Department of Agricultural Extension

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Ghana’s pineapple innovation history: An account from stakeholders in Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly
(African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2021) Ankrah, D.A.
Despite the pineapple fruit contributing significantly towards Ghana’s non-traditional export, the empirical space inadequately accounts for innovations within the sector. This article addresses prime questions that beg answering, such as as: the origin of innovations, when, how, what conditions facilitate adoption intensity or otherwise, what type of innovations are systematically associated with pineapple production. This study fills this lacuna by chronicling the main pineapple innovations using innovation history methodology embedded in an agricultural innovation system conceptual framing. Relying on a qualitative approach, the findings showed the emergence of two varieties: smooth cayenne and sugar loaf, overtaken by the MD2 variety. Degreening, forcing, and global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) dominate. The Millennium Development Authority programme consolidated business plan development, efficient marketing, record-keeping, and farming as a business. Successes were recorded in some instances with the transfer of technology extension model, but this article argues that the agricultural innovation system can be prioritized given the plurality of actors. The history of innovation is trivialized, but it is essential for learning and co-learning in building stronger partnerships. This article underscores a radical use of innovation history both as a methodological tool and means of documenting innovations, particularly in the global south, where copious record-keeping remains rare.
Assessment of Agricultural Advisory Messages from Farmer-to Farmer in Making a Case for Scaling Up Production: A Qualitative Study
(The Qualitative Report, 2020) Kwapong, N.A.; Ankrah, D.A.; Boateng-Gyambiby, D.; Asenso-Agyemang, J.; Fening, L.O.
Inadequate access to agricultural extension services often results in poor farm practices, affecting yields and subsequently the income and wellbeing of smallholder farmers. Given the high demand for agricultural information and the limited capacity of extension services, a farmer-to-farmer extension approach has been explored by many underserved farmers. In this study, we use a qualitative case study approach explore how cassava farmers who had limited access to agricultural advisory services from public extension agents managed to up-scale their farming business. Our research question was: what lessons can be learned from the lived experience of these farmers to address current challenges of cassava farming? The results of our study revealed diversity in advisory messages from farmer to farmer and agricultural extension agents. Farmers’ messages focused on encouraging farmers’ commitment and motivation towards farming business, availability of needed financial resources for the entire production season, willingness to reinvest profits, and access to farmland for future expansion. In contrast, the traditional messages from agricultural extension agents focused on encouraging group formation to address marketing challenges, diversification of farm operations, and good agricultural practices. These results show the need for pluralistic extension approaches to ensure farmers get access to necessary information. Keywords: Agricultural Extension, Case Study, Farmer to Farmer Extension, Social Learning
Ghana’s rice value chain resilience in the context of COVID-19
(Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2021) Ankrah, D.A.; Agyei-Holmes, A.; Boakye, A.A.
The 2020 State of the Food Security and Nutrition World report suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may render 83 to 132 million people food insecure. The global south has been projected to be adversely affected by COVID-19 in terms of food and nutritional security. This potentially renders Africa off track in achieving SDG -2 of zero hunger by 2030. Ghana is a net importer of rice and how the sector responded to the global pandemic has received less traction in the agri-food system literature. There is skewed literature that concentrates on the global north. The paper employed a qualitative approach involving key informant interviews across 6 regions in Ghana. The study covered 48 Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) officers, 80 farmers, and 48 market leaders. We use one of the country’s main food staple - rice to show the food (in)-security situation during the pandemic. We articulate that using the right food security conceptual and theoretical framing remains imperative in understanding food (in)-security. The findings showed price hikes during the imposition of lockdown affected access (physical and effective demand). Rice however remained available during and after the lockdown imposition. Ghana’s rice production output was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The ramification of COVID-19 on Ghana’s rice sector was not dire but points to the vulnerability of the rice value chain to future pandemics. Important policy actions are needed to consolidate particular gains made in Ghana’s planting for food and jobs to minimize rice imports.
