ABSTRACT Cocoa has been the most important cash crop in Ghana, contributing significantly to the country’s GDP and providing a significant source of income for a lot of households. The government, in trying to support the cocoa sector, has implemented several measures to help farmers achieve maximum cocoa output. However, there are still challenges in the sector. This study looked at the management practices adopted by farmers and its impact on cocoa yield in the Asutifi North District of G...
Abstract: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the important vegetables grown in Kenya. It is the second leading vegetable in terms of production and nutritional value after the potato. Tomatoes are mainly grown by small scale farmers in most arable areas with the main production areas being in Kiambu County. Production of tomatoes in Kenya has been mainly under open field conditions until recently where modified high tunnels (‘greenhouse’) were introduced. Tomato production in greenh...
ABSTRACT The importance of non-traditional agricultural commodities, especially pineapple, as a major foreign exchange earner in the diversification of the economy of Ghana has long been realised. It is estimated that $5 million is added to the economy by small farmers annually from pineapple production. Despite the importance and profitability of the pineapple production and export as a good foreign export earner and an a priori expectation that increased production is directly correlated w...
ABSTRACT Small-holder farmers in the urban and peri-urban areas have become very vulnerable to land use change patterns due to rapid increase in population and urbanization. Farmlands are gradually being converted to residential facilities, posing significant threat to the livelihood of farmers who depend on such lands. Land use change at Abokobi dates back to the 2004, but the phenomena became more pronounced in 2008 when the Ga East District attained municipal status. With support from the ...
A study was conducted in the north east region of Ghana to ascertain the vegetables produced and marketed by farmers and traders respectively and determine the causes of post-harvest losses among the farmers and traders. Multistage random sampling procedure was used to select respondents and a set of structured questionnaires were administered. The data collected were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. 126 vegetable farmers and 45 vegetable traders were interviewed. The findings sh...
Abstract/Overview Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a starchy, tuberous root with worldwide consumption. Production of sweet potatoes in Kenya is low due to disease constraints, such as fungal sweet potato leaf spot (SPLS), which is not well studied in the region. The infection results in reduced photosynthetic leaf area through premature defoliation and senescence. Effective management of SPLS presents an opportunity for increased production, improved food security and enhanced income...
ABSTRACT The study determined the feasibility of “Black Soldier Fly Larvae” composting and its utilization for vegetable farming in Greater Accra, Ghana. Discounted measures of project worth such as NPV, BCR and IRR were used in viability analysis. The gains obtained from replacing farmer practice with the new compost practice were estimated using the partial budget approach. Through field experimentation, the cost of using BSFL-compost and conventional fertilizer to produce lettuce for...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted in order to get an insight of the local people's account on land degradation and its management strategies in six local government areas of northern Katsina state. The study used qualitative research methodologies (Participatory Rural Appraisal, Focus Group Discussion and Questionnaire) and quantitative methods (field measurement and descriptive statistical analysis). It has been found that the local farmers classified soil in four broad classes and identifi...
Inadequate access to agricultural information contributes largely to low productivity among farmers in Nigeria. The print media has been especially implicated on its low coverage and provision of agricultural information, thus limiting readership among farmers. To validate this observation, the extent of coverage of agricultural news in print media and farmer’s readership were therefore assessed. Content analyses of Nigerian Tribune, New Nigerian, This Day, The Punch and The Comet new...
ABSTRACT Biochar is a type of charcoal that can be used to condition agricultural soils. The application of Biochar to agricultural soils as a conditioner can improve soil fertility and crop productivity. The agricultural sector of Ghana is characterized by low productivity and low level of technology use. The study sought to assess the factors that influence Biochar technology adoption in amending soils for vegetable production in the Kwahu East district of Ghana. Primary data was collected ...
INTRODUCTION In Nigeria, about 75"0 of the population arc peasant fanners living in the rural areas. which arc the main stay of agricultural production, These fanners operate on small scale with farm holdings of 1-2 hectares, which arc usually scattered over a wide area. According to Olayide et al. (1981), about 75% of Nigeria's land is under arable cultivation with land-human ratio of 58 persons per square kilometer in south western Nigeria. This shows that the average sizes 01' farmlands ar...
Abstract: The invasive fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis poses a major threat to the production and trade of mango in sub-Saharan Africa. Farmers devise different innovations to manage the pest in an attempt to minimize yield loss and production costs while maximizing revenues. Using survey data obtained from Embu County, Kenya, we analyzed farmers’ knowledge and perception as regards the invasive fruit fly, their innovations for the management of the pest, and the determinants of their adopti...
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT The violent conflicts between sedentary farmers and pastoral herdsmen have become a recurring decimal in Nigeria’s drive to nationhood. It has assumed a grievous dimension in recent time thereby threatening peaceful coexistence. The research examines the environmental underpinnings of the conflict between farmers and herdsmen and its effect on socio-economic development in Plateau State. The research shows that environmental scarcity plays a prominent role in the ...
ABSTRACT Agriculture plays a major role in the Kenyan economy through its significant contribution to the GDP, a foreign currency earner, supplier of raw materials to the processing and manufacturing sector as well as contributing to the food security in the country. In addition, the sector supports rural livelihoods through farm entrepreneurship and farm-generated employment thereby alleviating poverty levels in the rural population. Beekeeping is an important form of farming especially in ...
ABSTRACT The production of sorghum, one of the most important food crops with multiple uses in the savanna zone of Ghana, has been bedevilled with several problems. The most important ' problems are low yields, lack of improved varieties and striga infestation. These problems led to research efforts at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute to produce improved high yielding sorghum varieties that are adapted to the socio-economic and agroecological conditions of northern Ghana. This stud...