Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
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Item Profit efficiency of layer production in Ghana(Sustainable Futures, 2021) Yevu, M.; Onumah, E.E.This study assesses profit efficiency and its determinants of intensive housing system of layer production in Ghana. A normalized translog stochastic profit frontier model is employed using cross-sectional data of 300 layer producers in nine districts of Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions. The results show that the costs of feed and labour are the most significant factors negatively affecting the profit levels of layer producers. All the input variables respond positively to layer output. Layer producers are about 54% profit efficient and characterized by increasing returns to scale. However, training in poultry farming, farmer-based organization membership, pro vision of extension service, gender, experience, housing type and mortality rate are the key factors that signif icantly explain the variations in profit efficiency. The study concludes that on average, layer producers are operating with profit gap of about 46%. The implication of the findings is that training of layer producers by extension services (veterinary officers) in early detection of poultry disease and control are key to reducing inefficiency level to achieve higher profits. Membership of associations by layer producers is key to increasing efficiency in poultry production.Item Dynamics Of The Poultry Market In Ghana(Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2023) Onumah, E.E.; Ayeduvor, S.This paper examines the dynamics of the poultry market in Ghana using secondary data and a field study in four regions, including Greater Accra region, Western region, Ashanti region, and Northern region. Secondary data on prices, per capita consumption, imports, and export quantities was obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). Primary data on shopping malls, supermarkets, cold stores, and open markets, as well as on imported and local chicken meat prices and brands was also obtained using surveys and focus group discussions. The study employs trend and content analyses to highlight specific imported products, their origins, drivers, and the potential of domestic poultry as a substitute for imported chicken meat. The paper confirms that Ghana imports about 80% of its poultry meat. mostly in the form of branded cut parts (thighs, wings, legs, back, and offal) from high-income countries, including Belgium, the US, Brazil, Poland, and the Netherlands. Despite a 35% increase in tariffs, imported poultry meat tends to be 27–30% cheaper than locally produced chicken. The findings further show that although there is some preference for domestic poultry meat, this does not translate into purchase decisions, as people prefer more convenient and ready-to-use products. The paper recommends the prioritization of policies to boost local production through investments in processing (cut parts), branded packaging, and marketing facilities such as cold vans. Furthermore, policies to reduce chicken meat import volumes may be focused on other non-tariff measures, such as licenses, allotments, trade embargoes, foreign exchange restrictions, and import depositories.Item Non-tariff measures and household welfare: Evidence from Ghana(Journal of International Development, 2023) Martey, E.; Onumah, E.E.; Onumah, J.A.Most studies on the impacts of non-tariff measures (NTMs) economic outcomes are at the macro-level with limited micro-level studies. This study uses primary data on 604 commercial farm households in Ghana to examine the relationship between NTMs and household welfare outcomes. The results show that NTMs are positively associated with assets, household expenditure and income, but negatively associated with food expenditure, household dietary diversity score (HDDS) and poverty probability index (PPI). We find that the results are not likely to be driven by unobserved heterogeneity. Our results suggest that the Potential mechanisms through which NTMs influence welfare outcomes are household income and expenditure. The main implication of the study is that a reduction in the number of customs formalities and the cost of testing and certification can facilitate trade and contribute to the economic development of commercial farm households.Item Value Chain Analysis of the Broiler Industry in the Southern Sector of Ghana(Caraka Tani: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 2023) Onumah, E.E.; Mensah, S.N.O.; Mensah, A.; et al.The livestock subsector especially broiler production plays a significant role in the livelihood and food security in Ghana. Several researchers in developing nations have employed value chain methodologies to investigate the linkages and the interactions of the various actors in the poultry sector. However, none of these studies comprehensively captured each actor’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as the governance structure and profitability of the broiler industry. This paper fills this gap by analyzing the governance structure, value addition, determinants of profitability and prospect of the broiler industry using 290 respondents (180 broiler producers, 65 distributors and 45 retailers) from the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Bono Regions of Ghana. The study adopted the scoring analytical technique, net farm income (NFI), the modified Cobb-Douglas function and the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) matrix for the