Indigenous risk management practices and their effects on small agribusiness firm growth amid economic crisis in Ghana
(Scientific African, 2024) Boakye, A. A.; Ankrah, D. A.; Agyei-Holmes, A.; et al
This paper estimates the effect of indigenous risk management practices (used by entrepreneurs) on small firm growth amid the current economic crisis in Ghana. The paper hypothesizes that indigenous risk management practices positively affect the growth of informal micro and small agri-food processing firms during the current economic crisis in Ghana. Cross–sectional and limited panel data (covering four years – from the end of 2019 to the end of 2022) have been used in the analysis. Firm Growth has been estimated using sales volume and the number of employees. Findings indicate that apart from savings for business purposes as an indigenous risk management strategy, diversification of economic activities, subscription to formal insurance, forward con tracting, cooperative marketing, borrowing, sale of assets, and temporary wage employment outside the business exert a positive influence on small firm growth in terms of sales. Subscription to formal insurance and temporary wages outside the entrepreneur’s business positively influence firm growth as related to growth in employee size. We recommend that policymakers design and implement policies that initiate and facilitate the development of marketing cooperatives to negotiate fair prices. This essential tool can help mitigate marketing risks to the agri-food pro cessing entrepreneur. The police should facilitate rolling out skills development programs to increase entrepreneurs’ capacities in forward contracting arrangements. Again, entrepreneurs of agri-food processing firms in the wider Ghanaian population should be educated on the need to subscribe to formal insurance to insulate them in times of property loss or personal accidents.
Achieving carbon neutrality in Africa is possible: the impact of education, employment, and renewable energy consumption on carbon emissions
(Carbon Research, 2024) Elom, C.O.; Ankrah, D.A.; Defor, E.W.; et al.
This paper analysed the causal link between education, employment, renewable energy consumption and carbon emissions in Africa, where there is scant evidence. Relying on panel data obtained from the World Development Indicators for thirty-two African countries covering a period of 19 years, and fve panel rigorous regression mod els, we found that renewable energy, investment in education, school enrolment, net national income per capita, and employment had negative and signifcant efects on carbon emission, thus increasing these predictors would result in signifcant reduction in carbon emission in Africa. We identifed a bidirectional causality between carbon emissions and net national income per capita, education expenditure and renewable energy consumption, and car bon emissions and employment. Our fndings suggest that investment in education, renewable energy, and employ ment are relevant in mitigating carbon emissions in Africa. We recommend African governments to invest heavily in education, improve school enrolment, environmental education, renewable energy and employment provision to mitigate carbon emissions.
Impact of children’s appropriate work participation in cocoa farms on household welfare: Evidence from Ghana
(Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 2023) Tham-Agyekum, E.K.; Wongnaa, C.A.; Kwapong, N.A.; et al.
This study examines how children engaged in cocoa farming in Ghana affect household welfare. Data was gathered from 384 cocoa producers using a multistage sampling technique and analysed employing the Cragg double hurdle and propensity score method. The study found that only 2.3 % of cocoa farmers highly used children for cocoa activities. Additionally, household size, cooperative membership, and credit access were found to have significant impacts on both the use and extent of use of children on cocoa farms. Moreover, cocoa farmers who used children experienced improvements in their income, food security and assets compared to those who did not use children. The study also confirms the reality of the practice of employing children on cocoa plan tations in Ghana. Harnessing the considerable advantages of credit access and cooperative membership, we emphasize the importance of extension agents sensitizing cocoa farmers about the merits of forming co operatives. This approach could serve as a means of obtaining group/individual credits to support cocoa pro duction. Furthermore, in light of the notable improvements in the welfare of cocoa farmers, it is imperative for COCOBOD to take decisive action in invigorating the regulation against child labor and instead embrace agri cultural technologies as viable alternatives.
Impact of digital financial inclusion on the participation in farmer-based organisations, structured market and off-farm work in Ghana
(Journal of International Development, 2023) Ankrah, D.A.; Asante, B.O.; Prah, S.; et al.
