Francis Obeng | University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana (original) (raw)

Papers by Francis Obeng

Business Management and Strategy

Training programmes for rice farmers is believed to be an activity leading to the improvement in ... more Training programmes for rice farmers is believed to be an activity leading to the improvement in yield if it is well managed and implemented. Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) initiated a training programme for rice farmers in three regions in Northern Ghana. Indeed, the benefits of training could be social, cognitive, economic or both. The training was intended to help increase rice farmers yield leading to productivity and profitability. This study was set up to evaluate the extent to which the rainfed lowland rice training programme influenced changes and improvement in socio-economic status of the rice farmers. A sample of 257 out of the total population of 880 was selected across both sex for this study. The analysis showed that all participants in the training benefitted in the form of changes in their socio-economic statuses as well as cognitive improvement. Various assets were acquired from proceeds of excess rice sole after feeding their families. One asset the ...

International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 2022

The consumption of rice has increased at an increasing rate globally with greater number of consu... more The consumption of rice has increased at an increasing rate globally with greater number of consumers deriving high calories through rice, hence the need for training of rice farmers to help increase its production to meet such high demand. This notion informed Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to collaborate with Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and Government of Ghana (GoG) to train rice farmers in Ghana specifically in the Northern, Savana and North-east Regions. The ‘rain-fed lowland rice production technology training’, which was intended to increase rice production and profitability of rice farmers in the selected regions was carried out successfully within the project time frame. This study sought to evaluate the success of the training along two key objectives - ascertaining the extent to which the training has contributed to increase in rice yield (per hectare) of farmers in the selected areas and assessing the correlation between the components (land dev...

This study was done in the Northern Region of Ghana (Tolon and Savelegu) in 2017. Primary data on... more This study was done in the Northern Region of Ghana (Tolon and Savelegu) in 2017. Primary data on the influence of communication media usage on uptake patterns of rhizobia inoculant technology was collected among 210 respondents using questionnaires. Secondary data was also obtained from SARI, IITA as well as IFDC offices respectively. Descriptive statistics namely percentages and frequencies as well as two-way ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that farmers' level of education, farming experience, marital status and age were significantly related to the communication methods used to access information on rhizobia inoculant, at 5% level of probability; and influence respondents' decision to use rhizobia inoculant. The results of the study revealed that the types of communication methods used by respondents have significantly influenced respondent's awareness on the technology. However, on knowledge enhancement, these communication methods did not influence respondents' knowledge on rhizobia inoculant in the Northern Region of Ghana. This relationship calls for the promoters of rhizobia inoculant to use combination of all the three communication methods to enhance farmers' knowledge on rhizobia inoculant. The study recommends that local language should be used during radio discussion to ensure effective understanding of message disseminated to farmers on the use of the rhizobia inoculant.

Environmental Management, 2021

Community participation in climate change adaptation (CCA) programs has been advocated for long, ... more Community participation in climate change adaptation (CCA) programs has been advocated for long, but its implementation remains uncertain. There is also very little understanding and consensus on how and to what extent local communities can and should be involved in these projects. Arguably, both the concept and practice of community participation remain equivocal and contentious due to a lack of systematic effort to define the participatory framework in CCA. While the framework for community participation can be adopted from other planning and management discourses, yet they are typically expert-driven. The local communities hardly play a role in designing the framework. This study, therefore, took an alternative approach to define the meaning and implication of community participation from local communities’ perspectives. To this end, we used the grounded theory qualitative research methods to survey 50 respondents across five rural communities in climate change impacted Northern Ghana. To evaluate the communities’ meaningful participation in the adaptation projects, respondents suggested three critical parameters—First, community participation in a CCA project can be considered successful if the project contributes towards the livelihood security of the community. Second, the project outcome should be tangible. Third, the project should enhance the community’s skills and training such that the community can run a similar project in the future without much dependence on external agencies. This study provides an alternative methodological insight on how to design and operationalize meaningful community participation in CCA that will have universal application irrespective of the geographical and socio-cultural boundaries.

