ABSTRACT
Efficiency has been considered as a means of enhancing the productivity of farmers, with
most studies on production been geared towards that direction. The inability of farmers to
efficiently use available resources has hindered the production of food in Ghana, hence
resulting in a deficit in food supply. This study assessed the allocative efficiency of
resource use in irrigated tomato production in the Upper East Region. The study was
carried out in the key tomato growing districts in the Upper East Region, which are also
endowed with well-established public irrigation schemes. These districts include: Kassena
Nankana East Municipal, Bongo District and Bolgatanga Municipal. Multistage sampling
technique was employed in selecting 80 tomato farmers. Primary data were sourced from
tomato farmers through the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were
analysed using descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, Cobb-Douglas production
function and marginal value productivity. Results from the Cobb-Douglas function signify
that the variation in yield is explained by the quantity of labour, fertiliser, weedicide,
irrigation cost and access to extension service, these variables also showed a positive
relationship with yield which is in consonance with a priori expectations. The scale
elasticity value of 0.69 is an indication of decreasing returns to scale, thus suggesting that
the production is in the rational stage of the production function. The per hectare gross
margin analysis showed that, the irrigated tomato production system which does not use
water pumps is profitable than the irrigated production system which uses motorised
pumps. Farmers who did not use motorised pumps incurred a variable cost of GHS
2,453.68 whereas, the users of motorised pumps incurred GHS 3,022.01. On the average,
farmers made a mean revenue of GHS 4,663.54 per hectare of tomatoes produced. The
study further revealed that all the productive inputs considered in the study (seed, fertiliser,
labour, insecticide, weedicide and irrigation) were not efficiently allocated. Fertiliser and
weedicide were underutilised. Seed, labour, insecticide and irrigation were also over
utilised. The study thus concludes that irrigated tomato farmers in the Upper East Region
are allocatively inefficient. It is recommended that, field demonstration programmes by the
Ministry of Food and Agriculture and research institutions such as Council for Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR) should be strengthened to expose farmers to the practical
results of using appropriate quantities of inputs and adhering to good field management
practices. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture should also promote agricultural extension
education through the various media available in the country to educate farmers on good
agronomic practices to enhance productivity through the reduction of the average unit cost
of production. Government should also provide financial support for small scale tomato
farmers, through programmes like the Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme
(GASIP). These support programmes should have an innate policy that mandates
beneficiaries to co-finance their production, since this will help to eliminate unserious
farmers who might be risk averse and only interested in extorting public funds.
CDR, C (2021). Allocative Efficiency Of Irrigated Tomato Production In The Upper East Region, Ghana. Afribary.com: Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://afribary.com/works/allocative-efficiency-of-irrigated-tomato-production-in-the-upper-east-region-ghana
Coalition, CDR. "Allocative Efficiency Of Irrigated Tomato Production In The Upper East Region, Ghana" Afribary.com. Afribary.com, 07 Apr. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/allocative-efficiency-of-irrigated-tomato-production-in-the-upper-east-region-ghana . Accessed 17 Apr. 2021.
Coalition, CDR. "Allocative Efficiency Of Irrigated Tomato Production In The Upper East Region, Ghana". Afribary.com, Afribary.com, 07 Apr. 2021. Web. 17 Apr. 2021. < https://afribary.com/works/allocative-efficiency-of-irrigated-tomato-production-in-the-upper-east-region-ghana >.
Coalition, CDR. "Allocative Efficiency Of Irrigated Tomato Production In The Upper East Region, Ghana" Afribary.com (2021). Accessed April 17, 2021. https://afribary.com/works/allocative-efficiency-of-irrigated-tomato-production-in-the-upper-east-region-ghana