Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/4841
Browse
128 results
Search Results
Item Exploring Perspectives of the Validity, Legitimacy and Acceptability of Environmental Valuation using Q Methodology(Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics, 2021) Ankamah-Yeboah, I.; Armstrong, C.; Tinch, R.There is increasing interest from research providers, policymakers, and private sector decision-makers in using the economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services to improve decision-making (Austen et al., 2019). Market systems and economic appraisal methods offer powerful tools for supporting decisions about allocating scarce resources (Tinch et al., 2019). However, there are many Important aspects of human activity that are not fully reflected in market prices. These include our impacts on the natural world and our dependence on the many valuable goods and services ecosystems provide. Assessing the values of these impacts, goods, and services in monetary terms, combined with various economic analysis and appraisal tools, could help environmental management.Item The Synergies And Tradeoffs That Exist Between Cashew Production And Food Security In The Bono And Bono East Regions Of Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2022-12) Bonsu, Y.D.Over the last decade, the Bono, Bono East regions, affectionately referred to as Ghana’s breadbaskets due to their contribution to food crop production, are gradually shifting into cashew nut production by the majority of farmers. This is concerning because it poses a threat to farmers' food security by reducing the output of food crops. Some school of thought argue that, the income generated from the sale of cashew nuts can be used by farmers to purchase food in the local market and undertake crop diversification. However, there isn’t much research to prove this assertion. Hence, the need to analyse the tradeoffs and synergies that exists between cashew production and food security. A mixed methods approach was employed to assess synergies and tradeoffs that exist between cashew production and food security. This was achieved through the following specific objectives i) analysis of how food crops produced by cashew farmers contribute to food security based on availability, accessibility, utilization and stability ii) analysis of the determinants of food security as well as strategies developed by the farmers to reduce their vulnerability and lastly, examining the tradeoffs and synergies between cashew production and food security. The study was conducted in the Bono and Bono east regions using 240 cashew farmers identified through multistage sampling. Months of adequate household food provisioning (MAHFP) was used in analyzing availability, Household Food Insecurity Scale (HFIAS) was used to analyse accessibility, Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Women Dietary Diversity Score and Child Dietary Diversity Score were also used to assess utilization. Stability was measured using the perception of the seasonality of food items in the household and market with respect to market price, crop failure, drought etc. Analysis for the study was conducted using STATA 14. The Tobit regression model was used to assess the determinants of food security while the Structural Equation Model was used to analyze the tradeoffs and synergies that exists between cashew production and food security. According to the findings of the study, farmers had food available for 10 months out of the entire year. This means that cashew farmers do not have enough food at certain times of the year. This situation mostly occurs during May – July which is considered as the lean season. Results of food accessibility also showed a mean of 2.96 out of 27. Results of food utilization showed that farmers consumed about 9 food groups out of the 12 food groups assessed. Results of cashew farmer’s food stability shows that farmers are strongly affected by changes in food prices, drought and crop failure. Prominent factors that affect food security include age, household size, household expenditure, education, income and access to markets. In analyzing the tradeoffs and the synergies that exists between cashew production and food security, the study identified the tradeoffs involve the negative relationship between income and food security as well as the negative relationship that exists between food accessibility and food security. Some synergies identified include the positive relationship between cashew production and income and food availability and food security. The study therefore, recommends that the crops division of the ministry of food and agriculture should engage in sensitization and awareness programs to encourage cashew farmers to increase crop production to make more food available for the household. Also, MoFA should support the diversification of crops on the farm to improve the nutritional diet of farmers as well as engage in the development of alternative sources of income. Furthermore, the ministry of food and agriculture should educate cashew farmers on the effect of some determinants of food security such as the importance of family planning as well as the need for farmers to have a higher form of education to improve their living conditions.Item Effects Of Redd+ Political Economy On Agrarian Land Access In The Offinso Forest District Of Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2022-12) Atanga, G.W.M.Climate change mitigation, security of agricultural livelihoods, and possible carbon financial benefits to forest fringe communities are among the list of benchmarks (known as “safeguards”) based on which the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) action would be assessed after implementation in REDD+ countries. However, evidence after decades of the REDD+ implementation in the