scholarly journals Assessment of Ghana’s Comparative Advantage in Maize Production and the Role of Fertilizers

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilli Scheiterle ◽  
Regina Birner
Keyword(s):  
Structural Adjustment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Fertilizer Subsidies

Maize is one of the most important cereal crops produced and consumed in West Africa, but yields are far under their potential and the production gap leads to growing import bills. After the structural adjustment program, fertilizer subsidies again became a popular intervention to increase yields in most African countries. Ghana introduced fertilizer subsidies in 2008, with high government expenses. This study assesses the competitiveness of Ghanaian maize production and the significance of socio-economic and management variables in determining high yields in northern Ghana. Household survey data and secondary data were applied in a Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) to test private and social profitability of the fertilizer subsidy policy. Additionally, a probit model is used to determine the characteristics that contribute to higher yields. The results suggest that production systems with Ghana’s above-average yields of 1.5 Mt/ha are profitable at household level and contribute to its economic growth, whereas production systems below this threshold report negative social profits and depend on government intervention. However, fertilizers did not increase the likelihood of a household to fall in the category of high-output production system, whereas the use of improved seeds and herbicides does. In conclusion, the analysis highlights the importance of additional measures, especially the use of supporting inputs as well as management practices, to increased maize productivity.

scholarly journals Arthropod Communities in Urban Agricultural Production Systems under Different Irrigation Sources in the Northern Region of Ghana

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 488
Author(s):  
Louis Amprako ◽  
Kathrin Stenchly ◽  
Martin Wiehle ◽  
George Nyarko ◽  
Andreas Buerkert
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Arthropod Communities ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Species Accumulation Curves

Urban and peri-urban agricultural (UPA) production systems in West African countries do not only mitigate food and financial insecurity, they may also foster biodiversity of arthropods and partly compensate for structural losses of natural environments. However, management practices in UPA systems like irrigation may also contribute to disturbances in arthropod ecology. To fill knowledge gaps in the relationships between UPA management and arthropod populations, we compared arthropods species across different irrigation sources in Tamale. During a 72-h sampling period, 14,226 arthropods were caught with pitfall traps and pan traps from 36 fields. These specimens comprised 13 orders, 103 families, 264 genera, and 329 taxa (243 identified species, 86 unidentified species) and categorized into five feeding guilds (carnivores, decomposers, herbivores, omnivores, and pollinators). Species richness, species accumulation curves, and diversity functions (richness, evenness, and dispersion) were calculated to characterize the arthropod community. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was applied to examine structural similarity of arthropod communities among sites. To account for the effects of soil-related data, we furthermore applied a redundancy analysis. Arthropods grouped according to the irrigation water source, whereby the dipterans were most dominant under wastewater conditions. Here, particularly the eye gnat, Hippelates pusio, a disease-causing vector for humans, accounted for the dipterans. The occurrence of three alien ant species suggested community shifts through invasive species, while the occurrence of seven ant species (at least one ant species occurred under each water source) that form mutualistic relationships with aphids highlighted future risks of aphid pest outbreak. Future studies on these taxa should specifically target their ecological and economic effects and potential countermeasures.

Management Practices to Conserve Soil Nitrate in Maize Production Systems

1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1369-1374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Zhou ◽  
Angus F. MacKenzie ◽  
Chandra A. Madramootoo ◽  
J. Wambua Kaluli ◽  
Donald L. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Maize Production

scholarly journals Assessment of husbandry practice and egg production performance of indigenous chickens in urban and peri urban area of Guder town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
pp. 124-132
Author(s):  
Chala Duguma
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Indigenous Chicken ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Random Survey

The study was undertaken from May up to July 2020 in Guder town of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to explore husbandry practices and egg production performance of indigenous chicken in the study area. A cross-sectional systematic random survey of 40 households was undertaken by using semi-structured and pre tested questionnaire. Information on management practices, production systems, egg production performances and constraints of indigenous chicken kept in Guder town was generated by semi-structured questionnaire. The primary data collected from house hold survey was processed and analyzed by using a statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 20.0 software. Descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean, ranking, standard deviation, and cross tabulation were used to analyze the data quantitatively. Data gathered through key informant interviews, focus group discussion and personal observation was analyzed qualitatively to strengthen data obtained from the household survey. Due to its small space and lower capital requirement sample household’s ranked chicken as the first important animals kept in the study area. The main purposes of keeping indigenous chicken in the study area were for home consumption followed by generation of income. The most important feed resources of indigenous chicken kept in the study area were feed obtained from scavenging, house hold wastes, the market left over, and industrial by products. Majority of the households accommodated their indigenous chicken in a separate house constructed for the confinement of the chicken. The higher mortality rate of indigenous chicken in the study area was caused by disease and predator. The most commonly happening and economically important disease in the study area was Newcastle. The commonly observed predators in the study area were cat and dog. Health and feed problems were the first and the second constraint of indigenous chicken production in the study area respectively. Therefore area based development involvement could help to increase the productivity of indigenous chicken and thereby improve the income of small holders.

