TY - JOUR
T1 - Determinants of scale of farm operation in the eastern region of Ghana
AU - Kwapong, Nana Afranaa
AU - Ankrah, Daniel Adu
AU - Anaglo, Jonathan Nicholas
AU - Vukey, Enoch Yao
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Background: Ghana’s smallholder share area under cultivation is witnessing a gradual decline, relative to the share of farmland under medium scale that is growing rapidly. Little attention has, however, been given to examining the drivers that influence scale of operation. Method: Using survey data from 231 farmers, this study employed the binary probit regression to assess factors that influence scale of farm operation among cassava and maize farmers in Ghana’s Eastern Region. Results: The findings showed that factors that were significant and positively related to farm size were age, secondary education, land acquisition for maize farmers, and tertiary education for cassava farmers. On the other hand, factors that were significant and negatively related to farm size were gender, marital status, access to extension services for cassava farmers, and household size, membership of farmer-based organization and access to credit for maize farmers. Conclusion: The study recommends the provision of mechanization support for medium-scale farmers coupled with the improvement of extension service delivery to medium-scale farmers. With messages focused on the adoption of improved technologies and mechanization of farm operations.
AB - Background: Ghana’s smallholder share area under cultivation is witnessing a gradual decline, relative to the share of farmland under medium scale that is growing rapidly. Little attention has, however, been given to examining the drivers that influence scale of operation. Method: Using survey data from 231 farmers, this study employed the binary probit regression to assess factors that influence scale of farm operation among cassava and maize farmers in Ghana’s Eastern Region. Results: The findings showed that factors that were significant and positively related to farm size were age, secondary education, land acquisition for maize farmers, and tertiary education for cassava farmers. On the other hand, factors that were significant and negatively related to farm size were gender, marital status, access to extension services for cassava farmers, and household size, membership of farmer-based organization and access to credit for maize farmers. Conclusion: The study recommends the provision of mechanization support for medium-scale farmers coupled with the improvement of extension service delivery to medium-scale farmers. With messages focused on the adoption of improved technologies and mechanization of farm operations.
KW - Cassava
KW - Farm size
KW - Ghana
KW - Maize
KW - Medium-scale
KW - Small-scale
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107563422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s40066-021-00309-6
DO - 10.1186/s40066-021-00309-6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107563422
SN - 2048-7010
VL - 10
JO - Agriculture and Food Security
JF - Agriculture and Food Security
IS - 1
M1 - 31
ER -