Factors influencing Soyabean Production and Willingness to Pay for Inoculum Use in Northern Ghana
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Date
2014
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American Journal of Experimental Agriculture
Abstract
Aim: This study was aimed at providing empirical information on key drivers of soyabean
production in northern Ghana and factors that determine farmers’ willingness to pay for
inoculum use in the production of the crop.
Research Design and Methodology: A total of 240 grain legume producers were sampled
from the three northern Regions in Ghana, out of which 188 were soyabean producers.
Farmers who were selected through a combination of stratified and simple random
sampling techniques were interviewed with the use of standardized structured
questionnaires to elicit primary information for analysis. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS)
estimation procedure was used to estimate a Cobb-Douglas Soyabean production function.
In addition, a binary logistic regression model was used to examine factors that determine
farmers’ willingness to pay for inoculum use in soyabean production.
Results: Evidence from the study showed that area cultivated and farming experience
significantly influenced soyabean output positively at the 5% level. However, quantity of
labour employed in production and educational level had significant negative relationship
with soyabean output, all things being equal. Farmers’ willingness to pay for inoculum was
found to be positively influenced by experience in soyabean production, access to credit,
percentage of produce sold and awareness about inoculum at the 5% significance level.
Male farmers were found to be more willing to pay for inoculum than female farmers, and
distance from home to farm was found to be negatively related to farmers’ willingness to
pay for inoculum, ceteris paribus. Conclusion: In an attempt to step up soyabean production
and increase the uptake of inoculum among farmers without subsidy, awareness creation
about inoculum, credit access and commercial orientation of farmers should be targeted
as the key variables in any strategy or policy formulation.
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This article is Published by American Journal of Experimental Agriculture
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Citation
American Journal of Experimental Agriculture 4(3): 290-301, 2014