Agricultural Credit Accessibility and Rice Production in Savelugu-Nanton and Walewale Districts of Northern Ghana

As  Ghana  struggles  to  achieve  accelerated  growth  in  food  production,  increasing  the output of  rice  has  become  an  important  goal. The main aim of this study  is  to  find  out  the  determinants  of  agricultural  credit  accessibility  and  its effect on rice output. The study was conducted in  four communities  in  the  Savelugu-Nanton  District  and  two  communities  in  the Walewale District. It was aimed at ascertaining the determinants of agricultural credit accessibility and its impact on rice output. In all, a sample of 90 rice farmers was interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire as well as focus group discussions. Data was collected on the mode of operation of existing credit institutions in the districts, the socio-economic indicators of farmers believed to influence credit accessibility and the inputs and output of farmers in the 2008/2009 farming season. Out of the 90 rice farmers interviewed, only 37 received agricultural credit from Bangmarigu Community Rural Bank and MoFA.  In addition, most  of  the  farmers were  not  aware  of  the  existing  credit  institutions  while others  did  not  access  the  credit  due  to  high  interest  rate,  small  credit  size,  fear  of indebtedness and low educational status. From the survey, it became known that agricultural credit accessibility is positively influenced by group membership, farm size and gender. Specifically females had greater average of credit than males. The study revealed that, agricultural credit has a significant effect on rice output hence the need to seek for credit to increase production levels.  It is recommended that farmers are sensitized on the existence of credit institutions. Also credit institutions should institute measures to reduce interest  rate  and  also make  credit  acquisition  processes  and  repayment  plans  simple  and flexible. Key words: Credit accessibility, Determinants of credit, Cobb-douglas production function and Correlatio

Effective Leadership: The Panacea to Effective Teaching and Learning in Schools, Post Corvid -19

It is not an understatement to mention that the recent Covid-19 pandemic has thrown world economies into anarchy and turmoil. As a result, unprecedented changes had to be made by the way teaching and learning is conducted in academic institutions around the world. Almost all educational institutions worldwide have pivoted to online learning in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. This sad turn of events has put undue pressure on educators to learn 21st century technology skills to instruct successfully. This paper examines the need for innovative skilled leadership for effective transition to online teaching and improving teaching and learning. Keywords: Innovative Leadership, Online Learning, Effective Planning, Pivot, pandemic, Organizational Culture. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-33-01 Publication date: November 30th 202

Effect of Processing Method on the Quality of Palm Kernel Cake: Chemical Composition and Nutrient Utilization in Enzyme Supplemented Diets