Minimizing nutrient leaching from maize production systems in northern Ghana with one-time application of multi-nutrient fertilizer briquettes

2019 ◽  
Vol 694 ◽  
pp. 133667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Adu-Gyamfi ◽  
Sampson Agyin-Birikorang ◽  
Ignatius Tindjina ◽  
Yaw Manu ◽  
Upendra Singh
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Nutrient Leaching ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Maize Production

scholarly journals Assessment of impacts of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on maize production in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Djima Koffi ◽  
Rosina Kyerematen ◽  
Vincent Y Eziah ◽  
Yaa Oguabi Osei-Mensah ◽  
Kwame Afreh-Nuamah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spodoptera Frugiperda ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Fall Armyworm ◽  
Transitional Zone ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Spodoptera frugiperda was considered an insect pest only in the Americas until its first report in African countries in 2016. In this study, farmers and agricultural officials in Ghana were interviewed on their perceptions and knowledge of the pest, on infestation and maize yield variations across years, and on management practices. Farms were inspected to determine the infestation level of 100 plants per hectare. Interviews revealed that farmers were familiar with the larval stages of this pest and noticed that the pest occurred throughout the year, but populations of S. frugiperda increased only during cropping seasons. Infestation levels reported by farmers in surveys were much lower in 2018 (30.38%) than in 2017 (80.92%). Farm inspections confirmed that infestation levels were much lower in 2018 (20.90%) than 2017 (73.70%). The belt formed by Guinea Savannah, Transitional Zone, and Semi-Deciduous Forest Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs) recorded the highest infestations while the lowest were observed from the Sudan Savannah and Tropical Rain Forest AEZs. Insecticides were the most commonly used tactic to manage populations of this new pest. Maize yields increased across Ghana between 2013 and 2015 from 1.52 to 1.73 t/ha, decreased between 2015 and 2017 to 1.55 t/ha, and increased to 1.69 t/ha in 2018. The impact of fall armyworm injury to maize production is discussed.

Postharvest technology for advancing sustainable bioenergy production for food processing

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (12) ◽  
pp. 2850-2862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie F.A. Chimphango ◽  
Johann F. Görgens
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bioenergy Production ◽  
Agro Residues

Purpose – Agricultural food residues (agro-residues) receive low economic returns and experience disposal problems. The food production and processing is often not configured to supply agro-residues for production of bioenergy needed in food processing. The feasibility of utilising agro-residues through advances in postharvest technology for sustainable bioenergy conversion is reviewed. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Agro-residues from maize, sugarcane and potatoes in five African countries were assessed from secondary data to identify suitable conversion technologies, energy products and configurations of bioenergy plants for applications in postharvest food processing. Findings – Strategic alignment of postharvest technology to bioenergy production systems is vital to advancing both food production and bioenergy that benefit rural communities in Africa. High economic returns are possible when the bioenergy plants are either annexure to existing agro-processing operations or operate as a biorefinery. Research limitations/implications – Assessment of energy self-sufficiency of food production and processing systems is required. Practical implications – Agro-residues for bioenergy production require investments in infrastructure for storage, transportation and processing of the residues, and development of new risk management techniques. Social implications – The rural communities will be energy secure resulting in food security through reduced postharvest losses and increased agricultural productivity. Originality/value – The study stimulates innovative thinking in establishing sustainable bioenergy systems for food processes.

Farmer innovations in financing smallholder maize production in Northern Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Appiah-Twumasi ◽  
Samuel A. Donkoh ◽  
Isaac Gershon Kodwo Ansah
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Market Participation ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Investment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore smallholder agricultural financing in Ghana’s Northern region by identifying farmers’ preferred traditional and innovative financing methods and estimating the determinants of use of innovative financing methods. Design/methodology/approach This paper presented a list of documented traditional financing methods to farmers during in-depth interviews and employed descriptive statistics to summarize choice and amounts sourced from traditional methods. Two questions from the survey revealed a felt need for extra financing sources for credit-rationed farmers. Farmers with positive responses to either or both questions were classified as “users of innovative financing”. The authors then used a probit model to examine factors that influence decisions to use innovative financing method. Findings Farmers’ own savings, reinvesting past season’s profits and financing maize production with income from other commercial crops were the most popular traditional methods. The authors found complementary relations between formal and informal lending systems in the rural financial market. Smallholders also took farm and non-farm “by-day” jobs to raise income for farm investment and/or joined Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) specifically to take advantage of possible credit opportunities. These two latter methods were operationalized in this study as innovative agricultural financing. The results show that access to credit, social capital and market participation increased the likelihood of using innovative financing methods. Alternatively, farmer group membership, diversity in crop production and being a household head diminished the likelihood of innovative financing use. Practical implications The activities of VSLAs can be regulated and expanded to spread its benefits to more farmers. Also, creating avenues for dry season labour market participation in the region could enable farmers raise capital for farm investment. Originality/value This study explores existing practices and farmer innovations to agricultural financing and, by so doing, deviates from the vast literature focussing mainly on microcredit provisioning as the main model of smallholder agricultural financing in Africa.

