Improving Soya Bean Productivity for Poverty Alleviation and Food Security in Upper West Region of Ghana: A Resource Use Efficiency Analysis

Soya bean is an important economic crop for smallholder farming systems in Upper West Region of Ghana. In spite of the introduction of modern and improved soya bean production technologies in Ghana, the productivity of the crop in the region is still low. Given that inefficient use of resources is a potential course of low yields, this study analyses the resource use efficiency of soya bean production. Using cross-sectional data collected from 271 soya bean farmers from the Upper West Region of Ghana, the study employed the Stochastic Frontier Translog Production Function as well as the ratio of Marginal Value Product to Marginal Factor Cost to understand the resource use efficiency of soya bean farmers in the region. The empirical results showed that the estimated coefficients of soya bean seeds, labor and farm size were significant and positively related to soya bean output even though fertilizer input was surprisingly significantly and negatively related to the output of soya bean. Also, resources employed in soya bean production were found not to be efficiently utilized as they were underutilized, indicating that yield and profit could be improved with optimal use of production inputs. Finally, the paper revealed that access to soya bean threshers is the most important constraint faced by farmers in the region. For the region’s soya bean yield to be improved, government and development organizations should assist soya bean farmers by removing major bottlenecks to acquisition of resources required for the production and postharvest handling of the crop

Adoption and impact of modern rice varieties on poverty in Eastern India

Not AvailableThe factors affecting the adoption of modern varieties (MVs) of rice and impact on poverty in Odisha, India were discussed. A total of 363 households from Cuttack and Sambalpur districts of Odisha via multistage sampling technique participated in the survey. The Cragg's Double hurdle model was used to model the determinants of adoption and intensity of adoption of MVs of rice, and the propensity score matching was used to analyze the impact of adoption on poverty. The results showed that age, education, risk aversion, land size, yield, perception of MVs as high yielding, resistant to diseases and availability of MVs positively influenced the decision to adopt. However, variables such as household size, experience of a farmer, off-farm job participation, amount of credit received, cost of seeds, insecticides and fertilizers negatively influenced the adoption of MVs. Intensity of adoption of MVs was negatively influenced by experience of a farmer, cost of fertilizer and marketability of MVs, and positively affected by household size, risk aversion, land size, cost of insecticides, perception of MVs as high yielding and availability of MV seeds. Poverty incidence, gap and severity were high among non-adopters to adopters of MVs. After matching adopters and non-adopters of MV groups using four different algorithms of nearest neighbour matching, stratification matching, radius matching and kernel matching, the impact of MV adoption resulted in higher per capita monthly household expenditure by about US$52.82 to US$ 63.17.Not Availabl

Are non-market benefits of soybean production significant? : An extended economic analysis of smallholder soybean farming in Upper West region of northern Ghana

Background: Traditional cost–benefit analysis of soybean production tends to largely focus on financial benefits to farmers, and less so on non-market co-benefits in sustaining smallholder farming systems. Relying solely on the standard financial analysis undermines the actual benefit of soybean production, which often results in ineffectual policy designs. An economic analysis that incorporates key non-pecuniary co-benefits of soybean production provide vital insight that contributes to improving productivity and overall economic well-being of farmers. Cross-sectional data were collected from 271 farmers to estimate the overall economic benefit of soybean that captures both market and non-market attributes in three major producing districts (Sissala-West, Wa-East, and Dafiama-Busie-Issa (DBI)) of Ghana. Results: When non-market co-benefits were omitted, soybean production was not profitable (-Gh¢103.10/ha or -US$22.91) in DBI while Sissala-West and Wa-East had modest profit margins. However, the financial analysis changed dramatically when an average non-market value of Gh¢345.69 (US$76.82) was incorporated in the analysis. The soybean system was, therefore, financially viable for all the districts when the non-market attributes of the crop were considered. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the importance of the non-pecuniary benefits of soybean in smallholder farming systems for policy decision-making. For instance, farmers’ motivation for soybean production is closely linked to those ancillary benefits like the biological nitrogen fixed in the soil for cultivation of other crops. Similarly, crop administrators and policy makers’ support for conservation agriculture and green environment is tied to these non-market co-benefits. © 2020, The Author(s)

