through their extension agents whilst the remaining fifty (50) had access to only MOFA extension delivery activities. To further allow comparison of opinions and to validate the information obtained from the farmers, AEAs who work with the two categories of farmers were interviewed. The study employed interview schedule and questionnaires to both fanners and AEAs to obtain responses to specific variables to meet the objectives of the study. Based on the fanners’ criteria, accessibility to information was discussed under the following: availability of information to farmers, understanding of information received, usefulness/acceptance of information and timeliness of information. Responses analysed for majority of AEAs and farmers indicated there is a significant difference in farmers’ accessibility to information when MOFA is in collaboration with an NGO on one hand and when MOFA is working alone on the other hand. The findings of the study include the fact that MOFA-NGO network was observed to enhance farmers’ accessibility to information in such areas as availability, understanding and timeliness of information disseminated to farmers. It is therefore recommended that there should be the need for more collaboration between financially handicapped government departments and NGOs as a means to help make services offered by such departments more accessible to their clients as well as improving upon the quality of such services.
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    Communication Strategy and Adoption of Integrated Pest Management (Ipm) Practices by Vegetable Farmers At The Weija Irrigation Project, Ghana.
    (University of Ghana, 2001-06) Osei, A.; Sakyi-Dawson, O.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    To enhance food security, crop losses due to disease and pest damage must be reduced. Improved technologies for pest control using appropriate and environmentally sound technologies to promote food security is a major priority for many developing nations. Integrated Pest Management, IPM (also referred to as Integrated Crop Management (ICM)) is one of such approaches to promoting food security. Its adoption by farmers is therefore critical. In Ghana, few empirical evidence about the communication strategies employed to effectively disseminate IPM practices exists. This study .therefore examines the influence of communication strategies on adoption of IPM. The findings are based on data collected from farmers at the Weija Irrigation Project which typifies intensive vegetable farming in the Greater Accra District. It has also been the centre o f a lot of agricultural projects especially in the area of Agricultural Extension, such as the IPM Farmers’ F ield School. (IPM/FFS). Data were collected from 105 vegetable farmers comprising 55 FFS participants and 50 non-participants using structured interview schedule from March to April 2000. The analysis involved frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulations and chi-square test. Practices incorporated in the IPM/FFS for vegetable farmers in the study area and which the study focused on include: use of neem seed extract as bio-pesticide, manure application, mulching, use of improved seeds, reduction or avoidance of use of chemical pesticides, scouting and row planting. The study reveals that there were generally high levels of awareness of all the practices incorporated in the IPM for vegetables in the study area. The main sources of information were AEAs through FFS, agricultural input sellers, co-operative society, other farmers, friends and relatives. Communication strategy used were mainly individual and group methods and Participatory Action Research (PAR). The adoption rate of Farmers’ Field Schools participants was significantly higher than non-participants. Farmers also testified to the advantages of using the IPM practices. These include higher yields, decreased incidence of pests and diseases and increase in crop diversity. However, identified constraints to adoption of IPM practices included: tediousness of some of the practices (high labour input), high cost and lack of availability of some of the inputs. The use of Farmers' Field Schools, which is a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology, is recommended since programmes are planned with active involvement or participation of the target beneficiaries, and at their level of information uptake and learning.