global south reveal that forest dependent people are being displaced from the forest commons by powerful timber plantation developers who although are beneficiaries of a REDD+ funding window, have competing policy interests, thereby reinforcing the idea of political economy in climate change processes. Meanwhile, some researchers propose that in order to properly diagnose the claim of community forestland struggles due to the REDD+, there is the need to situate the phenomenon within the proper context of political economy, due to the large variety of formal and informal interest groups and actors involved. However, little empirical studies have been conducted in that regard. This study is therefore carried out mainly to ascertain the presence and effect of the REDD+ political economy on agrarian land access within the off-reserve forests. Principal Component Analysis is employed together with multivariate Linear Regression to assess the linkage between REDD+ Political Economy and Agrarian Land Access by farmers. The finding reveals that REDD+ political economy is not responsible for displacing farmers from the off-reserve forestlands in the Offinso forest district of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. On the contrary, three socio-economic factors (namely, cost of land, total annual household income and squatting on forestlands) statistically determine a farmer’s chances of access to land within the off-reserve. Access to credit was also found to be the most pressing constraint facing farmers within the district. Finally, even though many of the respondents (81%) have never heard of Ghana’s REDD+ action, about 100% of the farmers have a very good understanding and appreciation of the need for reducing deforestation and forest degradation, and conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks which overlaps entirely with the UNFCCC REDD+ mission and vision. It is therefore the recommendation of this study that apart from Government of Ghana incentivizing Rural and Micro Finance Institutions (RMFIs) to patronize rural financing especially in cocoa growing landscapes, the key outcome of COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, UK in 2021 to honor the 2009 pledge to invest US$100billion in Climate Change mitigation in less wealthy nations such as Ghana be effectuated to help provide financial impetus for securing agricultural livelihoods.Item Covid-19 And Its Impact On The Profit Of Mango Value Chain Actors In Southern Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2022-12) Bright, K.This study assessed COVID-19 and its impact on the profitability of mango value chain actors in southern Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to analyze the governance structure and linkages that exist in disseminating market information along the mango value chain, examined the determinants of marketing outlets used by the value chain actors (producers, distributors and processors), analysed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the profit of value chain actors and also analyzed the various factors constraining the mango value chain in Ghana. Data was collected with a well-structured questionnaire from 240 respondents consisting of 150 farmers, 60 distributors and 30 processors in Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana. Panel data for 2019 and 2020 production season was obtained from these actors. Social Network Analysis (SNA), multinomial logistic regression, difference in difference and Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance models were used to analyze the various specific objectives whilst using STATA 14 software. Retailers and FBOs were identified to be the most influential and prominent nodes respectively in disseminating market information within the value chain. FBOs were found to be the main bridging nodes in the network. Farm size, FBO membership, quantity produced, reliable customers and gender were found to be the key determinants of mango producers marketing outlet decisions. Ownership of transport, reliable customers, number of buyers and higher price were the key factors influencing the choice of marketing outlet by distributors. Mango processors are heavily influenced by higher prices and gender in choosing their marketing outlet. The outbreak of COVID-19 disease had a negative impact on the profit of mango producers and distributors while processors had positive impact of COVID-19 on their profit. The most pressing constraints confronting the mango producers, distributors and processors include incidence of pests and diseases, post-harvest losses and poor quality of mango fruit respectively. The study concluded that within the value chain retailers and FBOs are the major sources and receivers of market information respectively. Mango producers and distributors experienced a decline in their profit as a result of COVID-19 pandemic while processors profit increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends that FBOs and retailers should be central and key stakeholders in policy development for the distribution of market information in the mango sector. Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) at the district level should encourage mango farmers to increase their farm size and join cooperatives, and distributors should be encouraged to own transport facility to aid in transportation of the fruits to maximize their profits during an exogenous situation like COVID-19 pandemic. MoFA together with Tree Crop AuthorityItem Examining Youth Engagement In Agripreneurship Opportunities As A Means Of Sustainable Livelihoods In Mining Communities In The Birim North District Of Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2022-12) Opoku, E.O.This study examines youth engagement in agripreneurship opportunities (AOs) as a means of attaining sustainable livelihoods in the Birim North District of Ghana. The study's specific objectives are to identify AOs that may be exploited as sources of employment and income generation, as well as to evaluate the socio-economic factors that impact youth's decision to engage in AOs and identify the constraints facing agripreneurs in the study area. By adopting the multi-stage sampling technique, a total of 220 youth were sampled from six different communities. