THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS AND CONSTRAINTS OF MODERNIZED FOOD CROP FARMING IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT; CASE STUDY

OF ADWUMAKASE KESE IN THE ASHANTI REGION, GHANA

Bernice Asomaniwaa and Felix Asante

Centre for Development Studies, University of Agder, Norway

Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,

Kumasi

GHANA GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE 2012

KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KUMASI

1ST TO 4TH AUGUST, 2012

Presentation OutlineIntroduction Problem in contextProfile of study areaMethodologyResults and discussionsConclusionsRecommendation

Introduction

Agriculture is one of the main components to be considered in rural development. This is attributed to the fact that agriculture is the mainstay of most rural economies.

This notwithstanding, the agricultural practices in most rural areas are still rudimentary in the face of high population growth and limited land area and this acts as an impediment to development (Grabowski and Self, 2006).

Introduction cont.

This paper therefore adopts Esther Boserup’s discussion of agricultural development as used by Krautkraemer (1993) in which population growth leads to agricultural intensification.

The main objective of this paper is to find out potential effects and constraints of modernized food crop farming in rural development

The problem in context

About 85% of rural households operate a farm or keep livestock and that makes agriculture the mainstay economic activity in rural Ghana (Ghana Statistical Service, 2008).

Adwumakase – Kese is a typical farming community in the Afigya Kwabre District of the Ashanti Region and there is virtually no modernization practice among the farmers

Problem cont.

Attempts they make at adopting and adapting to any form of modernized practice is faced with a lot of frustrations

The farmers at Adwumakase – Kese have a positive attitude towards agricultural modernization and are willing to embrace the concept but how?

Study Area Profile Adwumakase kese lies within latitudes 6°41

to 6°521 North and longitudes 1°331 to 1°441 West in the Kwabre district of the Ashanti region.

Annual rainfall is between 125mm and 175mm with relative humidity of 75 to 80.

Mean annual temperature is about 30˚C with the lowest 26.1˚C.

Population is 3,310 (Population and Housing Census, 2000) with males accounting for 50.4% of the total population and females 49.6%.

Productive activities in Adwumakase Kese have been categorized into two (2) major sectors, namely Agriculture and Service

Study Area cont.

Map of the Study District

Methodology

Used both qualitative and quantitative research design. Both primary and secondary data sources were employed.

A purposive sampling was used to select 145 household heads who are subsistent farmers, in Adwumakase Kese for interviewing

Five other key informants were also selected for interviewing

Results and Discussions

Strategies for uplifting the current state of farming in the areaLand Reform

Strategies cont.

Good Agricultural practices

Transportation and marketing

Education and credit facilities

The potential effects of agric modernization

Productivity increase

Reduction in social vices

Provide employment and increase in income

Livelihood improvement

Potential effects cont.

Possible constraints in the Implementation of Agric Modernization

Financial

Knowledge gap

Land problem

Environmental pollution

Non-committed leadership

Possible Constraints Cont

ConclusionsThe paper confirms that food crop farming

in Adwumakase – Kese is predominantly traditional, and this represents 92.4 per cent of the total sample size

It also confirms that modernized food crop farming pose the potential to positively affect the lives of the people and in variable ways

The way forward

The immediate need for intensification of agriculture rather than extensive cultivation

Education of farmers on agricultural modernization

Rehabilitation of the road network from the community to market centers

Formation of farmers association to ensure effective marketing and pricing system

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