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    Communication Channel Preference and Its Relationship With Accessibility to Information
    (University of Ghana, 2001-10) Adugu, E. K.; Fiadjoe, F. Y. M.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    The study aimed at researching into communication channel preferences and how it relates to accessibility to information, the study was carried out in the Ho district of the Volta Region of Ghana, Data was collected from four communities in the Ho district. These are: Tanyigbe, Hodzo-Ve, Dave and Gbleve. Volta Community Water and Sanitation Program (VCWSP) ranked Tanyigbe community highest in terms of socio-economic status. Hodzo-Ve, Dave and Gbleve communities had the same lower level of ranking with respect to socio-economic status. The above four communities were purposively selected. The oldest males and females in every fifth house in all the selected communities were interviewed. Fifty-nine males and sixty-one females were interviewed. In all, one hundred and twenty beneficiaries were interviewed in the selected communities. With respect to the extension agents, the following were interviewed: The regional extension supervisor of VCWSP, the Ho district extension supervisor of VCWSP, the regional software officer of VCWSP and the regional gender officer of VCWSP. The prior state of beneficiaries was marked by water and sanitation practices, which created conducive conditions for the health problems and hazards facing them. In response to this situation, innovation information packages were developed by the VCWSP in collaboration with beneficiary communities and disseminated to them. The aim of the innovation information transfer was to change the knowledge and practices of beneficiaries from the prior state to the desired State. Based on the channels used by the source for information dissemination and the preferred channels of the beneficiaries, three categories of beneficiaries exposed to innovation information emerged. These are: A: Beneficiaries who preferred a particular channel and it was used by the source for information delivery to them. B: Beneficiaries who preferred a particular channel but it was not used by the source for information delivery to them. C: Beneficiaries to whom the source used a particular channel for information delivery but it was not their preference. For those in category “A” where preferred channels are used, accessibility to innovation information is high. For those in categories “B” and “C” where preferred channels are not used and the channels used are not preferred respectively, accessibility to information was lower compared with the cases where preferred channels are used. It follows that the higher the extent to which preferred channels of beneficiaries are used, the higher the accessibility to information. Where preferred channels of beneficiaries are used, limitations imposed on beneficiaries due to their peculiar circumstances are taken into consideration. Issues relating to opportunity to interacting with and accessing information are considered. It is for these reasons that throughout the various stages of the innovation decision process, the selfemployed, those employed by others and the unemployed indicated that their channel preferences would enable them undertake their economic activities more effectively. This is reflected in the self-employed having higher frequency of acquisition of information from the source compared with the other types of employment. However, due to the utility of the information to solve problems confronting beneficiaries in their prior state, even where channels used were not convenient to them, they exposed themselves to the information. This was likely due to the fact that they were in dire need of information to solve water and sanitation problems confronting them. All the categories of beneficiaries exposed to innovation information from the source indicated that there had been a change in knowledge with respect to their prior state and are practicing the suggested changes. These occurred in spite of the fact that the channels used by the source were not the preferred channels of beneficiaries to various extents resulting in different levels of accessibility to information. This is due to the fact that all beneficiaries exposed themselves to the innovation information whether channels used by the source were preferred or not preferred. Beneficiaries exposed themselves to innovation information because it was congenial with their beliefs and more importantly their critical need situation. In conclusion, in development communication, relevant information is best communicated to and with the ultimate users of the information through the use of appropriate channels in order to influence their behaviour in the desired direction. Behaviour modification can be achieved faster when the communication channels preferred by the target beneficiaries are used in the information exchange process since this ensures maximum information accessibility.
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    Adoption of Improved Cowpea Preservation Technologies in Theakatsi District of the Volta Region, Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2000-02) Anku-Tsede, C.; Sakyi - Dawson, O.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    Enhancing the adoption of Improved Cowpea Preservation Technologies (ICPTs) can contribute greatly to food security in low- income countries such as Ghana. However, although such improved technologies have been the focus of technology development and extension effort for sometime now in Ghana, there is a dearth of studies on the extent of adoption of ICPTs and its determinants. Among others, current adoption of technology literature suggests that target or potential user’s perceptions of technologies are likely to influence adoption. However, this paradigm has not been studied in Ghana for ICPTs. This thesis therefore examined the relationship between cowpea farmers’ and traders perceptions and the adoption of ICPTs in the Akatsi district of the Volta Region, Ghana. Specifically, it attempts to answer the question – how does their perceptions of characteristics of four ICPTs (namely the use Actellic liquid, Actellic dust, Phostoxin and edible oil in preserving cowpea), mode and effort of extension delivery, determine the pattern of utilization of ICPTs. Data was collected using questionnaires from sixty cowpea producers, twenty-five cowpea traders and fifteen Agricultural extension Agents (AEAs) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). In addition, the Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) methods for focus group discussions, was used to collect contextual information. Data analysis included frequency distribution, chi-square tests and the Spearman’s rank order correlation co-efficient. The results show that apart from respondents gender and the quantity of cowpea stored, there was statistically no significant difference between the characteristics of cowpea producers and traders. Cowpea producers were mainly males and the traders were solely females. Traders also stored more cowpea than producers did and they stored if for a longer period of time. Extension agents delivery efforts on the selected ICPTs was mainly by a combination of interpersonal (individual and group) methods and contact tended to be more frequent (thrice or more within a month). However, cowpea traders were contacted less frequently than producers. Traders are however more important with regards to preservation of cowpea than producers yet, they