Structure, Conduct and Performance of Onion Market in Southern Ghana

The local onion market in Ghana is dominated by ‘on the spot’ market relationships with little or no coordination of chains to improve quality and performance. This study examines the market structure, conduct and their influence on the performance of the onion market in the southern part of Ghana, using data from 180 actors, comprising 80 farmers, 40 wholesalers and 60 retailers. Descriptive statistics, Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve, Herfindahl-Hirschman index and Garett ranking were the methods of analysis used. The results showed that traders were operating in an oligopolistic market with Gini coefficients of 0.62 and 0.56 for wholesalers and retailers, respectively. The findings also revealed that farmers (69%) were more open to contracts than wholesalers (20%) and retailers (11%). Moreover, onion production proved to be costly for farmers as they had a negative return of 1.55% on their investment while wholesalers and retailers made positive returns of 29.85% and 31.1%, respectively. Finally, high production cost, high marketing cost and unavailability of storage structures were ranked as the most pressing constraints to farmers, wholesalers and retailers, respectively. It is recommended that the government, donor support agencies for agriculture and local NGOs come to the aid of farmers by providing them with fixed assets at a subsidized price. This will relieve the farmers from heavy losses which threaten the future food security of the country

Factors influencing polytechnic students’ decision to graduate as entrepreneurs

The existence of supply-demand gaps in graduate output not only contributes to the problem of graduate unemployment but also undermines the efficiency of public investment in tertiary education, and therefore the issue needs to be addressed. Because of this, it is critical to focus on graduates and understand which factors affect their intentions to start-up a business in the future. This paper examines the factors that influence polytechnic students' decision to graduate as entrepreneurs. The study used primary data which was collected from 250 students randomly selected from the Kumasi polytechnic. It employed descriptive statistics and the probit model to analyse the factors influencing the decisions by polytechnic students to graduate as entrepreneurs. The results of this study show that personality factors (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness), support from family members and friends, occupation of parents, entrepreneurship education, gender and access to finance have significant positive effect on polytechnic students' decision to graduate as entrepreneurs while students care about public remarks on their decisions has a significant negative effect

Does the level of development distinguish the impacts of foreign direct investment on the stages of human development?

This paper assessed the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the stages of human development (HD) using panel data from 87 developing, 13 transition and 34 developed countries from 1990 to 2019. Foreign direct investment positively influenced human development in developing countries. However, the effect was neutral for transition and developed countries. Regarding the effect of FDI on the stages of HD, except for low human development in developing countries, all the computed effects were positive. Failure to delineate the effects of FDI on HDI into stages of HD would result in inaccurate results leading to inappropriate policy responses. Generally, FDI can be promoted in countries within the stages of human development. Whilst similar policies may be relevant, the extent of the outcomes would differ

Foreign direct investment in food manufacturing and stages of human development

The extension of the shelf life of food through processing makes food available beyond the shelf-life of fresh agricultural produce, which has implications for food and nutrition security. Food processing creates products for the specified nutritional needs of persons with special nutritional requirements, market access for products from the agricultural sector, employment for households, opportunities for trade and marketing as well as tax revenues for the state. These contribute to the standard of living (income) as well as education and health components of human development. Existing studies have focused on assessing the human development (HD) effects of foreign direct investment (FDI). However, the differences in human development could engender differences in the effect of FDI on human development. Unlike the exante literature, we focus on food manufacturing FDI, the human development stages and the contemporaneous analysis of developed and developing countries. We used panel data from 18 and 26 developing and developed countries respectively from 1991 - 2021 and fitted it to panel generalised estimation equations and the general method of moments estimators. We find that food manufacturing FDI had a significant influence on human development for all human development stages in developing but only for low-developed countries in the category of the low human development index. Not isolating the influence of FDI on human development stages could produce misleading outcomes for developed countries. Policymakers can look at food manufacturing FDI to increase HDI and in some cases to migrate from one stage to another

Achieving sustainable development goals on no poverty and zero hunger: Does technical efficiency of Ghana’s maize farmers matter?