Abstract. The feed value of palm kernel cake (PKC) from two expeller sites and two hydrothermal production facilities were assessed using 30 laboratory rats as a model. Following chemical analysis, the PKC were incorporated at 0% (control, CON) or 35% (w/w) into isonitrogenous maize-based diets (2.9% N, DM basis) and fed to individually caged albino rats for 28 day. All PKC diets included 0.5% (w/w) Alzyme Vegpro (Alltech Canada, Guelph, ON). PKC from expellers (E1, E2) contained more  fatty acids (FA) and less crude protein (CP) than did PKC from hydrothermal production (H1, H2), averaging 15.8% vs 7.7% FA and 13.3% vs. 19.7% CP (DM basis), respectively. Lauric, oleic, myristic and palmitic acids were predominant in PKC, accounting for 84% of total FA. E1 and E2 had higher essential amino acid contents (average 67.1% of total AA) than did H1 or H2 (average 64.1%). Gain and feed efficiency (FE; feed/gain) were similar between rats fed E1 or E2 diets and those fed CON (2.1 and 2.2 g/d vs. 2.2 g/d; 4.7 and 4.3 g/d vs. 5.3, respectively), but were reduced in rats fed H1 or H2 diets (1.5 and 1.3 g/d gain; 7.1 and 7.0 FE) compared with CON. This study indicated that expeller-produced PKC could potentially be included in maize-based starter diets for pigs at up to 35% with no adverse effects on growth. Key words: Amino acid, fatty acid, expeller, hydrothermal Abstrak. Nilai pakan PKC dari dua expeller dan dua fasilitas produksi hidrotermal diukur menggunakan 30 mencit sebagai model. PKC dianalisa secara kimiawi dengan kadar 0% (kontrol, CON) atau 355 (w/w) ke dalam pakan berbahan dasar jagung isonitrogen (2.9% N, BK) dan diberikan kepada mencit albino yang dikandangkan secara individu selama 28 hari. Semua pakan PKC mencakup 0.5%(w/w) Alzyme Vegpro (Alltech Canada, Guelph, ON). PKC expeller (E1, E2) mengandung lebih banyak asam lemak (FA) dan lebih sedikit protein kasar (PK) daripada PKC dari produksi hidrotermal (H1, H2), dengan kisaran 15,8% vs 7,7% FA dan 13,3% vs 19,7% PK (berdasarkan BK). Asam laurat, oleat, miristat dan palmitat mendominasi PKC, mencakup 845 dari total asam lemak. E1 dan E2 mempunyai kandungan asam amino esensial (rata-rata 67,1 dari total asam amino) daripada H1 dan H2 (rata-rata 64,1%). Efisiensi pakan dan pertumbuhan (FE; pakan/bijian) sama antara tikus yang diberi pakan E1 atau E2 dengan yang diberi CON (2,1 dan 2,2 g/hari vs. 2,2 g/hari; 4,7 dan 4,3 g/hari vs. 5,3), namun berkurang pada tikus yang diberi pakan H1 atau H2 (1,5 and 1,3 g/hari; 7,1 dan 7,0 FE) dibandingkan dengan CON. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa PKC expeller berpotensi disertakan dalam pakan berbahan dasar jagung untuk babi hingga kadar 35% tanpa berpengaruh buruk terhadap pertumbuhan. Kata kunci: Asam amino, asam lemak, expeller, hidroterma

Some blood indices in finisher broiler chickens fed cocoa pod husk (Theobroma cacao L.) fermented with Pleurotus ostreatus or treated with enzymes as ingredients in their diets

The dietary effects of pre-treated cocoa pod husk (CPH) on some blood indices of 21-day old COBB-500 finisher broiler chicks were evaluated in a 35-day experiment with a completely randomized design. The birds were allotted to seven treatments (diets) having 0-g kg-1, 100- g kg-1, 200-g kg-1 and 300-g kg-1 of either Pleurotus ostreatus fermented CPH (PF-CPH) or enzyme (Viscoyme®L+Pectinex®5XL) supplemented CPH (E-CPH). Each treatment was replicated three times with 12 chicks per replicate. The haemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), activities of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum levels of cholesterol (CH), uric acid, total protein, albumin and globulin were determined. Across dietary treatments Hb, PCV, CH, uric acid and AST activity level in blood of birds varied significantly (P < 0.05). However, there was insignificant influence (P > 0.05) of pre-treated CPH on all the other evaluated parameters among treatment groups. All blood indices measured were within acceptable or reference ranges. The study has revealed that incorporating either E-CPH or PF-CPH up to 30 per cent of broiler finisher diet had no adverse effect on the blood values of the broiler chickens. However, up to 20 per cent PF-CPH and 10 per cent E-CPH incorporation rates for broiler finisher diets, based on best results observed for growth and feed conversion, is recommende

Mobility, education and livelihood trajectories for young people in rural Ghana: a gender perspective

This paper examines the gendered implications of Africa's transport gap (the lack of cheap, regular and reliable transport) for young people in rural Ghana, with particular reference to the linkages between restricted mobility, household work demands, access to education and livelihood potential. Our aim is to show how mobility constraints, especially as these interact with household labour demands, restrict young people's access to education and livelihood opportunities. Firstly, the paper considers the implications of the direct constraints on young people's mobility potential as they travel to school. Then it examines young people's (mostly unpaid) labour contributions, which are commonly crucial to family household production and reproduction, including those associated with the transport gap. This has especially important implications for girls, on whom the principal onus lies to help adult women carry the heavy burden of water, firewood, and agricultural products required for household use. Such work can impact significantly on their educational attendance and performance in school and thus has potential knock-on impacts for livelihoods. Distance from school, when coupled with a heavy workload at home will affect attendance, punctuality and performance at school: it may ultimately represent the tipping point resulting in a decision to withdraw from formal education. Moreover, the heavy burden of work and restricted mobility contributes to young people's negative attitudes to agriculture and rural life and encourages urban migration. Drawing on research from rural case study sites in two regions of Ghana, we discuss ethnographic material from recent interviews with children and young people, their parents, teachers and other key informants, supported by information from an associated survey with children ca. 9–18 years

