Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) and the Living Standards of Cocoa Farmers: Evidence from Chorichori in the Sefwi Akontombra District of Ghana

Abstract

Cocoa swollen shoot virus disease has severely hampered the production of cocoa and the economy of Ghana since pre-colonial days. This study set out to find the impact of the cocoa swollen shoot disease on the living standards of cocoa farmers in Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to seek information from cocoa farmers in Chorichori in the Sefwi Akontombra District of the Western Region of Ghana where the disease is currently epicenter. All households in the community were interviewed and a total of 84 cocoa farmers’ households were extracted. A multidimensional poverty measure, multidimensional poverty index (MPI) is used to measure the standard of living of the cocoa farmers. A Tobit regression model was estimated to find the socioeconomic implication of the disease on the cocoa farmers. The findings of the study show that cocoa swollen shoot virus disease does not directly have an impact on the living standards of cocoa farmers’ households, measured in a multidimensional context. The disease rather has an impact on standards of living through income (household expenditure) of the households. An indication that the incidence of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease affects cocoa production levels by reducing crop yield hence low income that intern lower the living standards of the households. Occupational diversity has a significant impact on multidimensional poverty. Households that diversify have an improved standard of living. Both the Educational level of the household head and Knowledge of CSSVD have a negative effect on MPI and a significant impact on living standards of households. A high level of education and knowledge of CSSDV indicates a high standard of living. Finally, Cocoa Land Size of the cocoa farmers’ households has a significant impact on standards of living.