have little access to ICPT messages. It is therefore suggested that extension agents need to direct more cowpea preservation messages to traders. There was substantial knowledge of cowpea pests and their control in the study area. Comparatively, the level of awareness of traditional cowpea preservation technologies was higher than that of ICPTs. Level of awareness of ICPTs in descending order is similar - Actellic dust, Actellic liquid, Edible oil and Phostoxin (Producers - 52%, 37%, 35%, 21% and Traders - 48%, 32%, 24%, 16% respectively). The study established that Phostoxin had a higher range of positively perceived attributes by producers and traders and edible oil had the least. Analysis of the relationship between adopter characteristics and perception of attributes revealed that with the exception of Actellic liquid, these variables did not make a difference in perception of ICPTs. The extension method used did not bring about a difference in perception of overall attributes of ICPTs but made a difference in perception of general attributes (Relative Advantage and Complexity) of Actellic liquid. With the exception of Actellic liquid, the frequency of contact of AEAs with the respondents did not bring about any significant difference in perception of ICPTs. An increase in the frequency of contact of AEAs with the respondents resulted in more positive perception of attributes of Actellic liquid but not the other ICPTs. There was a positive relationship between respondents positive perceptions of selected ICPTs and adoption levels. Producers’ perceptions of specific attributes gave the closest prediction of adoption levels whereas traders overall perceptions of attributes gave the closest prediction of adoption level. It shows that to an extent, perceptions of attributes reflect their adoption levels. It is suggested that AEAs need to re-examine and refine ICPTs, taking the negative perceptions of attributes of ICPTs and their inverse relationship with adoption levels into consideration. In order to enhance adoption of ICPTs, AEAs should deliver detailed technical knowledge, emphasising positive attributes. This can be done through regular contact (thrice or more withi a month) and the use of interpersonal channels of extension delivery (use of a combination of the group and individual methods of extension delivery) for increased adoption of cowpea preservation technologies.
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    Adoption of Animal Traction Technology in the Builsa District of Upper East Region of Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2003-12) Akpeintuik, C.A.; Atengdem, P.B.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    The Builsa district is a peasant farming community. It had a problem of recurrent food shortage. The use of animal traction was one of the suggested solutions to this problem, hence its introduction in 1937. Reports suggested its low adoption. The study was to verify the veracity and the causes of the low adoption. A conceptual framework was developed. The concepts include: the farmers' sieve system, characteristics of animal traction technology and environmental influences. Adoption was found to be high (91%). At 5% significant level, the Fisher exact two-tailed test showed no significant difference by ages, family size, ownership of donkeys, credit received, use of lecture method of training, demonstration/lectures and demonstration/group discussion categories and adoption. Those variables that showed significant difference include ownership of cattle, farm size, those who received training in AT, those who received training through demonstration alone and those who received training through group discussion alone. It is recommended that when introducing a new technology into a peasant farming community like the Builsa District beneficiaries should express the need for the technology. Traditional leaders should be involved. Financial institutions should get to the doorsteps of farmers and educate them, on how to access credit facilities. Further research should look into the effects of the use of AT on the environment and schooling in the study area.
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    Comparative Study of Performance of Middle and Junior Secondary School Leavers Farming in North Tongu District, Volta Region, Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2000-06) Asiegbor, I.K.; Atengdem, P.B.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    The Study on Basic School Agriculture outcomes was conducted in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region of Ghana from May to June 1998. The main objective of the study is to compare the impact of the differences in the Middle School and Junior Secondary School Agriculture programmes on the performance of the graduates in farming. The Middle School Agriculture programme was vocational/practical without teaching or learning of theoretical knowledge while the Junior Secondary School Agriculture Programme was academic-vocational (Integrated). Specifically, the study compares and explains the differences between Middle School and Junior Secondary School leavers by: age, gender and marital status, use of school-based agricultural knowledge in home farming while in school, levels of agricultural knowledge, ranking of factors influencing the choice of farming, ranking aims for farming, utilisation of formal agricultural knowledge in farming, achievements from farming, security in life and the needs of the respondents in farming. The survey research methodology was employed. With a personal interview schedule, the snowball non probability sampling technique was used to gather information from the Middle School and Junior Secondary School graduates farming in the North Tongu District. With questionnaires, stratified random sampling was used to collect information from Agricultural Extension Agents, Junior Secondary School Agriculture Teachers, District Director of Agriculture and District Agricultural Education Officer. The Statistical Package for the Social Scientist (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. The performance of the farmers was compared using the following statistics: percentages, rank scores, The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Test and The Kendall Coefficient of Concordance. The study shows that Junior Secondary School graduates are better farmers than Middle School leavers in the North Tongu District because their performance is related to the type of Agricultural Education programme they pursued. Junior Secondary school graduates tend to be more independent, think and act abstractly in selecting farming practices that have abstract advantages while Middle School leavers appear to be more dependent and select yield optimising practices with easily observable advantages. The performance of the Junior Secondary School graduates is explained by their use of school-based agricultural knowledge in home farming while in school, ranking of school training as a factor influencing the choice of farming, ranking of aims in farming, ranking of crop yield optimisation practices and attainment of higher tangible achievements from farming. A similar performance is observed on the basis of gender. However, the perceived levels of security in life and needs of the respondents have not been explained by the differences in the Basic School Agriculture programmes they pursued. The study provides information on the study of Basic School Agriculture outcomes and the intervening factors in the utilization of formal agricultural knowledge for farming.