An explorative study on the adoption and dis-adoption of improved rice varieties among farmers in the Northern region of Ghana

Rice consumption in Ghana has increased steadily over the years. To enhance rice productivity to meet demand, several high-performing rice varieties have been disseminated via numerous interventions to smallholders in Northern Ghana. Nevertheless, productivity is still low at farm gate compared to research stations, due to smallholder poor adoption of the varieties. Using primary data collected from 404 farmers, the study examines the adoption levels of the main rice varieties among farmers and investigates the reasons for their adoption and dis-adoption. The empirical results revealed that rice varieties namely, Agra, Sakai, Jasmine 85, and Afife were the most adopted in the study area. Also, the study finds that GR-18, Nerica, Digang, Tox, Mandee, and Faro-15 were the most dis-adopted rice varieties. The main reasons for which farmers adopted the improved rice varieties were availability of a ready market for the produce, crop resistance to pests and diseases, consumer higher demand for rice, advice by extension staff to cultivate, and encouragement from researchers to adopt. The reasons for the dis-adoption of improved rice varieties in the study area were high input requirements, lack of ready market for the varieties, and unfavorable climatic conditions. The findings of the study give direction as to the angle from which the adoption of improved rice varieties can be stepped up while dis-adoption is reduced. Research scientists should research into rice varieties that are more suitable for the soil and climatic conditions of the study area and continue to sensitize and motivate the farmers to adopt them, while government should step up its support for the research scientists as well as the extension officers to deliver on their mandate

Adoption of rice cultivation technologies and its effect on technical efficiency in Sagnarigu District of Ghana

This study examined the adoption of rice cultivation technologies on farmers’ technical efficiency in Sagnarigu District. The stochastic frontier model was used to estimate the determinants of output and technical inefficiency while propensity score matching was also used to analyse the average treatment effect (ATE) and the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT). A total of 120 respondents comprising 60 adopters and 60 non-adopters were randomly selected from six communities in the District and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Farm size, fertilizer, weedicides and household labour had positive and significant effect on rice output. Farmers who adopted the rice cultivation techniques were less technically inefficient than those who did not adopt. The ATT was 0.121 which implies that farmers who adopted the rice technologies increased their technical efficiency by about 12% and this was significant at 10% for the PSM with similar results obtained for the nearest neighbour matching. The ATE value of 0.102 which was also statistically significant at 10% means that farmers on the whole increased their technical efficiency by 10.2%. Moreover, the mean technical efficiency estimates for adopters and non-adopters were about 58% and 48% respectively under regression adjustment and inverse-probability weights. The existence of a technical efficiency gap of 10% between adopters and non-adopters of rice technologies emphasized the significant effect of technology adoption on farmer’s technical efficiency. The study recommends that more rice farmers should be encouraged to adopt the rice production technologies in order to improve their technical efficiency levels

Stakeholders' role in improving Ghana's construction safety

Health and safety (H&S) management has traditionally been the responsibility of the contractor. Most often, contractors are blamed for the accidents and other ill health that occur on their construction sites. H&S performance is, however, enhanced when there is effective collaboration between those involved in the construction process. This paper therefore explores the role of stakeholders in promoting construction H&S in Ghana through public works procurement. The four main stakeholders identified and evaluated in this study are the government, the client (employer), the contractor and the employee(s). Seven interviewees (comprising procurement managers, consultants and quantity surveyors) from public institutions in Ghana participated in the research. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and were thematically analysed. Results indicate a conflict in the perceived functions and relation of these stakeholders in the construction process. To address the constraint to improving construction H&S, certain recommendations are offered. These include the identification of specific individuals responsible for supervision and employee training, the development of H&S policies by the government and contracts that clearly outline the contractual obligations of all parties involved. Additionally, the specific roles and involvements of other stakeholders in the procurement process in improving construction H&S are also outlined