analyses. The results revealed producers as the key governors with the highest value addition and return on investment. Distributors and processors on the other hand form informal cartels to monopolize their activities to increase bargaining power. Whilst credit access, education, business training, age and feed type influenced profitability, the broiler industry is threatened by high importation of frozen chicken, high taxes, lack of capital access and high cost of operation. The study recommends that the government should pursue measures to minimize the cost of operations through input-tax exemptions and reduce the importation of chicken products. Stakeholders should invest in input supply, processing technologies and transportation facilities to boost local production for profit gains.Item Value Chain Analysis of the Broiler Industry in the Southern Sector of Ghana(Caraka Tani: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 2023) Onumah, E.E.; Mensah, A.; Otokunor, P.B.; et al.The livestock subsector especially broiler production plays a significant role in the livelihood and food security in Ghana. Several researchers in developing nations have employed value chain methodologies to investigate the linkages and the interactions of the various actors in the poultry sector. However, none of these studies comprehensively captured each actor’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as the governance structure and profitability of the broiler industry. This paper fills this gap by analyzing the governance structure, value addition, determinants of profitability and prospect of the broiler industry using 290 respondents (180 broiler producers, 65 distributors and 45 retailers) from the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Bono Regions of Ghana. The study adopted the scoring analytical technique, net farm income (NFI), the modified Cobb-Douglas function and the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) matrix for the analyses. The results revealed producers as the key governors with the highest value addition and return on investment. Distributors and processors on the other hand form informal cartels to monopolize their activities to increase bargaining power. Whilst credit access, education, business training, age and feed type influenced profitability, the broiler industry is threatened by high importation of frozen chicken, high taxes, lack of capital access and high cost of operation. The study recommends that the government should pursue measures to minimize the cost of operations through input-tax exemptions and reduce the importation of chicken products. Stakeholders should invest in input supply, processing technologies and transportation facilities to boost local production for profit gains.Item Nontariff measures and production allocation decisions of cereal farmers in Ghana(wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/agr, 2023) Onumah, E.E.; Martey, E.; Brümmer, B.Using exogenous variation in trade shocks, this study examines the association between nontariff measures and cereal production allocation decisions among commercial farmers in Ghana. We study nontariff measures from both an extensive (experience of nontariff measures) and an intensive (cost of nontariff measures) perspective using a sample of 455 cereal farmers in Ghana. We employ the seemingly (un)related regression (SURE) and the inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment (IPWRA) to estimate the effect of nontariff measures on production allocation decisions. The result shows that nontariff measures are associated with lower cereal production and intensity of cereal commercialization but positively associ ated with the consumption of cereals. The results are robust after controlling for potential endogeneity using the Lewbel 2SLS. In addition, we find that our results are not likely to be driven by unobserved heterogeneity. We find evidence of consistent and robust estimates of nontariff measures when the IPWRA model is applied and compared to the SURE estimates. Overall, our study shows that nontariff measures can be a depressive pathway to cereal sustainable production and commercialization with associated policy implications for economic development [EconLit Citations: F1, F13, E23, Q13].Item Consumer food storage practices and methods at the household-level: a community study in Ghana(Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2023) Afriyie, E.; Zurek, M.; Asem, F.E.; Okpattah, B.; Ahiakpa, J.K.; Zhu, Y-G.Introduction: Household-level food storage can make food available to consumers, and promotes food security. Nevertheless, attention is mostly devoted to enhancing food storage at the farmer and national levels, neglecting the household level. It is therefore critical to assess food storage practices of households. This study examined food storage practices of households, evaluated expert opinions on household-level food storage, and assessed the effect household characteristics has on food storage and food security. Methods: Dzorwulu and Jamestown communities in Accra, Ghana, were chosen as the study locations. The study consisted of a survey, expert interviews and structural equation modeling. For the survey, 400 food household heads selected using systematic sampling method responded to a semi-structured questionnaire. Seventeen (17) experts were also purposively sampled and interviewed. Results and Discussion: The results showed that, most households stored foodstuffs they often consumed, with generally low storage of fruits and vegetables. Perishable