Extension methodologies for communicating technologies to farmers have evolved over the past 200 ... more Extension methodologies for communicating technologies to farmers have evolved over the past 200 years from so-called traditional methodologies to more advanced and technology-based methodologies that enable extension staff to reach many people within the shortest possible time in a more effective and efficient way. Though traditional methods are still relevant and effective, current trends require the use of more innovative and cost-effective methodologies. This paper examined the perceptions of farmers on the use of ICTs in Extension Service delivery in the Northern Region of Ghana. Ninety farmers were randomly sampled from 6 communities in 6 districts in the region. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire. A 5-point Likert scale was used to determine farmers’ perceived effects of ICT on extension delivery. Data were analysed using means, standard deviations, t-test, frequencies and percentages. The most widely used ICTs by farmers are radio, mobile phone and telev...

International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems, 2015

The study investigated the constraints to farmers’ intention to pay for private irrigation in Nan... more The study investigated the constraints to farmers’ intention to pay for private irrigation in Nandom District, Ghana. Using a key informant interviews and semi-structured questionnaires, the study collected data from 236 farmers. Data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Kendall coefficient of concordance was used to determine the level of agreement among farmers in ranking of constraints. The study found financial constraint (low income) as the most important constraints to farmers’ readiness to pay for private irrigation. Other important constraints were lack of ready market for output, crop pest and diseases, unstable output price, costly private services, inadequate supply of complementary inputs and lack of credit services. We concluded that lack of ready market, unstable price for farm produce and lack of credit services jointly worsen farmer's finances and consequently constraint their ability to pay even under condition of perfect knowledge of the be...

Journal of Disaster Research, 2014

This study seeks to explore stakeholders’ perceptions, causes, and effects of extreme climatic ev... more This study seeks to explore stakeholders’ perceptions, causes, and effects of extreme climatic events, such as droughts and floods, in the Wa West District of Ghana’s Upper West Region. A multi-stage sampling procedure is used to select 184 respondents. Data collection methods include individual questionnaire administration, focus group discussions, and a stakeholders’ forum in the Wa West District Assembly. While frequencies are used to show respondents’ perceptions of the severity of climate change effects, a treatmenteffect model is used to determine the factors influencing farmers’ choices of on-farm coping strategies over off-farm activities in both periods of drought and flood. Findings are the following: farmers perceive that climate change is real and has severe consequences. Consequently, they resort to both on-farm and off-farm strategies to cope with the effects of climate change. While men mostly adopt the former, women adopt the latter. Both strategies are, however, not...

Journal of Disaster Research, 2014

The effects of climate change on people’s livelihoods are perceived differently across various lo... more The effects of climate change on people’s livelihoods are perceived differently across various localities. It is imperative to examine how farmers understand the effects of climate change on their livelihoods. Their viewpoints can help create strategies for responding to climate and ecosystem changes in an appropriate and practical manner. Such perceptions are insufficiently understood in theWa West District of the Upper West Region of Ghana, despite the increasing frequency and magnitude of climate change’s effects. This paper first examines farmers’ perceptions about climate change in their communities in relation to available, conventional climate information. It also assesses farmers’ livelihood activities during both the wet and dry seasons in the district and discusses the area’s proneness to floods, droughts, and other types of climate change phenomena. This assessment reveals the challenges faced by the farmers in the study area and the opportunities to enhance their livelih...

