Determinants of Use Intensity of Inorganic Fertilizer and Its Effect On Maize Yield Among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT

Studies have shown that poverty rates in Northern Ghana are two to three times more than the national average. Poverty, low income generation, and chronic food insecurity remains a critical challenge among the people in this region. Smallholder farmers in northern Ghana have limited access to the assets that would facilitate a shift from low productivity subsistence farming to modern commercial agriculture. The major constraints to their livelihoods include lack of infrastructure and insufficient access to agricultural technologies and inputs. The inadequate access of these technologies has brought about the low use of inorganic fertilizer by smallholder maize farmers in northern Ghana. The objective of the study sought to analyse the determinants of use intensity of inorganic fertilizer and its effect on maize yield among smallholder maize farmers in Northern Ghana. Eviews was the software employed in the analysis. One hundred and seventy (170) smallholder maize farmers were randomly selected from five communities. The communities were purposively selected in three popular maize production districts. Respondents were interviewed using well-structured questionnaires designed by Conservation Alliance and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. The use intensities of inorganic fertilizer by maize farmers were estimated using an intensity index measure. The determinants of use intensity of inorganic fertilizer were estimated using the Censored Tobit Model. The Two Stage Least Squares Model was used to estimate the effect of use intensity of inorganic fertilizer on maize yield. The results show that on average, the total use intensity of inorganic fertilizer by maize farmers in the study area is 63.75Kg/Ha which is below the recommended use intensity of 375Kg/Ha. The determinants identified to influence use intensity of inorganic fertilizer of smallholder maize farmers are access to improved seed, household size, and farmer based organization (FBO) membership. These factors influence use intensity of inorganic fertilizer positively in the study area. The use intensity of inorganic fertilizer has a positive effect on maize yield. The study concludes that, smallholder maize farmers should be encouraged to increase their use of inorganic fertilizer through better inorganic fertilizer subsidy programme and should be provided with improved maize seed. Smallholder maize farmers should also be educated to form FBOs to facilitate their bargaining power for better services and experience sharing.