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    Acceptance of New Ideas by Mothers Regarding Infant Feeding Practices and its Impact on Infant Feeding Behaviour of Mothers in some selected Polyclinics in the Accra Metroplos
    (University of Ghana, 2000-12) Owusu-Bempah, J.; Fiadjoe, F.Y.M.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    For proper human development to occur, people should have access to information. If people utilise the information received and improve on what they are doing, then proper human development would be achieved. The Extension Unit of Ministry of Health (i.e. Public Health Unit) is charged with making information regarding infant feeding practices available to mothers with the aim that if mothers use the knowledge embodied in the information, they would feed their infants well, thereby reducing the incidence of malnutrition in Ghana. However, the rate of malnutrition is still high. It therefore became important to investigate the reasons for this high malnutrition rate in Ghana, since majority of the pregnant women attend pre and post natal clinics where they are given information on proper ways to feed infants by the public health nurses. A total of 100 mothers were randomly selected from the five polyclinics in the Accra Metropolis for the study. A pre-test of the structured interview schedule was carried out at the Maternal and Child Health Unit of the Achimota Hospital. The main concepts considered in the study are the mothers background characteristics, methods/channels of information delivery/acquisition, knowledge levels of mothers and changes in infant feeding practices. Data on these attributes were collected using a structured interview schedule. Frequencies and percentages were generated from the coded data using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The results indicated that none of the personal characteristics such as educational background, age, experience and contact with extension agents of the mothers have any significant influence on the mothers’ knowledge. The findings again suggest that receiving information from interpersonal sources such as mother-to-mother played a significant role in information dissemination among mothers. However radio, as a source of mformation was not so much used. This could mean that either infant feeding program are not transmitted through such source or the mothers do not like listening to radio. This suggests the need for extensionists to be well versed in the use of multiple information delivery channels. It also suggests that a critical situation analysis of the target beneficiaries can help in categorising target groups into specific recommendation domains to bring a change in knowledge. Again the findings also suggest that, the changes that would occur in clients invariably depend on the type of information received. This implies that extension agents should be very careful to deliver only messages that have been planned to bring desired changes in their clients. The findings show that knowing per se is different from practising since the trialability of the idea was found to influence the mother's decision-making behaviour regarding infant feeding behaviour.
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    Impact of Decentralised Ministry of Food and Agriculture on Extension Delivery; A Case Study of Tema Municipality in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2004-04) Tsekpo, V.L.; Fiadjoe, Y.M.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    The need to improve extension delivery to farmers in Ghana has led to several structural changes within the organisation of Ministry of Food and Agriculture. In addition the T&V approach to extension delivery and a Unified Extension System were introduced. However the need to reach farmers with technologies continues to persist because o f the important role agriculture plays in the economy. It is in the light of this that this research sought to find out what effects the decentralised administrative structure o f the Ministry of Food and Agriculture have made on extension delivery. The study was conducted in the Tema municipality o f the Greater Accra region of Ghana. There is pressure on land in this area making the need for technologies very crucial in order to increase production. The design for the study follows the case study approach. The concentration was on the administrative processes that may be crucial to the success or failure of extension delivery in the decentralised administrative structure of Ministry o f Food and Agriculture. The sample for the study was sixty-five respondents. These were made up o f farmers who are in contact with extension agents, agricultural extension agents of the Municipal Agricultural Development Unit who work with farmers by taking to them agricultural information as well as new technologies in agriculture and the Municipal Director of Agriculture. Others were the Municipal Chief Executive and members o f the development sub-committee of the municipal assembly. Apart from the forty farmers who were selected using purposive sampling, the total population in each target group was used because the numbers involved were small. The data was analysed using univariate and bivariate techniques such as frequencies, percentages and cross tabulation. The main source o f technologies for delivery was found to be from research. However the technology generation process that involved both farmers and extension agents but did not cover all the departments that existed in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture before decentralisation was found to have deteriorated. A smaller number of both farmers and I extension agents were involved in technology generation in the decentralised structure. It was found that the provision of T&V training in the decentralised structure became irregular and less useful to agricultural extension agents compared to the old structure. While training in practical field experience was absent in both regimes. The methods used in disseminating information to farmers did not change in the decentralised structure. Field visits were also frequent in both regimes. However there was lack of new technologies for delivery in the decentralised structure and farmers found messages delivered not useful because the messages were not timely. The problem was more with farmers who practise inter-cropping. Thus the T&V extension was found to be unsuitable for multiple cropping systems. It has been concluded from the study that extension delivery has not improved under the decentralised administrative structure, and it can be attributed to the current structural arrangements. It is thus recommended that steps be taken to improve the existing involvement of farmers and extension agents in the technology generation process, training of extension agents in extension education and rural sociology as part o f their in-service training and the T&V extension should be revisited to make it appropriate for meeting the requirements of current farmers.
