Abstract:
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.
