Effects of Contract Farming on Small-Holder Soybean Farmers’ Income in the Eastern Corridor of the Northern Region, Ghana

Contract farming is a form of vertical coordination largely aimed at correcting the market failure associated with spot markets that arise due to imperfect information. While some studies have argued that contract farming improves access to ready markets by smallholder farmers, other studies have suggested that contract farming lowers the incomes of smallholder farmers because the contractors wield greater market power over the farmers. In Ghana there has been few or no work carried out in this area to ascertain whether it is beneficial to farmers or not. This study assesses the effects of contract farming on small-holder soybean farmers’ incomes in the Eastern corridor of the Northern Region, Ghana. The specific objectives were: to identify the factors influencing farmers’ participation in contract farming; to identify the determinants of income of soybean farmers in the region and finally to determine whether contract farming enhances farmers’ income compared to non-contract farming. The treatment effects model was used for the analysis. A sample size of 340 soybean farmers (contract and non-contract) was used in the study. Estimation of the effect of contract farming on income shows that participation in contract farming does not necessarily improve small-holder farmers’ income. Factors influencing farmers’ participation in contract farming, the conclusion is that; accesses to ready market, credit and extension service positively affect participation. The study recommended among others that companies or firms should permit farmers to make a percentage of sales on an extra-contractual basis when prices of soybeans rise this will enable farmers to benefit when prices are at its peak and contractual arrangements should be flexible and allow for the renegotiation of contracts when there are significant changes in market conditions. Keywords: Contract farming, Contractual arrangement, Smallholder farmer, Incom

SSR markers as tools for screening genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) for tolerance to drought and Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth in the Northern Guinea Savanna Zone of Ghana

ABSTACT Resistant or tolerant crop cultivars provide the most economical, practical and sustainable method of control of Striga and drought stresses. However, the development of resistant/tolerant maize cultivars is hampered by the complexity of the environment, the host/parasite interactions, and lack of reliable screening method. The invention of molecular markers to tag gene(s) that confer important traits offer new hope for Striga and drought control. A study was conducted at the Biotechnology laboratory of the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute in Nyankpala, Northern Ghana, to screen six parent and thirty F1 progenies of maize for tolerance to drought and Striga hermonthica using 17 microsatellites. Genomic DNA was extracted with the CTAB method and PCR was performed based on the common method for microsatellite markers. PCR products were separated using 6% polyacrylamide denaturing gel. Frequencies were run to determine the genotypes that produce bands across all or most microsatellite primers. The results indicated that the F1 hybrids IWD x TAIS03, IWD x GUMA03, DT x KOBN03, TAIS03 x IWD, TAIS03 x DT, TAIS03 x SISF03, SISF03 x TAIS03, SISF03 x GUMA03, GUMA03 x IWD, GUMA03 x DT and GUMA03 x KOBN03  contained the quantitative traits responsible for both drought and Striga hermonthica tolerance. The parental lines DT-STR-W-C2, TAIS03 and IDW-C3-SYN-F2, and F1 hybrid populations IWD x TAIS03, IWD x GUMA03, DT x KOBN03, TAIS03 x IWD, TAIS03 x DT, TAIS03 x SISF03, TAIS03 x KOBN03, SISF03 x DT, SISF03 x TAIS03, SISF03 x GUMA03, GUMA03 x IWD, GUMA03 x DT, GUMA03 x SISF03, GUMA03 x KOBN03 and KOBN03 x IWD contained the quantitative traits responsible for Striga hermonthica tolerance. The study revealed that the parent populations IDW-C3-SYN-F2, TAIS03, GUMA03-OB and KOBN03-OB, and F1 hybrid populations IWD x TAIS03, IWD x GUMA03, IWD x KOBN03, DT x TAIS03, DT x SISF03, DT x KOBN03, TAIS03 x IWD, TAIS03 x DT, TAIS03 x SISF03, SISF03 x TAIS03, SISF03 x GUMA03, SISF03 x KOBN03, GUMA03 x IWD, GUMA03 x DT and GUMA03 x KOBN03 showed bands across nine drought-linked SSR markers, and therefore, contain the quantitative traits responsible for drought tolerance. The study led to identification of informative SSR markers, such as Phi074, Nc005, Phi015, Phi061 and Phi055, which significantly contributed to the differentiation of Striga tolerant and susceptible genotypes. Identification of informative SSR markers (P-umc1542, P-bnlg1429, P-umc1566, P-umc2189, P-umc2225, P-umc2226, P-bnlg1014, P-bnlg1124 and P-umc1292) which significantly contributed to the differentiation of drought tolerant and susceptible genotypes was also made