Journal of International Development, 2009

Sunday 14 Evening: facilitators travel to Sandema and have a brief meeting there to prepare for t... more Sunday 14 Evening: facilitators travel to Sandema and have a brief meeting there to prepare for the workshop Monday 15 9.15 start with prayer and explanation (Francis Obeng and Fred Zaal) 10.30 start with five groups on time line and changing capabilities: Elderly women (six plus Dieneke and Agnieszka) Young women (seven plus Martha and Margareth) Elderly men (twelve plus Saa) Middle-aged men (ten plus Richard and Mahmoud) Young men (fifteen and Frederick and Wouter) 14.00 lunch 15.00 continuation of capabilities and poverty assessment 16.00 plenary with prayer (Francis) and explanation personal life histories (Kees); heavy rains; part of the participants stays in Sandema Tuesday 16 9.00 start with prayer and continuation of capabilities and poverty assessment 10.30 plenary session (Francis) to explain about listing; six groups formed Area Groups on second day: Molinsa and Nawaasa: 11 men and 3 women plus Richard Bilinsa, Korri and Kopdema: 4 men and 4 women plus Martha (later also Margareth) Kandema, Nyansa, Bilansa: 7 men, 5 women and Fred Kabila plus Wouter Chansa: 3 men and Mahmood Farinsa: 3 men and 2 women plus Dieneke and Agnieszka All groups here appeared to be non-intervention groups of PAS; first the misunderstanding was that Farinsa would be the only community with ongoing PAS interventions but that was not true for this Farinsa community; however, indirectly PAS did have an impact Government employees: 14 men and 1 woman plus Saa They of course included PAS interventions as they were asked to work at the level of the Builsa District as a whole 13.00 lunch (plus assistance personal life histories) 14.30 continuation with project assessment of all projects on the lists: usefulness (categories 0-1-2-3-4 and for Government employees/Builsa District level: 4a (= substantial positive impact) and 4b (= positive impact but limited to only a few communities or only a few individuals). Same groups, which were asked to separate women's from men's opinions, with one exception, the Kandema+ group, in which there was a separation between the men (Wouter) and the women Acheampong regime did appropriate things for the area; Spirit of voluntarism and self-help (EM); Enough food to eat and farm (EW); In dry seasons (wells dried up) animals would go to the bush and easily be stolen by thieves (EW); Start immunization by government (yellow fever, measles in primary schools and communities (till '80s) (EW); Introduction of boreholes in area (CIDA) (EW); Start of rivers drying up in dry season (EW); The Cotton Development Board introduced cotton growing (officials; later addition) FASCOM depot built (Chuchiliga; later addition) 1972 Building of Tono Irrigation dam (EW); CIDA boreholes (officials, later addition) 1974 New Builsa District created (EM); Father Nayang became 1 st African Catholic priest (EM); Stadium built (EM); Rural housing project (EM); Area was forested (EM); 1975 1 st African Presby Pastor (James Ayalic) (EM); Tono irrigation dam, near Chuchiliga (EM, MM); at the time the largest irrigation scheme in Ghana (officials; later addition) Drilling of boreholes started in the district (MM); Introduction of chemical fertilizer (EM); Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) (EM); Introduction of composting methods by MOFA (Farinsa, later addition) Good and ready market for rice (Fumbisi Valley for rice production 1975-1980) (EM); Group farming in Kenaf to supply to Inte factory in Kumasi (EM); Financial institutions gave loans to women (EM); 1 st Magister Court in Builsa (EM); Council (DA) offices built (EM); Start of mobile outreach clinics by the Government Clinic (officials; later addition) 1979 First Secondary (Senior High) School (EM, MM); expanded in 1994 (officials; later addition) 1979/1980 Many boreholes constructed in Builsa District (EM); Presby Station closed down temporarily (because of mismanagement) (EM).

www.start.org www.start.org This assessment report presents the ndings of a knowledge assessment ... more www.start.org www.start.org This assessment report presents the ndings of a knowledge assessment on urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) for the city of Tamale, Ghana, that was conducted in 2012. The assessment examines the state of UPA in the city through the lens of intensifying urban pressures and increasing climate risks with the objective of identifying how these and other drivers potentially interact to aaect the long-term sustainability of UPA, and what response options are needed to address existing and emerging challenges. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit services without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Na...