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for the analysis. By employing the Likert scale technique, the most important AOs were identified. The binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the socio-economic factors that influence the youth's decision to engage in AOs. To identify and rank the constraints faced by agripreneurs in the research area, Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance was utilized. The Likert scale analysis found twelve AOs, with livestock and speculative agripreneurship businesses like palm oil and grains aggregation dominating. The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the most important socio-economic characteristics that positively influenced the youth's decision to engage in AOs were sex, employment status, and educational level. The most pressing constraints facing agripreneurs in the study area include lack of financial support, high inputs prices, and inadequate storage facilities for palm oil and grains. The study concludes that males who are employed and highly educated are more likely to engage in agripreneurship opportunities than their counterparts, though venturing into them is constrained by lack of financial support, high inputs prices and inadequate storage facilities. Based on the findings, the study recommends that any programme aimed at encouraging the youth in the Birim North District (BND) to engage in AOs should target livestock production enterprises and trading in grains and palm oil aggregation. Female participation, employment, and education are key components that need to be encouraged by policymakers to stimulate the adoption of agripreneurship. The financial institutions should create more avenues that enable the youth agripreneurs to access funds to support their agripreneurship venture. This could be done by designing a financial package with flexible terms of repayment for the youth agripreneurs in the BND. The government should continue to provide subsidies on farm inputs (seeds, fertilizers, weedicides, pesticides, etc.) and extend them to reach the youth in the BND. This will reduce the burden of purchasing inputs at high prices by the youth and increase their participation in AOs.Item Profit Efficiency Of Cassava Production In Eastern And Brong Ahafo Regions Of Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2021-11) Kudivo, B.K.The primary objective of this thesis is to assess the profit efficiency of cassava production in the Eastern and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana. The study used farm level data to estimate the cost and return levels of farmers, profit efficiency and its determinants, and ranked major constraints facing the farmers. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect cross-sectional data from 300 cassava farmers in four districts in the two regions during the period of 2017 to 2018 production year. The Net Farm Income (NFI), Return on Investment (ROI) and profit efficiency were estimated for the farmers, the stochastic frontier profit function and farm specific inefficiency models were estimated using the FRONTIER 4.1 while the Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance was used to the rank famers’ constraints. A Net Farm Income (NFI) value of GHS 4457.24 with a profit margin of 75% was realized for farmers in the study area. About 12% returns are made on the farmer’s capital investment. Results from the t-test showed that even though cost in the two regions differ, profits are not significantly different. Result from the frontier estimation indicates that elasticities of mean output for agrochemicals and planting materials were significant in influencing the profit of farmers. The result further shows that on the average, the cassava farmers are 86.4% profit efficient, revealing that cassava producers on average are not operating on the profit frontier. This means that cassava farmers lose 13.6% of their profits as a result of inefficiency on their part. The results further indicate that educational status of farmer, membership of farmers-based organization, age of farmer, experience, gender, and marital status of the famer are the main factors that significantly explain the variation in famers’ profit inefficiency. Lack of land for cultivation, inadequate working capital, poor market price and lack of improve planting materials are the major constraints to cassava production identified in the study area. It is therefore concluded that cassava production in the study area is very profitable though farmers not able to accrued all the associated profit due inefficiency arising from their input mix. Inadequate capital, lack of farmland, poor pricing and lack of improve planting materials are the major constraints militating against the success of cassava production in the study area. The study recommend that Government should intensify the requisite supports, policy interventions given to cassava production. This can be done by providing incentive packages for the youth who are interested in venturing into cassava production, either through the supply of inputs or initial startup capital for cassava production. Improved and high yielding cassava variety with minimum pricing should be developed by relevant research institutes and made available to farmers so as to raise the current yield of cassava per unit land area and increase the farmers’ profit. Government should introduce