Browsing by Author "Aidoo, Robert"

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    An Analysis of Yam consumption Patterns in Ghanaian Urban Communities
    (2009-07-14) Aidoo, Robert
    This study examined the major factors that drive changes in yam consumption patterns across income groups, seasons and urban centers in Ghana to inform food policy formulation. The study, among other things, sought to provide evidence on whether or not yam had become a luxury food commodity in Ghanaian urban communities. Special attention was also given to the question of whether household income allocation between males and females had any significant effect on yam consumption. Quarterly household panel data collected from four urban centers were used to conduct a complete demand system analysis by employing the Almost Ideal Demand system (AIDS) and Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) models through the use of the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method. The study estimated yam expenditure elasticities for the pooled/aggregate data and the four different urban centers across different income groups to test Engel’s law. Results of the study showed that majority (>80%) of yam consumers in Ghanaian urban communities preferred white yam to yellow and water yams, and the most important reason for their preference was taste. Boiled yam (ampesi) was the most preferred yam product in Ghanaian urban centers followed by pounded yam (fufu). Rice was identified as the most important substitute for yam in urban communities. In a typical Ghanaian urban center, household food budget formed about 51% of the total household budget. Yam constituted about 12% of household at-home food budget and 13% of its away-from-home food budget. The shares of food budget that households allocated to yam generally increased during the peak harvest season and dropped during lean season across all urban centers in Ghana. Yam expenditure elasticity for the pooled sample was found to be inelastic (0.76), suggesting that yam is a basic food commodity in a typical Ghanaian urban center. Yam expenditure elasticity was lowest for Tamale (0.64), a less urbanized center, and highest for Accra (1.01), a more urbanized center. Generally, across urban centers, the study supported Bennett’s law which posits that households switch from less to more expensive calorie consumption as their incomes increase. However, in each particular urban center, Engel’s law was affirmed; yam expenditure elasticity was higher for low-income households and lower for high-income households. Yam expenditure elasticity was found to vary across seasons; yam was expenditure elastic during the lean season and expenditure inelastic during the harvest season. Women’s share of household income was found to be positively related to household yam budget share. Evidence from this study did not support the hypothesis of economies of household size with respect to household yam budget share when the pooled data was used for analysis. However, the hypothesis of economies of household size was supported in the seasonal consumption analysis where households were found to enjoy economies of size during the relatively yam abundant period of August to December and diseconomies of size during the lean season. The study showed that yam budget share was own-price elastic but expenditure inelastic. Urban households were more responsive to changes in yam prices than changes in household income, implying that the substitution effect is stronger than the income effect. The high price elasticity for yam budget share stresses the importance of food price changes for households, and it is important that households’ reactions are taken into account in the development of comprehensive agricultural and food policies in Ghana. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations have been made to help improve the Ghanaian yam sector and household food security in urban centers.
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    Economic Viability Assessment of Small‑Scale Biomass Composting Project Within a Developing Country Context
    (Springer, 2023) Fei‑Baffoe, Bernard; Banunle, Albert; Miezah, · Kodwo; Ewusi‑Mensah, Nana; Jørgensen, Ufe; Aidoo, Robert; Amoah, Alice; 0000-0002-0200-3198
    Promoting investment in biomass composting is necessary to halt fnite resource depletion and transition consumption and production processes into sustainable circular bioeconomy paths. This notwithstanding, there is a lack of demonstrable evidence of the economic via bility of such investment, which often disincentivises the adoption of composting and other greener production technologies by entrepreneur. To address this problem, this study evalu ates the economic viability of composting as technology for valorising biowaste and tropi cal aquatic invasive plants in the Owabi catchment in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Using data from interviews with key informants, pilot study fndings and market survey, a cost–beneft analysis (CBA) was performed to determine the economic viability of composting organic waste under public and private ownership models (M1P1 and M1P2, respectively) as well as aquatic invasive plants under similar models (M2P1 and M2P2). The fndings show that a positive net present value (NPV) of GHS 507,520.31(US $64,243.08) to GHS 1,217,358.77 (US $154,095.92) is achievable from the alternative scenarios modelled. Each of the scenarios analysed (M1P1, M1P2, M2P1 and M2P2) resulted in a beneft–cost ratio (BCR) greater than 1 and an internal rate of return (IRR) greater than 28%. These results remain robust even with sensitivity analysis based on pessimistic assumptions about costs, benefts, discount rate and project lifespan. The study thus concludes that investing in a small-scale compost production technology with biowaste and aquatic invasive plants as feedstock is a feasible business with positive social, economic and environmental net benefts. Future development in the carbon credit market will make biomass composting even more economically viable to investors and thereby contribute to sustainability and the transition to a circular economy