Evaluation of some genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) for tolerance to Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT A study was conducted in Nyankpala, northern Ghana, to screen twenty five genotypes of maize for tolerance to Striga hermonthica during the 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons. The genotypes were evaluated under pot and field conditions to determine the effects of Striga infestation on yield as well as agronomic characteristics of maize. For the pot experiment, seeds of the maize genotypes were planted in green house pots that were arranged in rows on a platform with a distance of 1 m between the rows using complete randomized design. The pots were infested with Striga two weeks before planting maize. In the field, maize and Striga seeds were both planted at stake on the prepared plots using 1% germinable Striga seed-sand mixture based on a pre-determined 70% purity and 65% germination of the Striga seed. There were non-striga infested maize plants and these were considered as control or ‘normal’ plants. Results showed that the following three maize genotypes: TAIS03, DT-STR-W-C2 and IWD-C3-SYN-F2 were highly tolerant, whilst the following six genotypes: TAANO4, NYAZ03-Y, KOBN03-OB, SISF03-OB, NYIA03 and CHFB04-OB were moderately tolerant. The remaining genotypes showed moderate to high levels of susceptibility to Striga infestation. Striga count, Striga plant rating and anthesis-silking interval were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the control treatments as compared to the infested genotypes. Grain yield, plant and ear height, days to anthesis, days to silking, leaf area, chlorophyll content, fresh and dry shoot weight and root length also increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the control as compared to the infested plants. This study has revealed that maize genotypes such as TAIS03, DT-STR-W-C2 and IWD-C3-SYN-F2, or their crosses may be used in Striga-infested fields for increased growth and grain yield

The Role of Community Radio in Livelihood Improvement: The Case of Simli Radio

The present study focuses on the contribution of Simli Radio to the livelihood improvement of the people in the Tolon-Kumbungu and Savelugu-Nanton Districts of the Northern Region of Ghana. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 12 communities for the study. Data were gathered on the use of broadcasting as an educational tool, the promotion of traditional culture, communication and information sharing, entertainment and income promotion. The study established that Simli Radio has worked to improve awareness and knowledge of solutions to community development problems ranging from culture, rural development, education, hygiene and sanitation, agriculture to local governance. The station has been an appropriate medium that has facilitated an interface between duty bearers and rights holders. It has promoted small and medium enterprise development by creating market opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) operators and consequently improved sales and incomes. It is recommended that regular feedback from the listening public is essential in identifying listeners’ preferences and the taste of various listeners segments (youth, women, men, aged, etc) and to avoid politics and religion

Why “formal” climate adaptation strategies fail in sub‐Saharan Africa: Ignoring adapters’ agency in the case of smallholding agriculture farming practices in Bono East Region of Ghana

This paper reviewed a body of literature on climate adaptation options in sub-Saharan Africa's (SSA) smallholding agriculture and complemented it with a case study involving experts interviews, focus group discussions, large-scale household surveys, and farmer practices observation while drawing insight from the concept of “everyday adaptation and interrupted agency” and agency theory to assess farmer perceived limitations with climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and climate-wise food systems (CWFS) practices for climate adaptation in the SSA. The study noted that the narrow focus on CSA and/or CWFS as a silver bullet for climate change adaptation suitable for smallholding agriculture ignores food producers’ agency to undermine sustainable and inclusive adaptation solutions. Moreover, smallholder farmers’ everyday climate adaptation practices could be grouped into three categories; on-farm adaptation, off-farm adaptation, and Indigenous agroecological adaptation options. The on-farm adaptation options are usually agriculture intensification and extensification. The off-farm adaptation options include livelihood diversification activities, petty trading, seasonal labor jobs, and migration. The Indigenous agroecological adaptation strategy uses observing nature and weather elements to predict the onset of the rainy season. The study noted that smallholders’ adaptation options, which is an expression of their agency, are motivated by smallholders’ desire to be resilient to changing climate, increase productivity and income, and social network influence but not necessarily because the strategy is being promoted by the government or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Therefore, we propose a sustainable food agency (SFA)—a multifaceted blended constellation of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, as the best approach to addressing the climate crises in the SSA. The SFA allows individuals or groups to decide what climate change adaptation options best work for them to adapt to changing climate and produce and distribute their food without undermining the economic, social, and environmental bases that generate food security and nutrition for present and future generations