Parasite Epidemiology and Control

Malaria contributes substantially to the poor health situation in the northern region of Ghana, e... more Malaria contributes substantially to the poor health situation in the northern region of Ghana, especially in the Bole district. This paper is an outcome of a study, which assessed the factors that influenced the vulnerability of farming households to malaria, as well as the economic burden of the malaria prevalence in the Bole District, Ghana. The multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the determinants of household's vulnerability to malaria, and to examine the relationship between the non-parametric dependent variable and dichotomous independent variables. The outcome of the study revealed an increase in malaria cases during the rainy season. Total direct cost of malaria care, number of people comprising the farming household, support for malaria prevention, information on mosquito breeding and development , and absenteeism from farm emerged as the main factors, which influenced the house-holds' vulnerability to malaria. Direct and indirect costs of malaria treatment have negatively affected the households' budget. In addition, malaria treatment cost represented a substantial portion of poor farming household income. The direct cost was estimated to GH₵ 4059, and the indirect cost was estimated to GH₵ 4654. It was recommended to the government of Ghana to expand the National Malaria Control Program to the household level and make National Health Insurance Scheme more efficient.

Ghana Journal of Development Studies

This study investigated farmers willingness to pay (WTP) for private irrigation in Nandom distric... more This study investigated farmers willingness to pay (WTP) for private irrigation in Nandom district, Ghana. The study randomly sampled 236 farmers and analyzed data using descriptive statistics and ordered logit regression model. Results revealed that 94.5 percent of the farmers were WTP for private irrigation services with a mean of 35.83 cedis. Farmers' WTP is determined by income, age, farm size, engagement in an off-farm occupation, labour hours invested in farm operation, yield losses experienced from drought, anticipated yield gain from the use of irrigation, engagement in dry season gardening and access to extension services. It was concluded that the establishment of private irrigation schemes is a feasible venture and should be considered as a policy option for improved supply of agricultural water. To sustain farmers' WTP for private irrigation service, the creation of off-farm ventures is recommended as it serves as alternative income sources to finance farm operations.

Business Management and Strategy

Training programmes for rice farmers is believed to be an activity leading to the improvement in ... more Training programmes for rice farmers is believed to be an activity leading to the improvement in yield if it is well managed and implemented. Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) initiated a training programme for rice farmers in three regions in Northern Ghana. Indeed, the benefits of training could be social, cognitive, economic or both. The training was intended to help increase rice farmers yield leading to productivity and profitability. This study was set up to evaluate the extent to which the rainfed lowland rice training programme influenced changes and improvement in socio-economic status of the rice farmers. A sample of 257 out of the total population of 880 was selected across both sex for this study. The analysis showed that all participants in the training benefitted in the form of changes in their socio-economic statuses as well as cognitive improvement. Various assets were acquired from proceeds of excess rice sole after feeding their families. One asset the ...

International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 2022

The consumption of rice has increased at an increasing rate globally with greater number of consu... more The consumption of rice has increased at an increasing rate globally with greater number of consumers deriving high calories through rice, hence the need for training of rice farmers to help increase its production to meet such high demand. This notion informed Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to collaborate with Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and Government of Ghana (GoG) to train rice farmers in Ghana specifically in the Northern, Savana and North-east Regions. The ‘rain-fed lowland rice production technology training’, which was intended to increase rice production and profitability of rice farmers in the selected regions was carried out successfully within the project time frame. This study sought to evaluate the success of the training along two key objectives - ascertaining the extent to which the training has contributed to increase in rice yield (per hectare) of farmers in the selected areas and assessing the correlation between the components (land dev...

This study was done in the Northern Region of Ghana (Tolon and Savelegu) in 2017. Primary data on... more This study was done in the Northern Region of Ghana (Tolon and Savelegu) in 2017. Primary data on the influence of communication media usage on uptake patterns of rhizobia inoculant technology was collected among 210 respondents using questionnaires. Secondary data was also obtained from SARI, IITA as well as IFDC offices respectively. Descriptive statistics namely percentages and frequencies as well as two-way ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that farmers' level of education, farming experience, marital status and age were significantly related to the communication methods used to access information on rhizobia inoculant, at 5% level of probability; and influence respondents' decision to use rhizobia inoculant. The results of the study revealed that the types of communication methods used by respondents have significantly influenced respondent's awareness on the technology. However, on knowledge enhancement, these communication methods did not influence respondents' knowledge on rhizobia inoculant in the Northern Region of Ghana. This relationship calls for the promoters of rhizobia inoculant to use combination of all the three communication methods to enhance farmers' knowledge on rhizobia inoculant. The study recommends that local language should be used during radio discussion to ensure effective understanding of message disseminated to farmers on the use of the rhizobia inoculant.