policies and interventions that would improve access to productive inputs (land), machinery (tractor service), infrastructure (road network) and marketing facilities should also be pursued by the government to enhance the competitiveness of cassava production and increase profit efficiency of cassava production.Item Modelling Optimal Resource Allocation Patterns For Crop Farmers In The Karaga District Of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2020) Lukman, H.This study sought to investigate the potential of optimal resource allocation patterns in ensuring food security and increase farm incomes. The study identified various crop enterprise mixes that farmers engaged in and also determined the factors that influence the number of crop enterprises that farmers grew. The study further determined the optimal farm plans and the trade-off between expected returns of plans. The study randomly selected 398 farm households in fourteen communities in the Karaga District of Ghana. Interviews conducted showed that farmers were involved in cereal-legume cropping system. The study categorised farmers into four groups based on their farm sizes. Farmers who cultivated on farmlands 4 ha and above are regarded as large farms, and those who crop on farmlands between 2 ha to 3.99 ha are considered medium farms, produced maize, soya bean and groundnut. Farmers cultivating on small land sizes between 1 ha and 2 ha grew maize and either groundnut and soya bean. Another category of farmers was marginal, who produced on farmlands below 1 ha grew maize or soya bean or groundnut. The Poisson regression model was used to identify the factors that determine the number of crops enterprises farmers operate revealed that land and distance to market have a positive influence on the number of crops farmers grow. The Target Minimisation of Total Absolute Deviation (MOTAD) analysis results from all farm groups revealed that both the profit maximisation plan and the risk efficient plan(s) were more remunerative than the farmers’ existing plan. The farmers’ existing plan and the profit maximisation plan had higher standard deviations but the risk-efficient plan(s) had a smaller coefficient of variation(s). The two-tail test revealed a statistically significant difference between the expected returns of various plans. Farm management and efficient resource allocation programmes should be developed by agricultural departments other agricultural development partners and farmers should be sensitised on the importance of efficient resource use.Item Analysis Of Causes And Management Of Agricultural Loan Default By Rural Banks In The Northern Region Of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Agbedohu, G.S.Agriculture is important in developing countries because of the role it plays in attaining food security and rural economic stability. Financing the agriculture sector however, has been a challenge because of the sector‟s exposure to exogenous risk factors, limited collateral of clients and the seasonal nature of agricultural production. As a result of these risks that result in loan default, financial institutions in Ghana allocate a rather small share of their loan portfolios to the sector, compared to other sectors. Given the perception of financial institutions that lending to farmers is risky, the study sought to find out how rural banks manage their lending to reduce loan default. The study was conducted in the Northern region of Ghana and included 5 functioning rural banks and their clients. The logit model and Likert scale procedures were used to identify the causes of loan default from the perspective of borrowers and lenders respectively; rank the causes of default from the perspectives of rural banks with Kendall‟s W; identify and assess the effectiveness of strategies adopted by banks to mitigate loan default using a Likert scale. Using performance of group loans, the study finds that the size of the group and group executives being educated, have a positive relationship with loan default, whiles farmers engaging in off-farm businesses, years of business relationship between the lender and borrower and monitoring had a negative relationship with loan default. From the perspective of the banks, borrowers diverting the loan for other purposes was the predominant cause of default. A significant degree of agreement was found among the rural banks in the region regarding the causes of loan default. The most adopted and effective credit risk management measure was evaluating the repayment capacity of the borrower. The study recommends that since the rural banks were in agreement on the causes of loan default in the region, a general management strategy will be relevant to the whole region. It is recommended that capacity building workshops should be organised for rural banks and farmer groups on ways to control endogenous causes of agricultural loan default. Also, rural banks should upgrade their management information systems (MIS) to be more analytical to identify characteristics of clients associated with high risk of default.Item Rice Price Volatility And Transmission: Implications For Food Security In Ghana(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Addey, O.P.ABSTRACT This thesis presents analysis of price volatility and transmission in rice markets and their implications for availability, accessibility and stability of imported rice in Ghana. Using monthly imported rice price data over the period of 2013 – 2018, the study examines the relationship between World and domestic markets to ensure availability of imported rice, the extent of price transmission and symmetry in ensuring accessibility of rice and the effect of rice price fluctuation on the stability of imported rice in Ghana. The study deploys Johansen cointegration test, Granger causality test and Error Correction