Browsing by Author "Wongnaa, Camillus Abawiera"

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    Economic efficiency and productivity of maize farmers in Ghana
    (MAY, 2016) Wongnaa, Camillus Abawiera
    In spite of the economic importance of maize, its productivity is still low in Ghana. This study examined the economic efficiency and productivity of maize farmers to shed light on the causes of low productivity of maize in Ghana. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to collect crosssectional data from 576 maize farmers in eight districts in four agro ecological zones of Ghana. Multinomial logit model and the stochastic frontier production function were the methods of analyses adopted in addition to descriptive statistics. The study revealed that an increase in educational level, credit, extension contact, experience, price of maize, group membership and ready market would increase use of maize productivity enhancing technologies. Also, fertilizer, pesticides, manure, herbicide, seed and land inputs were found to be positively related to maize output. With technical efficiency scores of 61.2%, 70.2%, 49.9% and 66% for maize farmers in the northern savannah, transitional, forest and coastal savannah zones respectively, it is most economical to produce maize in the transitional belt of Ghana. Generally, educational level, experience, income, extension contact, male gender, group membership, credit, household size, ready market as well as use of fertilizer, pesticides and improved seeds would increase the technical efficiency of maize farmers in Ghana. Whereas fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, manure and land were underutilized by farmers, capital was over utilized. The scale efficiency analysis revealed that the overall mean scale efficiencies were 85.7%, 90.9%, 88.6% and 85.5% for maize farmers in the northern savannah, transitional, forest and coastal savannah zones respectively. Generally, it can be concluded that an increase in educational level, experience, access to good roads, extension contact, household size as well as use of fertilizer and improved seeds would increase the scale efficiency of maize farmers in Ghana. Policies aimed at addressing the efficiency challenges of maize farmers in Ghana should be targeted more at improving technical efficiency.
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    Economic efficiency and productivity of maize farmers in Ghana
    (KNUST, 2016-05) Wongnaa, Camillus Abawiera
    In spite of the economic importance of maize, its productivity is still low in Ghana. This study examined the economic efficiency and productivity of maize farmers to shed light on the causes of low productivity of maize in Ghana. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to collect cross-sectional data from 576 maize farmers in eight districts in four Agro ecological zones of Ghana. Multinomial logit model and the stochastic frontier production function were the methods of analyses adopted in addition to descriptive statistics. The study revealed that an increase in educational level, credit, extension contact, experience, price of maize, group membership and ready market would increase use of maize productivity enhancing technologies. Also, fertilizer, pesticides, manure, herbicide, seed and land inputs were found to be positively related to maize output. With technical efficiency scores of 61.2%, 70.2%, 49.9% and 66% for maize farmers in the Northern Savannah, transitional, forest and Coastal Savannah zones respectively, it is most economical to produce maize in the transitional belt of Ghana. Generally, educational level, experience, income, extension contact, male gender, group membership, credit, household size, ready market as well as use of fertilizer, pesticides and improved seeds would increase the technical efficiency of maize farmers in Ghana. Whereas fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, manure and land were underutilized by farmers, capital was over utilized. The scale efficiency analysis revealed that the overall mean scale efficiencies were 85.7%, 90.9%, 88.6% and 85.5% for maize farmers in the Northern Savannah, transitional, forest and Coastal Savannah zones respectively. Generally, it can be concluded that an increase in educational level, experience, access to good roads, extension contact, household size as well as use of fertilizer and improved seeds would increase the scale efficiency of maize farmers in Ghana. Policies aimed at addressing the efficiency challenges of maize farmers in Ghana should be targeted more at improving technical efficiency.