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    Adoption of Animal Traction Technology in the Builsa District of Upper East Region of Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2003-12) Akpeintuik, C.A.; Atengdem, P.B.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    The Builsa district is a peasant farming community. It had a problem of recurrent food shortage. The use of animal traction was one of the suggested solutions to this problem, hence its introduction in 1937. Reports suggested its low adoption. The study was to verify the veracity and the causes of the low adoption. A conceptual framework was developed. The concepts include: the farmers' sieve system, characteristics of animal traction technology and environmental influences. Adoption was found to be high (91%). At 5% significant level, the Fisher exact two-tailed test showed no significant difference by ages, family size, ownership of donkeys, credit received, use of lecture method of training, demonstration/lectures and demonstration/group discussion categories and adoption. Those variables that showed significant difference include ownership of cattle, farm size, those who received training in AT, those who received training through demonstration alone and those who received training through group discussion alone. It is recommended that when introducing a new technology into a peasant farming community like the Builsa District beneficiaries should express the need for the technology. Traditional leaders should be involved. Financial institutions should get to the doorsteps of farmers and educate them, on how to access credit facilities. Further research should look into the effects of the use of AT on the environment and schooling in the study area.
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    Comparative Study of Performance of Middle and Junior Secondary School Leavers Farming in North Tongu District, Volta Region, Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2000-06) Koku, A.I.; Atengdem, P.B.; University of Ghana, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Extension
    The Study on Basic School Agriculture outcomes was conducted in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region of Ghana from May to June 1998. The main objective of the study is to compare the impact of the differences in the Middle School and Junior Secondary School Agriculture programmes on the performance of the graduates in farming. The Middle School Agriculture programme was vocational/practical without teaching or learning of theoretical knowledge while the Junior Secondary School Agriculture Programme was academic-vocational (Integrated). Specifically, the study compares and explains the differences between Middle School and Junior Secondary School leavers by: age, gender and marital status, use of school-based agricultural knowledge in home farming while in school, levels of agricultural knowledge, ranking of factors influencing the choice of farming, ranking aims for farming, utilisation of formal agricultural knowledge in farming, achievements from farming, security in life and the needs of the respondents in farming. The survey research methodology was employed. With a personal interview schedule, the snowball non probability sampling technique was used to gather information from the Middle School and Junior Secondary School graduates farming in the North Tongu District. With questionnaires, stratified random sampling was used to collect information from Agricultural Extension Agents, Junior Secondary School Agriculture Teachers, District Director of Agriculture and District Agricultural Education Officer. The Statistical Package for the Social Scientist (SPSS) was used to analyse the data The performance of the farmers was compared using the following statistics: percentages, rank scores, The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Test and The Kendall Coefficient of Concordance. The study shows that Junior Secondary School graduates are better farmers than Middle School leavers in the North Tongu District because their performance is related to the type of Agricultural Education programme they pursued. Junior Secondary school graduates tend to be more independent, think and act abstractly in selecting farming practices that have abstract advantages while Middle School leavers appear to be more dependent and select yield optimising practices with easily observable advantages. The performance of the Junior Secondary School graduates is explained by their use of school-based agricultural knowledge in home farming while in school, ranking of school training as a factor influencing the choice of farming, ranking of aims in farming, ranking of crop yield optimisation practices and attainment of higher tangible achievements from farming. A similar performance is observed on the basis of gender. However, the perceived levels of security in life and needs of the respondents have not been explained by the differences in the Basic School Agriculture programmes they pursued. The study provides information on the study of Basic School Agriculture outcomes and the intervening factors in the utilization of formal agricultural knowledge for farming.