A Comparative Study of the use of Manure and Fertiliser in the Shallot Industry at Anloga in the Volta Region

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the use of manure and fertiliser in the shallot industry at Anloga. The responses to the questionnaire were analyzed, using percentages, chi-square (X2) test and simple t-test. The study revealed that there was no significant difference between the mean profit of farmers who combined manure with fertiliser and those who used manure only (calculated t^ = 0.8, critical tso = 1.7) at 10% significance level. However, a marginal analysis using the partial budgeting approach revealed a net gain of <?0.5 million per hectare for substituting fertiliser for manure. The farmers complained of non-availability of both manure and fertiliser when they were most needed. In the case of input cost, whereas all the respondents agreed that fertiliser cost was high, less than 50% identified high cost as a problem with manures. The peculiar problem associated with the use of fertiliser, according to the farmers, was high level of storage losses due to spoilage. Among others, the use of some combination of manure and fertiliser was recommended since this is associated with higher net returns. It was also recommended that a study be conducted into the cost effectiveness of the use of small scale sprinkler irrigation schemes to reduce water inadequacies, especially in the dry season when the wells become dried up and also the farmers should form vigilante groups to guard the shallot farms to reduce stealing of shallot.