This paper examines the impact of mobile money account ownership of farmers' participation in farmer-based organizations (FBOs), structured markets, and off-farm work. Relying on recursive bivariate probit model, our results reveal that owning a mobile money account increases the likelihood of farmers' participating in an FBO, structured market and off-farm work by 15.4%, 33.3%, and 37.5%, respectively. Furthermore, mobile money account ownership is influenced by socioeconomic and institutional factors as well as the presence of mobile money vendors within a community. Our finding call for sustained efforts to deepen digital financial inclusion for increased participation in FBOs, structured markets, and off-farm work.
Beyond certification: Investigating the nexus between compliance with sustainable agriculture standard and livelihood assets of certified smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana
(Cogent Food & Agriculture, 2023) Ankuyi, F.; Tham-Agyekum, E.K.; Ankrah, D.; et al.
Studies have shown that farmers appear to deviate from set certification standards after they have passed audits and received their certificate. This usually makes them vulnerable and affects their livelihood assets. Therefore, this study set out to investigate the nexus between certified smallholder cocoa farmers’ continual compliance with sustainable agriculture standard (SAS) and their livelihood assets. The research was conducted in the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality of Ghana. Data were collected from a survey of 400 cocoa farmers. Ordered logistic regression modelling, Chi-square test, frequencies, means, standard deviations, and percentages were used to analyze data. The findings show that 43.5% of the certified cocoa farmers complied moderately with SAS. Gender, farm size, land ownership, access to credit, engaging in income-generating activities outside of farming, assistance provided by License Buying Companies and extension contact were the determinants of farmers’ level of compliance with SAS. The study revealed a statistically significant association between farmer compliance and livelihood assets. Efforts to increase access to credit for cocoa farmers must be accompanied by efforts to promote and educate farmers on sustainable farming practices.
Effect of climate variability adaptation strategies on maize yield in the Cape Coast Municipality, Ghana
(Cogent Food & Agriculture, 2023) Ankrah, D.; Okyere, C.; Mensah, J.; Okata, E.
Maize is a major staple produced by most peasant farmers in Ghana, amidst climate variabilities that potentially thwart the attainment of global sus tainable development goals (SDGs), specifically SDG −2 of zero hunger. Ordinarily, one expects the extant literature to be replete on a nexus between climate varia bility adaptation strategies and maize yields. Ironically, there appears to be scant information on the expected nexus in Ghana’s coastal areas. The dual questions about what adaptation strategies significantly affect maize yield, and the extent (magnitude) to which climate variability strategies affect maize yield beg answer ing. Inspired by these research questions, the objective of this article is to examine the effect of climate variability adaptation strategies on maize yield. This study relies on a cross-sectional data covering 197 smallholder maize farmers in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly of Ghana’s Central Region. The study is deeply rooted in a quantitative approach employing multiple linear regression and a treatment effect model (inverse probability weighted regression adjustment—IPWRA). Our findings reveal that adaptation strategies correlate with maize yields. Specifically, estimates from the IPWRA show that irrigation and changes in planting dates positively correlate with maize yields. The implication is that these adaptation strategies improve maize yields. Smallholder farmers are encouraged to adopt effective climate variability adaptation strategies to minimize the adverse risksassociated with climate variability. The government of Ghana’s initiative for arid regions, dubbed as the “one village one dam” initiative can be upscaled to southern Ghana to ensure sustainable agricultural development
Sustainable cereal production: A spatial analytical approach using the Ghana living standards survey
(Heliyon, 2023) Ankrah, D.A.; Kwapong, N.A.; Agyarko, F.F.; Manteaw, S.A.