Free Senior High School Lunch Contributes to Dietary Quality of Nonresidential Students in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: School feeding offers an excellent opportunity for targeted intervention to students not only as means for improving educational outcomes but also enhancing nutritional outcomes. The Government of Ghana introduced the free lunch feeding policy for nonresidential students in senior high schools (SHS) in 2018. OBJECTIVE: We assessed unintended benefits of the free lunch program to dietary improvement. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study among 403 (202 beneficiary and 201 non-beneficiary) students in SHS. The Food and Agriculture Organization's standard procedure for measuring dietary diversity score (DDS) was followed. A 3-day dietary recall was used to assess school day DDS, while a 24-hour recall was used to assess weekend DDS of students. Differences in DDS and food group consumption were determined using student t test and χ2 test, respectively. RESULTS: Nearly all (98.5%) beneficiary students consumed the free school lunch and 7 (70%) in 10 of them consumed it on all school days. While the students did not differ in their weekend meal DDS (6.3 ± 1.4 vs 6.5 ± 1.4, P = .39), beneficiaries of the school lunch had higher lunch DDS (7.5 ± 0.5 vs 6.5 ± 1.4, P < .001) and whole day DDS (11.5 ± 1 vs 9.3 ± 2.0, P < .001) compared to non-beneficiary students on school days. Even though the school lunch increased food group intake, vitamin-A rich vegetables and tubers, fruits, flesh and organ meats, and dairy products were hardly provided as components of school lunch. CONCLUSION: Provision of free school lunch meal to nonresidential students in SHSs in Ghana could contribute to improved diet quality

Growth and Fruit Yield of Okro as Influenced by Genotypes and Mulch in the Guinea Savannah Conditions of Ghana

The experiment was carried out to assess the suitability of different mulch materials in enhancing the growth and fruit yield of okro. Ten okro genotypes were evaluated in a split plot design with 3 replications. Three treatments of mulch (black plastic, grass, and no mulch) represented the main plots with the genotypes as the subplots. The result indicated significant (P<0.05) genotypic variability among the genotypes for all parameters except plant girth. However, genotype and mulch interaction was not significant. The genotype Sasilon had the tallest plants (82.6 cm) and the highest fruit yield under all mulch conditions while Koni had the widest fruits (34.1 mm) with TZ SMN 10-3 having the longest fruits (16.11 cm). Number of fruits per plant ranged from 30 to 11 with an average of 21. Mulching significantly (P<0.05) influenced all parameters except fruit width and mean fruit weight. Plastic mulched plots had the greatest heights while no mulching had the least. The highest average yield was obtained under plastic mulch (3.49 t/ha) which was 4.2% higher than grass (3.34 t/ha) and 11% higher than no mulch (3.11 t/ha). The study has shown that mulching with black plastic or grass ensures vigorous growth and improves the fruit yield of okro

Analysis of genotype by environment interaction for grain yield of intermediate maturing drought tolerant top-cross maize hybrids under rain-fed conditions ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Abstract: Maize plays a crucial role in combating food insecurity in Ghana due to its high yield potential and wide adaptability. Thirty five intermediate maturing maize hybrids were evaluated at eight locations in Ghana for two years (i) to determine grain yield performance, stability and adatability, (ii) to determine the representativeness and discriminating ability of the test locations and (iii) identify core testing sites for selection of superior maize hybrids. Genotype, environment and genotype × environment interactions were significant (p &lt; 0.01) for grain yield and most other traits measured. Grain yield of the hybrids ranged from 3.3 to 4.7 t ha −1 for in the present study. The GGE biplot analysis identified genotype M1326-17 as the most stable and high yielding hybrid followed by M1326-14 and M1326-4. Test locations were divided into three groups; Ejura and Damongo constituting the firs

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries