Determinants Of Farmers’ Participation In The Youth-In-Agriculture Programme In The Eastern Region Of Ghana

ABSTRACT

The government of Ghana introduced the Youth-in-Agriculture Programme (YiAP) in 2009 as one of the modules of the National Youth Employment Programme. The Government through the YiAP motivates the youth to accept agriculture as their main occupation by providing the necessary inputs and services (incentives) that the youth themselves under their present condition cannot provide. This study is an analysis of determinants of participation in the YiAP in three districts in the Eastern Region (Akuapem North, Akuapem South and Suhum/Kraboa/Coaltar) in order to ascertain whether those inputs and services provided are actually driving any positive response from the youth. Specifically, the level of participation by different categories of young farmers was estimated and the factors that determine young farmers‟ participation in the programme were identified. A total of 152 farmers were selected through random sampling, and descriptive statistics and the logit model were employed in the analysis. The results of the study showed that about 60% of respondents were participants in the YiAP between 2009 and 2012. The logit analysis reveals that the main determinants of participation in the YiAP are respondents‟ age, education, household size, farm size, farm income, access to credit, membership of an FBO, location and distance from farmers‟ house to the site of the programme. It is recommended that MoFA, District Agricultural Development Units (DADUs) and YiAP coordinators should embark on programmes towards sensitizing the youth on the incentive package and the benefits to be derived from participating in the YiAP in order to attain a high level of participation. Government, MoFA, DADU and YiAP coordinators should develop strategies to acquire more lands for the YiAP, encourage farmers to join FBOs in order to increase access to credit and also increase the quantities of inputs supplied to participants.