Ghana as one of the countries south of the Sahara, depends solely on cereals as a major staple food. Ironically, Ghana’s economy depends on large importation from the global north, particularly Asia, due to systemic production deficits. The probability of farming households producing enough cereals and the constraints to meeting domestic supply remains imperative. Therefore, the current research focussed on the Ghana Living Standard Survey seventh round (GLSS7) involving 15,045 cereal farmers nationwide. By estimating the probability of farming households producing cereals and the factors that constrain cereal production. Using random-effects regression models, the empirics show that farming households are expected to produce 5.87 tonnes of cereals annually. Specifically, farming households headed by males are expected to produce 6.01 tonnes of cereal crops in a year, 0.14 tonnes more than female-headed households. Non-poor households are expected to produce 6.82 tonnes of cereals in a year compared with an expected production of 6.29 tonnes by poor households. Cereal production is constrained by wealth status, gender, and age of household heads. Our findings attempt to inform and shape policy towards sustained cereal production in Ghana, and by implication countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in Ghana, should bring on board a structural policy that will address constraints related to gender, wealth, and age of household heads to enhance sustainable cereal production.
Mobile agricultural extension delivery and climate-smart agricultural practices in a time of a pandemic: Evidence from southern Ghana
(Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 2023) Jones, E.O.; Tham-Agyekum, E.K.; Ankuyi, F.; et al.
During the Covid-19 era, Ghana’s cocoa sector relied heavily on mobile phone agriculture for extension delivery services, aiming to enhance climate-smart agricultural activities and overcome physical limitations. However, there is limited literature on the role of mobile phones in extension delivery during the pandemic. The study investigated the effectiveness of mobile phone agriculture in extension delivery and its relationship with climate smart agricultural practices in Ghana’s cocoa sector during the pandemic. The study selected 152 community extension agents in the Ashanti Region. The cross-sectional data was estimated using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations Pearson, Point Biserial, Spearman rho, and ordinary least squares regression. The result indicates a positive correlation between mobile phone agriculture extension delivery and climate-smart agricultural practices. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between climate-smart practices and factors such as knowledge, skills, frequency, and intensity of phone use. However, years of experience and age showed a negative relationship. The findings showed that funding, knowledge of use, and years of experience as influential factors in climate-smart agricultural activities facilitated by mobile phone extensions. To reach un derserved cocoa communities, the Ghana Cocoa Board must enhance the capacity of community extension agents. Countries considering an intensive adoption of mobile phone agriculture for innovative extension ser vices in climate-smart agriculture should consider factors like knowledge, skills, duration, frequency, and financial investments in acquiring, converting, applying, protecting, and distributing climate-smart agricultural information. The study contributes to mitigating the negative impact of climate change through the application of climate-smart information in agriculture.
Competence-based education: reflections on the context of teaching agriculture in Ghana’s pre-tertiary schools
(Cogent Education, 2023) Boateng, S.D.; Ankrah, D.A.; Manteaw, S.A.
The ideal context for competence-based education (CBE) in the global south appears elusive with negative ramifications on both the teacher and the student. Using Ghana as a case study, this article shines light on the research question: What are the contexts and the implications of the contexts in which agriculture is taught on competence-based education? Drawing on a mixed methods approach involving cross-sectional data on 112 students, 238 teachers, and qualitative enquiries involving key informant interviews, and on-site observations. The findings showed inadequate facilities and low enrolment in agriculture. Specifically, 34% of pre-tertiary schools had less than 5% of the total student population offering agriculture. Theory-based pedagogies still dominate contrary to the core principles of competence-based education, culminating in students limited hands-on exposure that demotivates teachers and learners. We recommend the Ministry of Education focuses on competence-based education by increasing fund ing allocation to address the inadequate facilities, classrooms, and equipment needed for the effective teaching, learning, and the practice of agriculture. This article argues for sustained investment and conscious efforts directed at addressing challenges constraining CBE to allay the myths, drudgery, and low potentials ascribed to agriculture, with an ultimate aim to motivate the youth to pursue agriculture as a career and game-changer in providing self-employment and resolving the high unemployment phenomenon in the sub-region.