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    Empirical analysis of the determinants of dairy consumption expenditure in the Accra and Kumasi Peri-Urban communities in Ghana
    (2004-12-12) Aidoo, Robert
    The main purpose of the study was to examine the level of expenditure on dairy products and to identify the principal factors that influence the level of consumption expenditure on dairy products across households. Structured questionnaire was used to elicit primary information from a total of 303 households in the Accra and Kumasi pen-urban areas through a multi-stage sampling approach. A double logarithmic multiple regression model was used to examine the major determinants of household dairy consumption expenditure level. The principal determinants of the aggregate dairy consumption expenditure level were identified as income level, distance from home to purchase point and the level of urbanization of consumer’s home location. A 10% increase in consumer income was found to result in 4.2% increase in the consumption expenditure on dairy products. This means that the marginal propensity to spend on dairy products is 0.42. Also a 1Km increase in the distance from home to purchase point results in 0.1% increase in aggregate dairy consumption expenditure level. The study revealed that urban consumers spend more on dairy products than their rural counterparts. Regarding the individual dairy products, the study further revealed that the elasticity of consumption expenditure with respect to own price is unity, suggesting a constant marginal expenditure on specific dairy products for successive increases in the levels of product’s own price. However, the elasticity of specific dairy product expenditure with respect to income level and prices of substitutes was found to be less than unity, indicating diminishing marginal expenditure on specific dairy products for each percentage increase in income level and prices of substitute dairy products. It became evident from the study that raw fresh milk is an inferior commodity in Ghana as expenditure on it decreases with increasing level of consumer income. However, yoghurt and evaporated milk were found to be normal commodities. It was also found out that a 100% increase in the distance from consumer’s home to purchase point will warrant a 5% reduction in raw 1iesh milk consumption expenditure. Apart from vigorous consumer education to erase the negative perceptions people have about fresh milk, the study also recommended that marketing agents and producer sellers should explore the possibility of increasing the selling/purchase points of raw fresh milk in urban communities which are dominated b low income earners so as to boost the consumer demand for the product.
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    A LATENT CLASS MODELLING APPROACH TO EVALUATING FARMERS’ PREFERENCES FOR PONA SEED YAM CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PAY IN GHANA
    (European Centre for Research Training and Development UK, 2019-01) Boadu, Paul; Aidoo, Robert; Yankyera, Kwasi Ohene; Kleih, Ulrich; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; et., al
    The study employed choice experiment and latent class model to assess farmers’ preferences for seed yam certification system and their willingness to pay for certified seed yam in selected yam producing Districts in Ghana. A total of 9120 choice experiments were conducted to elicit data from 380 yam farmers. The study identified three classes/ market segments of farmers regarding preferences for Pona seed yam. The results show that farmers have more utility towards fully certified seed yam and are willing to pay GH¢719.60 (US$189.4) for a bunch (100 tubers weighing about 45kg) of fully certified seed yam. However, farmers were found to have high utility towards medium-sized Pona seed yam and are willing to pay a premium of GHC¢12.5 (US$3.3) for this attribute. The study has demonstrated high potential for the commercialization of seed yam production in Ghana through a formal seed yam certification system.
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    Resource use efficiency among maize farmers in Ghana
    (Agriculture & Food Security, 2016) Awunyo‑Vitor, Dadson; Wongnaa, C. A.; Aidoo, Robert
    Background: Despite the enormous importance of maize in Ghana, maize farmers in the country continue to experience low yields, making Ghana self-insufficient in the production of the crop. For maize farmers to be helped to increase productivity, the focus should not only be on whether or not they have adopted productivity-enhancing technologies, but it is necessary to carefully examine whether they are even making maximum use of the technologies or inputs available to them. This study analysed resource use efficiency for Ghana’s maize farms. Methods: The data used were obtained through a cross-sectional survey of 576 maize farmers in the Northern Savannah, Transitional, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones of Ghana using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, stochastic frontier analysis and the ratio of marginal value product to marginal factor cost were the methods of analysis employed. Results: The results showed that generally, maize farmers in Ghana were inefficient in their use of resources available to them. Fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, seed, manure and land were underutilized, while labour and capital were overutilized by the farmers. The results further showed that maize farmers in Ghana exhibit increasing returns to scale, indicating that the famers can increase their output by increasing the use of some of the key resources. Conclusion: Incentives and strategies aimed at encouraging farmers to optimize the use of fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, seed, manure and land are recommended to ensure improved maize productivity in Ghana. Currently, incentives and strategies could take the form of better management by government of the current fertilizer subsidy programme and efficient input distribution through farmer-based organizations to ensure easy access by farmers.