scholarly journals Strategies to Upgrade Animal Health Delivery in Village Poultry Systems: Perspectives of Stakeholders From Northern Ghana and Central Zones in Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolapo Enahoro ◽  
Alessandra Galiè ◽  
Yakubu Abukari ◽  
Gaspar H. Chiwanga ◽  
Terra R. Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Village Chicken ◽  
Men And Women

Village chicken production holds much potential for the alleviation of malnutrition and poverty in rural communities in Africa. Owing to their subsistence nature, however, such systems are rife with infectious poultry diseases such as Newcastle disease (ND). Strategies common for the management of ND and other poultry diseases in intensive production systems, including vaccination and biosecurity measures, have seen limited success in the village production systems. New approaches are needed that can successfully deliver animal health inputs and services for the effective management of poultry health challenges in low-input systems. Our study utilized focus group discussions with men and women farmers as well as other poultry value chain actors such as input suppliers, live bird traders and processed poultry meat retailers, to investigate potential options for delivery of animal health care to village poultry systems in northern Ghana and central Tanzania. ND was commonly reported as a major disease constraint in the study sites of the two countries, with resulting fatalities particularly impactful on men and women producers and on traders. We therefore also conducted interviews that focused specifically on the gender component of village chicken production. The key health related challenges prioritized by women and men participants included limited access to, and poor quality of, vaccines and veterinary drugs, a shortage of veterinary officers, and insufficient knowledge and training of farmers on flock management practices. Women, more than men, emphasized the difficulties of accessing poultry health services. Our assessments suggest that for poultry health care delivery in the studied communities to be effective, there is need to improve the supply of good quality drugs and vaccines in rural areas, respond to the needs of both men and women, and recognize the different incentives for farmers, traders and other value chain actors. Community-based approaches and increased use of ICT technology such as mobile phones have much to offer in this regard.

Nitrate Leaching to a Shallow Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer as Influenced by Conventional No-Till and Low-Input Sustainable Grain Production Systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Craig ◽  
R. R. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Low Input ◽  
No Till

In December, 1987, the states in the Chesapeake Bay region, along with the federal government, signed an agreement which called for a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the Bay by the year 2000. To accomplish this goal, major reductions in nutrient loadings associated with agricultural management practices were deemed necessary. The objective of this study was to determine if reducing fertilizer inputs to the NT system would result in a reduction in nitrogen contamination of groundwater. In this study, groundwater, soil, and percolate samples were collected from two cropping systems. The first system was a conventional no-till (NT) grain production system with a two-year rotation of corn/winter wheat/double crop soybean. The second system, denoted low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA), produced the same crops using a winter legume and relay-cropped soybeans into standing wheat to reduce nitrogen and herbicide inputs. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in groundwater were significantly lower under the LISA system. Over 80% of the NT groundwater samples had NO3-N concentrations greater than 10 mgl-1, compared to only 4% for the LISA cropping system. Significantly lower soil mineral N to a depth of 180 cm was also observed. The NT soil had nearly twice as much mineral N present in the 90-180 cm portion than the LISA cropping system.

Immiserizing Growth

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Poverty Measures ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Country Analysis ◽  
Cross Country

Immiserizing Growth occurs when growth fails to benefit, or harms, those at the bottom. It is not a new concept, appearing such figures as Malthus, Ricardo and Marx. It is also not empirically insignificant, occurring in between 10% and 35% of cases, depending on the data set and the growth and poverty measures used. In spite of this, it has not received its due attention in the academic literature, dominated by the prevailing narrative that ‘growth is good for the poor’. The chapters in this volume aim to arrive at a better understanding of when, why and how growth fails the poor. They combine discussion of mechanisms of Immiserizing Growth with empirical data on trends in growth, poverty and related welfare indicators. In terms of mechanisms, politics and political economy are chosen as useful entry points to explain IG episodes. The disciplinary focus is diverse, drawing on economics, political economy, applied social anthropology, and development studies. A number of methodological approaches are represented including statistical analysis of household survey and cross-country data, detailed ethnographic work and case study analysis drawing on secondary data. Geographical coverage is wide including Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, the People’s Republic of China, Singapore, and South Korea, in addition to cross-country analysis. As the first book-length treatment of Immiserizing Growth in the literature, we believe that this volume constitutes an important step in redirecting attention to this issue.

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