Determinants of access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking in Africa: A panel autoregressive distributed lag approach
(Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 2023) Onyeneke, R.U.; Chidiebere-Mark, N.M.; Ankrah, D.A.; Onyeneke, L.U.
Clean cooking fuels and technologies remain essential in addressing the climate crises, environmental degradation, deforestation, air pollution, health complications, and poverty. Nevertheless, many countries in Africa lack access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking. The extant literature remains scarce on the determinants of clean cooking fuels and technologies using macroeconomic indicators covering many African countries in a single study. This article addresses this gap using panel data from 38 African countries. The paper shows that rural population, particulate matter emission, and natural resources depletion significantly decreased access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in the long run while the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita significantly increased access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in the long run in Africa. The results show a bi-causal relationship between clean cooking fuels and technologies and rural population, GDP per capita, natural resource depletion, and particulate emissions damage. Understanding the determinants of clean cooking fuels and technologies will expand insights into addressing challenges associated with particulate emission damages. Governments in Africa should target improvements in GDP per capita, promote advocacies, and advocate for investments to address the limited access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, particularly for the rural poor.
Information and Communication Technologies and Agricultural Production: New Evidence from Africa
(Applied Science, 2023) Onyeneke, R.U.; Ankrah, D.A.; Atta-Ankomah, R.; et al.
While information and communication technologies (ICT) have proven to be useful in boosting agricultural production and productivity, regardless of the geographical location, much of the discussion on ICT and their impact focus on the global north, with deficient literature on the global south. The limited account of the global south shows mixed conclusions on the impact of information and communication technologies on agricultural production, with most studies focusing on crop production, as a proxy for agricultural production, leaving out livestock production. Animated by this concern, this article explores the impact of ICTs on agricultural production (crop and livestock) in Africa using panel data from 32 African countries and the panel autoregressive distributed lag model as the estimation technique. We find that individuals using internet significantly increased crop production in the long run. Specifically, a percentage increase in internet patronage increases crop production by 0.071% but significantly decreases the livestock production index, both in the short and long run. Mobile phone subscriptions had a significant negative impact on crop production in the long run but had a significant positive impact on livestock production in the long run. Fixed phone subscriptions significantly increased crop production in the long run but significantly decreased livestock production index in the long run. The findings show bidirectional causality between crop production and internet patronage, livestock production and individuals using internet, crop production and mobile cellular subscription, crop production and net national income, and rural population and both crop and livestock production. We recommend that governments in Africa increase funding investment in digital technologies to foster increased agricultural production while addressing structural challenges that constrain increased access to digital agricultural technologies. It might be useful if governments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) incentivize the telecommunication companies to extend digital coverage to rural areas through tax rebates and holidays to encourage rural inclusion in the digital space to bridge the digital divide.
Influence of sustainable livelihood capital on climate variability adaptation strategies
(Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 2023) Ankrah, D.A.; Anum, R.; Anaglo, J.N.; Boateng, S.D.
This article argues that access to informational, financial, and human capital influences specific climate variability adaptation strategies. Even though this argument is highly supported within the conventional wisdom circle, the extant literature remains sparing, particularly covering non-arid spaces in the global south. Relying on cross-sectional data covering 150 smallholder crop farmers from southern Ghana, augmented with focus group discussions, we answer the research question: What is the relationship between access to financial, informational, and human capital and climate variability adaptation strategies in a peri-urban geography? The results were estimated using multivariate probit regression. The findings showed that informational, financial, and human capital significantly influenced climate variability adaptation strategies. Specifically, informational capital significantly influenced organic manure application and irrigation. Financial capital through savings significantly influenced crop rotation. Formal and informal credit sources had no significant influence on climate variability adaptation strategies. Human capital - household labour significantly influenced mixed cropping, organic manure, and irrigation. Formal financial institutions are encouraged to adapt tailor-made requirements that are sensitive to the high-level informalities pertaining to peasant farming. And consider reducing loan interest rates to foster financial inclusion. Governments in sub-Saharan Africa could target improving farmers access to informational, financial, and human capital to build resilient climate variability adaptations.
