Abstract:
The study examined the factors that determine the productivity and profitability of
smallholder cashew farmers in the Bono region of Ghana. A total respondents of 222
smallholder farmers participated in the study. Questionnaire was utilized as the key
instruments used for the data collection during the study and data was analysed using
Stata computer software version 18.0 as the main statistical computing software for
the study. The study explored the determinants of cashew production and profitability
of the smallholder cashew producers in the Bono Region. Findings from the study
demonstrate that, farm size, extension services, and physical capital constitute the
predominant factors that contribute to smallholder cashew farmer productivity.
Improvement in farm size, access to fertilizer and intensification of extension agents
visits to these small holder had a greater potential to increase cashew nut productivity.
Again, smallholder cashew farmers produce at a rational stage with efficient input
combinations. The positive return to scale value less than one implies that, any
additional increase in factor inputs will increases output produced. Their factor inputs
combined are inelastic as the coefficient is less than unity. Based on the findings from
the study, it can be concluded that, the cashew production among smallholder farmers
is a profitable venture. Furthermore, factors such as pricing of cashew nuts, access to
extension services and farm size have positive influence on profitability of the
farmers. Farmers who have access to extension services are able to improve their
profitability. Therefore the study recommends that, the smallholders should be given
enough fertilizers at a subsidized cost to be able to improve their production outputs.
Cashew buyers and other NGOs can supply the smallholder cashew farmers with
fertilizers for free or at a very subsidies fees. The government program of planting for
food and jobs under the ministry of food and agriculture should consider the cashew
farming as priority areas so they that more attention can be given to the cashew
industry players such as the smallholder farmers
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Economics Education,
Faculty of Social Sciences Education, submitted to the School
of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award
of the Degree of Master of Science in
Economics Education
of the University of Education, Winneba
DECEMBER, 2020