Model (ECM) to examine the price transmission in the various markets to ensure availability of imported rice. The asymmetric vector error correction model is used to compute the long-run adjustment in price to ascertain whether there is symmetry in the various markets to ensure accessibility of imported rice. Again, the study employs the ARCH/GARCH model to capture the conditional volatility in the various market to help understand their impact on the stability of imported rice in Ghana. By testing for Unit-Root, the study finds the data to exhibit non-stationarity at levels but stationary after first difference at 1% significant levels. Cointegration is established between the World market and Accra (Local) market, where inter-market prices adjust to achieve long-run market equilibrium which enhance trade thereby ensuring availability of imported in Ghana. The speed of adjustment and half-live from the vector error correction model shows that monthly, 15.05% of the disequilibrium between the short-run and long-run estimates are corrected back to equilibrium in 4.25 months. In the long-run, an increase in the world price for rice is likely to increase the price of imported rice in Accra by 27.38% thereby reducing its access. Again, all the local market pairs under consideration are cointegrated. The evidence of price causation and leadership by Granger causality test shows Accra as price leaders. The findings emanating from the studies also indicate that imported rice markets in Ghana are well integrated to ensure accessibility of rice. The asymmetric vector error correction model (AVECM) indicates that positive shocks in market pairs are corrected faster than negative shocks. The speed of adjustment in the Accra – Techiman market is the fastest when compared to the other market pairs. Likewise, the adjustment mechanism for these markets after a shock was characterized by symmetry thereby removing arbitrage in the markets and ensure accessibility of imported rice. Results from the estimates (ARCH-GARCH) shows that at the world level, volatility is highly influenced by the fluctuations of the last month (17%) and also by the errors squared of last month at (46.3%). In the domestic market, results for Accra, Tamale, Bolgatanga and Kumasi shows that volatility is influenced by the fluctuations of last month (0.171%, 0.55%, 0.11% and 0.05%) and error squared of previous month (0.77, 0.11, 0.44 and 0.94). Thus, in most cases, the price of imported rice depends on the condition prevailing in the market at that point in time. The result from Accra, Kumasi, Techiman, Tamale and Bolgatanga shows that volatilities in these markets are high, affecting the stability of imported rice. The study concludes that there is a well-integrated market with a stable long-run relationship which ensures availability of rice and market accessibility to imported rice. There is high fluctuation/volatility in prices, implying that prices of imported rice are not stable across all markets. The study, therefore, recommends that Government strengthens trade policies and other bilateral agreements with the countries where we import rice in order to maintain symmetry in market and other benefits that come with it. Also, Government and other stakeholders along the imported rice value chain should increase investment in building better infrastructure and increase rice production to reduce excessive volatility in the rice market to ensure consumer access and stability of rice. Likewise, to ensure timeliness and cost-effectiveness of intervention, policies should be directed to the Accra markets (leader) since most price changes will be transferred efficiently to follower markets.Item The Competitiveness of Soybean Production in the Upper West Region of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2012-07) Dumayiri, M.In Ghana, soybean production has received considerable promotion since its introduction in 1910 ranging from research, education on utilization technologies, subsidies, etc. The government still provides subsidy to soybean production in the form of soft credit on inputs (fertilizer, seeds, ploughing). Despite these support systems, little or no study has been conducted to assess the private incentives for farmers to continue its production and the sustainability of its production if the support systems are withdrawn. An equally important related issue that has not also received research attention concerns the extent to which social profit deviates from its private counterpart as well as the constraints to soybean production as it pertains to the Upper West Region of Ghana. This study sets out to assess the competitiveness of soybean production in the Upper West Region, and applied the policy analysis matrix (PAM) approach. The results indicate that soybean production in the Upper West Region is privately profitable. This means that farmers have the incentive to continue growing the crop. However, with regards to efficiency the results show that soybean production in the Upper West Region exhibits lack of economic efficiency in the use of scarce domestic resources as demonstrated by a negative social profit and a Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) ratio of greater than unity. The finding suggests that the soybean industry in the Upper West Region will not be sustainable in the absence of government’s support. Based on these results, the study recommends that government should continue to provide subsidies to inputs. The subsidy on fertilizer in particular, should be extended to include the development and dissemination of the new seed variety (Jenguma) developed by SARI at a subsidised price to serve as incentives for farmers to grow the crop. The government should take proactive measures to provide irrigation facilities to solve the constraint of over reliance on rainfall.