Environmental Management, 2021

Community participation in climate change adaptation (CCA) programs has been advocated for long, ... more Community participation in climate change adaptation (CCA) programs has been advocated for long, but its implementation remains uncertain. There is also very little understanding and consensus on how and to what extent local communities can and should be involved in these projects. Arguably, both the concept and practice of community participation remain equivocal and contentious due to a lack of systematic effort to define the participatory framework in CCA. While the framework for community participation can be adopted from other planning and management discourses, yet they are typically expert-driven. The local communities hardly play a role in designing the framework. This study, therefore, took an alternative approach to define the meaning and implication of community participation from local communities’ perspectives. To this end, we used the grounded theory qualitative research methods to survey 50 respondents across five rural communities in climate change impacted Northern Ghana. To evaluate the communities’ meaningful participation in the adaptation projects, respondents suggested three critical parameters—First, community participation in a CCA project can be considered successful if the project contributes towards the livelihood security of the community. Second, the project outcome should be tangible. Third, the project should enhance the community’s skills and training such that the community can run a similar project in the future without much dependence on external agencies. This study provides an alternative methodological insight on how to design and operationalize meaningful community participation in CCA that will have universal application irrespective of the geographical and socio-cultural boundaries.

Extension methodologies for communicating technologies to farmers have evolved over the past 200 ... more Extension methodologies for communicating technologies to farmers have evolved over the past 200 years from so-called traditional methodologies to more advanced and technology-based methodologies that enable extension staff to reach many people within the shortest possible time in a more effective and efficient way. Though traditional methods are still relevant and effective, current trends require the use of more innovative and cost-effective methodologies. This paper examined the perceptions of farmers on the use of ICTs in Extension Service delivery in the Northern Region of Ghana. Ninety farmers were randomly sampled from 6 communities in 6 districts in the region. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire. A 5-point Likert scale was used to determine farmers’ perceived effects of ICT on extension delivery. Data were analysed using means, standard deviations, t-test, frequencies and percentages. The most widely used ICTs by farmers are radio, mobile phone and telev...

International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems, 2015

The study investigated the constraints to farmers’ intention to pay for private irrigation in Nan... more The study investigated the constraints to farmers’ intention to pay for private irrigation in Nandom District, Ghana. Using a key informant interviews and semi-structured questionnaires, the study collected data from 236 farmers. Data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Kendall coefficient of concordance was used to determine the level of agreement among farmers in ranking of constraints. The study found financial constraint (low income) as the most important constraints to farmers’ readiness to pay for private irrigation. Other important constraints were lack of ready market for output, crop pest and diseases, unstable output price, costly private services, inadequate supply of complementary inputs and lack of credit services. We concluded that lack of ready market, unstable price for farm produce and lack of credit services jointly worsen farmer's finances and consequently constraint their ability to pay even under condition of perfect knowledge of the be...

Journal of Disaster Research, 2014

This study seeks to explore stakeholders’ perceptions, causes, and effects of extreme climatic ev... more This study seeks to explore stakeholders’ perceptions, causes, and effects of extreme climatic events, such as droughts and floods, in the Wa West District of Ghana’s Upper West Region. A multi-stage sampling procedure is used to select 184 respondents. Data collection methods include individual questionnaire administration, focus group discussions, and a stakeholders’ forum in the Wa West District Assembly. While frequencies are used to show respondents’ perceptions of the severity of climate change effects, a treatmenteffect model is used to determine the factors influencing farmers’ choices of on-farm coping strategies over off-farm activities in both periods of drought and flood. Findings are the following: farmers perceive that climate change is real and has severe consequences. Consequently, they resort to both on-farm and off-farm strategies to cope with the effects of climate change. While men mostly adopt the former, women adopt the latter. Both strategies are, however, not...

