Longitudinal Analysis of Cereals Yields in Ghana

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate cereal crop yields in Ghana. Specifically, this research determines whether there is a significant difference in the yields across the ten regions in Ghana and also finds out the evolution of crop yields among the regions. Data on two major cereal crops (Maize and Rice) produced and consumed in Ghana was attained from Ministry of food and Agriculture (MOFA). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Linear Mixed model (LMM) were employed for the study. Diagnostic plots for the fitted Linear Mixed Model and MANOVA revealed a valid model for the analysis. The study revealed that significant differences exist in the yields of the two major cereal crops in all the regions in Ghana. The study identified that significant differences occurred in the average yields of most regions’ yields with other regions for both maize and rice. Further analysis by LMM indicated that the yields of maize and rice varied between and within the regions of Ghana. It also indicated that there is decelerating trend in maize yields and gradual increasing trend in rice yields across all the regions in Ghana. Based on these findings, we recommend that intensive support in the form of credit facilities and farm inputs must be given to farmers who engage in cereal crops production in all the regions in Ghana to help reduce this variability in the two major cereal crop yields. Also maize production especially must be encourage in all the regions to help avenge the declining trend in the yields of maize as it is considered the most consumed cereal crop in Ghana. We further recommend the use of Joint Models to simultaneously study the trend of crops and also study factors such as rainfall and climate data which may influence cereal crop production in Ghana.