Climate variability indicators - scientific data versus farmers perception; evidence from southern Ghana
(Cogent Food & Agriculture, 2023) Ankrah, D.A.; Mensah, J.; Anaglo, J.N.; Boateng, S.D.
Even though copious knowledge has been advanced in the extant lit erature on climate variability and change. Two schools of thought exist—one that views farmers’ perceptions of climate indicators as erroneous and inferior, while the other views, scientific data, specifically meteorological data, to be superior and accurate. The accuracy of farmers perception of climate variability indicators is in doubt relative to the scientific data. This article targets assessing farmers percep tion of climate variability indicators compared to the scientific data with an eye to distil policy implications for climate variability resilience and adaptation. Using cross-sectional data on 197 smallholder maize farmers in southern Ghana, the article answers the research question: To what extent do smallholder farmers perception of climate variability indicators align or vary from objective climate data? We find variation between farmers perception of climate indicators and the objec tive data from the Ghana Meteorological Agency. Specifically, while farmer percep tions showed a decrease in rainfall over the past 10 years (2009–2018), the objective data proved otherwise. Again, a contradiction existed between farmers perception of sunshine and the scientific data. However, farmers’ perceptions of temperature aligned with the objective data. The scientific data established coeffi cient of variations of 0.21, 0.04, 0.03, and 0.12 for rainfall, sunshine, maximum, and minimum temperatures respectively. We recommend collaborative efforts between the national research council’s, Ghana Meteorological Agency, and academic insti tutions to commission further studies that will test, confirm, and harmonize the reliability of smallholder perceptions of climate variability and change in climate adaptation efforts
Understanding innovation process within an interactive social network: Empirical insights from maize innovations in southern Ghana
(Cogent Social Sciences, 2023) Kwapong, N.A.; Ankrah, D.A.
Agricultural innovations propel improvement in agricultural productivity. Even though, the related literature largely reports low adoption of innovations, the literature deficiently accounts for the complexities and the interactive social contexts that embed innovation processes. In addressing the lacuna, it remains imperative to understand the complexities of the innovation process. This study assesses the factors influencing the intricate innovation processes toward the uptake of maize innovations among smallholder farmers in Ghana. The study relied on focus group discussions, observations, and individual in-depth interviews with thirty maize farmers in Kintampo District and Wenchi Municipal Assembly in Ghana. Content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative information. The findings show many instances of learning, knowledge transfer, and uptake of practices among farmers during innovation processes. We find adaptations to existing farm practices, and local contexts. With unintended outcomes which appear useful for learning and co-learning in the innovation ecosystem. The innovation processes are shaped by farmers characteristics and personal goals, trialability of technology, social network, relative advantage of the technology, access to information and extension services, and sociocultural conditions in the external environment. The farmer field schools, and field days constitute important conduits in promoting increased maize innovations uptake among farmers. We suggest that, in understanding adoption, focus should be paid to the complexities in the innovation processes reckoning that it is embedded in an interactive social network, with many instances of learning, co-learning, knowledge transfer, contestations, and negotiations. This should guide policy decisions to better inform the design of programme interventions
Agricultural Production, Renewable Energy Consumption, Foreign Direct Investment, and Carbon Emissions: New Evidence from Africa
(Atmosphere, 2022) Chidiebere-Mark, N.M.; Onyeneke, R.U.; Uhuegbulem, I.J.; Ankrah, D.A.; Onyeneke, L.U.; Anukam, B.N.; Chijioke-Okere, M.O.
