of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness The Impact of Education on Productivity in the Commercial Poultry Industry in the Greater Accra Region (Ghana)
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Date
2001-06
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University of Ghana
Abstract
This study examines the impact of education on productivity (output) in
the commercial poultry industry. Studies have focused on the role of production
inputs including the human capital on agricultural productivity, with little emphasis
on commercial poultry production.
A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 60 production
managers of the commercial poultry enterprises in the Greater Accra Region of
Ghana for the production period of 1999.
The levels of education of the production managers of the enterprises were
factored into the Cobb-Douglas Production Function together with other
explanatory variables of day-old-chicks, purchased variable inputs, capital, feed
consumed, influence of ownership to the enterprise, the enterprise as full-time
employment (job) of the managers, extension visits and experience.
The estimate of the impact of education on productivity (output) in the
commercial poultry industry in the study is positive and markedly higher at the
secondary and tertiary levels with estimated coefficients of 2.4 and 1.5
respectively. The computed percentage in productivity (output) due to tertiary
education relative to the lower (secondary) education is 10 percent Tertiary
education coefficient is significant at 10%, while secondary education coefficient is
statistically insignificant. The interactive term of basic educational level of
primary/middle/JSS, experience and extension education is positive, but
statistically insignificant. Both capital (0.40) and labour (0.80) as other explanatory
variables are positive and statistically significant at 0.05% and 0.01% respectively.
Financing for the commercial poultry enterprise and other government
policies such as high interest rates, high cost of inputs and uncontrolled
liberalisation of the import of frozen poultry products are identified from the study
as some of the main constraints to increased output and growth in the industry.
Most of the operators are also under-utilising their installed capacities and are
producing only when demand for the product is high.
It is recommended among others that, the level and quality of human
capital (education and experience), be developed through improving quality of
education, provision of in-service training and short courses to improve on the
innovative, technical and management efficiency, together with an enabling
economic environment, to encourage domestic investment in the quest to achieve
self-sufficiency in meat production. Poultry managers with technical and
management expertise can utilize available and transferable technology to permit
efficiency in supplying good quality and inexpensive products to increase their
sales. This can help them to compete with imported poultry products that have
flooded the domestic market. There should be quality and quantity differentiation
of poultry products for different segments of the domestic market
Description
Thesis (MPhil) - University of Ghana, 2001