Abstract Background Whether or not maize farmers are technically efficient determines their choice of productivity improvement strategy and very important for achieving the sustainable development goals on no poverty and zero hunger. This study examined technical efficiency and its determinants of Ghana’s maize farmers. Analysis of the determinants is crucial to devising strategies aimed at improving technical efficiencies of the farmers as well as ensuring no poverty and zero hunger. Methods The study used cross-sectional data collected from 576 maize farmers in the four main agro-ecological zones of Ghana with the aid of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and the stochastic frontier production function were the methods of analysis used. Results The results showed that the mean technical efficiency estimate for maize farmers in Ghana was 58.1%. They also revealed that an increase in educational level, maize farming experience, extension contact as well as uses of fertilizer and improved seeds would increase the technical efficiency of maize producers in Ghana. Similarly, male Ghanaian maize farmers were more technically efficient than female farmers. Furthermore, membership of a farmer association will increase their technical efficiencies. Finally, an increase in farm size and land fragmentation will decrease technical efficiency of the maize farmers. Conclusion Efficiency improvement programmes by stakeholders in the maize industry could target literate maize farmers since education enhances the managerial and technical skills of farmers and also increase farmers’ ability to utilize existing technologies. Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) could also liaise with Ministry of Education to provide maize farmers with no formal education with special training prior to introducing new efficiency enhancing programmes to them. MOFA should analyse the problems extension officers face in the discharge of their duties to pave the way for the provision of appropriate incentives to extension officers by stakeholders in the maize industry

A systematic review of climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, and policy development in West Africa

Climate change studies are diverse with no single study giving a comprehensive review of climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, and policy development in West Africa. The unavailability of an all-inclusive study to serve as a guide for practitioners affects the effectiveness of climate change adaptation strategies proposed and adopted in the West African sub-region. The purpose of this study was to review the impacts of climate change risks on the crop, fishery, and livestock sectors, as well as the climate change adaptation strategies and climate-related policies aimed at helping to build resilient agricultural production systems in West Africa. The review process followed a series of rigorous stages until the final selection of 56 articles published from 2009 to 2023. Generally, the results highlighted the adverse effects of climate change risks on food security. We found a continuous decline in food crop production. Additionally, the livestock sector experienced morbidity and mortality, as well as reduction in meat and milk production. The fishery sector recorded loss of fingerlings, reduction in fish stocks, and destruction of mariculture and aquaculture. In West Africa, climate-smart agriculture technologies, physical protection of fishing, and inclusion of gender perspectives in programs appear to be the major adaptation strategies. The study therefore recommends the inclusion of ecosystem and biodiversity restoration, weather insurance, replacement of unsafe vessels, and strengthening gender equality in all climate change mitigation programs, as these will help to secure enough food for present and future generations

Women’s role of caregiving for under-five children: Implications for dietary diversity and food security in Ghana

AbstractThis study examines the implications of women’s role of caregiving under-five children on household food security. Using two-stage least square instrumental variable estimation, we analyzed cross-sectional data from 305 smallholder farmers from rural areas in Ghana. The results indicate that household characteristics such as size, gender, and marital status also influence household dietary diversity. A government agricultural program that seeks to improve farmers’ income has the potential to improve household dietary diversity. The most important finding is that the women’s role of taking care of under-five children has negative effect on food household dietary diversity and therefore has negative implications for security of the household in rural settings. However, improved income and education mitigate the negative effects of caregiving to children under five on the household food security. A policy implication of the results is that providing nutrition knowledge to women through food security programming is vital to improving household food security and such programmes must also target family planning