This paper explores the nexus between agricultural production, renewable energy, foreign direct investment (FDI), and carbon emissions in Africa, where there is limited evidence on the topic. Relying on panel data covering thirty-one African countries obtained from the World Bank World Development Indicators and FAOSTAT databases, we answered the question of whether agricultural production (proxied by livestock production, fertilizer consumption, and land under cereal cultiva tion), the use of renewable energy, and FDI increase or reduce carbon emissions. Using the panel autoregressive distributed lag model for analysis, our results show that net FDI, fertilizer consump tion, livestock production significantly increased carbon emissions, both in the short run and long run. Meanwhile, renewable energy use consumption significantly decreased carbon emissions, both in the short run and long run. Specifically, a 1% increase in net FDI increased total carbon emissions by 0.003% in the short run and by 0.01% in the long run. Renewable energy consumption significantly decreased carbon emissions, both in the short run and long run. A 1% increase in renewable energy consumption decreased total carbon emissions by 0.16% in the short run and by 0.22% in the long run. Additionally, fertilizer consumption and livestock production significantly increased carbon emissions in the short run and long run. A 1% increase in fertilizer consumption increased total carbon emissions by 0.01% in the short run and by 0.04% in the long run, while a 1% increase in livestock production increased total carbon emissions by 0.20% in the short run and by 0.56% in the long run. The findings call for investment in renewable energy technologies and consumption while advocating for large-scale uptake of climate-smart agriculture, and environmentally friendly targeted foreign direct investments on the continent.
Fuzzy Logic and Machine Learning-Enabled Recommendation System to Predict Suitable Academic Program for Students
(Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2022) Kumar, T.; Sankaran, K.S.; Ritonga, M.; Asif, S.; Kumar, C.S.; Mohammad, S.; Sengan, S.; Asenso, E.
In recent years, educational data mining has gained a considerable lot of interest as a consequence of the large number of pedagogical content that can be gathered from a range of sources. This is because there is a lot of instructional information that can be obtained. The data mining tools collaborate with academics to improve students’ learning strategies by analyzing, sifting through, and estimating components that are pertinent to students’ characteristics or patterns of behavior. This is accomplished through the following steps: EDM is utilized in the vast majority of instances to develop the classification model, which then assigns a certain class to each student based on the known properties of the training dataset. Before putting the classification model into use, it is possible to utilize a test dataset to verify that the model is accurate. This article provides a description of a recommendation system that determines the most beneficial academic program for students by utilizing fuzzy logic and machine learning. The compilation of student dataset has begun. It includes a total of 21 features and 1000 individual cases. e initial step is to employ the CFS attribute selection method. This methodology selects 15 of the initial set of 21 characteristics. Following the completion of the data gathering, it is put through various machine learning methods such fuzzy SVM, random forest, and C4.5. This methodology that has been offered makes predictions about the academic program that is best suitable for students.
Operationalizing the agricultural innovation system concept in a developing country context – examining the case of the MiDA programme in Ghana
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2021) Ankrah, D.A.; Freeman, C.Y.
Purpose: This paper argues that large-scale agricultural programmes embedded with the Agricultural Innovations Systems (AIS) thinking helps in facilitating innovations. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopted a qualitative approach involving focus group discussions, key informant interviews and secondary document analysis. This approach helped to obtain an in-depth understanding of the processes involved, why and how innovation takes place. Findings: The design and implementation of the MiDA programme had elements of the AIS embedded. This helped to contribute to success in areas that aligned and failures in areas that fell short. Stakeholders encountered implementation challenges that did not ensure reflective learning, conversely, some actors worked independently of others, mimicking linear extension approaches. Practical Implications: The future of extension and research in Ghana should not be prescriptive (top-down) but fully integrate farmers and wider stakeholders in the design and implementation of agricultural investment programmes. This is premised on addressing challenges relating to trust, effective leadership and entrepreneurship. Theoretical Implications: Adds on to the limited use of AIS as a conceptual and operational tool in supporting large-scale agricultural investment in the global south by incorporating AIS thinking in policy formulation and implementation of large-scale programmes. Originality/Value: This article adds to the unbalanced literature in Sub-Saharan Africa on the use of AIS in the design and implementation of large-scale programmes. Additionally, it highlights the use of AIS in extension and research in facilitating innovations.

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