foods such as cassava, tomato, yam, and banana were stored by 37.8, 42, 38.3 and 43.8% of households, respectively, for 1–3 days. Households often stored food within a period of 2 weeks, due to poor storage facilities and lack of food storage knowledge. About 85.8% of households had never received training on food storage. Most households used baskets, bowls, sacks and polyethylene bags to store food at home, and some used refrigerators and deep freezers. Regarding the link between food storage and food security, household heads’ income showed a significant positive moderating effect (p≤ 0.01), households’ socioeconomic status had a positive effect, while household size indicated a significant negative moderating effect (p≤ 0.01). The experts asserted that, household-level food storage enhances food security and food safety, and reduces food expenditure and food wastage. The limited food storage knowledge of households should be a basis for intervention to enhance proper food storage practices within households.Item Feeding the future in Ghana: Gender inequality, poverty, and food insecurity(Wiley Periodicals LLC, 2023) Egyir, I.S.; O'Brien, C.; Bandanaa, J.; et al.Abstract As women's empowerment is critical for the adoption of agricultural technologies by farmers, some govern ments have over the last three decades adopted a gender equality approach to food security. In Ghana, women play a vital role as farmers and food proces sors, which means they impact household nutrition in important ways. In this article, we explore women's empowerment in maize‐producing sites in Ghana by drawing on original data collected from over 400 farmers and service providers as part of a United States Agency for International Development‐funded Feed the Future project. We employ a quasi‐“women's empowerment in agriculture index” to measure the extent to which men and women maize producers are either empowered or disempowered in the domains of production, access to resources, control over income, leadership, and time allocation. Our study reveals that cost and time poverty are the main factors that influence the adoption of technologies to reduce postharvest losses. We also find that women are disproportionately disempowered in the areas of control over the use of income and time poverty. Importantly, we further find that researchers need to account for perceived versus actual empowerment when examin ing gender inequality in agriculture. Our study findings and policy recommendations will be of interest to policymakers, scholars, and development practitioners.Item PICS or poly sack: Traders’ willingness to invest in storage protection technologies(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Suraj, M.M.; Martey, E.; Etwire, P.M.; et al.ABSTRACT This study applies a simple financial model to compare the profitability of selected grain storage protection technologies (PICS and Poly sacks) in Ghana. To address the objectives, market survey data of soybean traders who represent a section of the soybean supply chain was used. Per the model, the price seasonality for profitable soybean storage was estimated by accounting for costs related to storage (protectants, maintenance, supervision, and labor), the opportunity cost of capital, and storage technologies (PICS and Poly sacks). Results indicated that the profitability associated with poly sacks was higher than the PICS bags over the entire support of seasonal harvest prices and consistent across the different trader types. Secondly, less than 20% of the traders were willing to invest in storage protection technologies since the value of their storage losses is higher than the value of the investment cost.Item The state of food security and its determinants in Ghana: an ordered probit analysis of the household hunger scale and household food insecurity access scale(Scientific African, 2023) Kolog, J.D.; Asem, F.E.; Mensah-Bonsu, A.The issue of food insecurity has been well documented to be severe in northern Ghana. Several attempts have been made to curb the situation, but the effects of these interventions are unknown. Using responses from 405 rural households, this paper estimates the determinants of food insecurity in the Upper East region. Data were analysed using de scriptive statistics and an ordered probit regression. The Household Food Security Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Household Hunger Scale (HHS) were the two measures of household food security used in the study. This paper validates and compares the two measures used to check whether determinants and status of household food security differ between the two measures. The findings show that the two measures of food security agreed on most of the significant determinants of household food security. Factors such as education of household head, households’ farm size, access to credit and access to extension services were significant determinants of household food security by both measures. Factors such as household size, access to good roads, access to formal cooperative and availability of paid jobs were found to be significant determinants of household food security with the HFIAS, while gender of household head and distance to market were significant determinants of food security in the HHS model. The study recommends improved education, social structures such as good roads and markets as well as support services such as credit and extension to combat food insecurity. These key steps should be taken as pillars to the sustainable implementation of Agenda 2063 for a food secure Africa.