Journal of Disaster Research, 2014

The effects of climate change on people’s livelihoods are perceived differently across various lo... more The effects of climate change on people’s livelihoods are perceived differently across various localities. It is imperative to examine how farmers understand the effects of climate change on their livelihoods. Their viewpoints can help create strategies for responding to climate and ecosystem changes in an appropriate and practical manner. Such perceptions are insufficiently understood in theWa West District of the Upper West Region of Ghana, despite the increasing frequency and magnitude of climate change’s effects. This paper first examines farmers’ perceptions about climate change in their communities in relation to available, conventional climate information. It also assesses farmers’ livelihood activities during both the wet and dry seasons in the district and discusses the area’s proneness to floods, droughts, and other types of climate change phenomena. This assessment reveals the challenges faced by the farmers in the study area and the opportunities to enhance their livelih...

Journal of International Development, 2009

Sunday 14 Evening: facilitators travel to Sandema and have a brief meeting there to prepare for t... more Sunday 14 Evening: facilitators travel to Sandema and have a brief meeting there to prepare for the workshop Monday 15 9.15 start with prayer and explanation (Francis Obeng and Fred Zaal) 10.30 start with five groups on time line and changing capabilities: Elderly women (six plus Dieneke and Agnieszka) Young women (seven plus Martha and Margareth) Elderly men (twelve plus Saa) Middle-aged men (ten plus Richard and Mahmoud) Young men (fifteen and Frederick and Wouter) 14.00 lunch 15.00 continuation of capabilities and poverty assessment 16.00 plenary with prayer (Francis) and explanation personal life histories (Kees); heavy rains; part of the participants stays in Sandema Tuesday 16 9.00 start with prayer and continuation of capabilities and poverty assessment 10.30 plenary session (Francis) to explain about listing; six groups formed Area Groups on second day: Molinsa and Nawaasa: 11 men and 3 women plus Richard Bilinsa, Korri and Kopdema: 4 men and 4 women plus Martha (later also Margareth) Kandema, Nyansa, Bilansa: 7 men, 5 women and Fred Kabila plus Wouter Chansa: 3 men and Mahmood Farinsa: 3 men and 2 women plus Dieneke and Agnieszka All groups here appeared to be non-intervention groups of PAS; first the misunderstanding was that Farinsa would be the only community with ongoing PAS interventions but that was not true for this Farinsa community; however, indirectly PAS did have an impact Government employees: 14 men and 1 woman plus Saa They of course included PAS interventions as they were asked to work at the level of the Builsa District as a whole 13.00 lunch (plus assistance personal life histories) 14.30 continuation with project assessment of all projects on the lists: usefulness (categories 0-1-2-3-4 and for Government employees/Builsa District level: 4a (= substantial positive impact) and 4b (= positive impact but limited to only a few communities or only a few individuals). Same groups, which were asked to separate women's from men's opinions, with one exception, the Kandema+ group, in which there was a separation between the men (Wouter) and the women Acheampong regime did appropriate things for the area; Spirit of voluntarism and self-help (EM); Enough food to eat and farm (EW); In dry seasons (wells dried up) animals would go to the bush and easily be stolen by thieves (EW); Start immunization by government (yellow fever, measles in primary schools and communities (till '80s) (EW); Introduction of boreholes in area (CIDA) (EW); Start of rivers drying up in dry season (EW); The Cotton Development Board introduced cotton growing (officials; later addition) FASCOM depot built (Chuchiliga; later addition) 1972 Building of Tono Irrigation dam (EW); CIDA boreholes (officials, later addition) 1974 New Builsa District created (EM); Father Nayang became 1 st African Catholic priest (EM); Stadium built (EM); Rural housing project (EM); Area was forested (EM); 1975 1 st African Presby Pastor (James Ayalic) (EM); Tono irrigation dam, near Chuchiliga (EM, MM); at the time the largest irrigation scheme in Ghana (officials; later addition) Drilling of boreholes started in the district (MM); Introduction of chemical fertilizer (EM); Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) (EM); Introduction of composting methods by MOFA (Farinsa, later addition) Good and ready market for rice (Fumbisi Valley for rice production 1975-1980) (EM); Group farming in Kenaf to supply to Inte factory in Kumasi (EM); Financial institutions gave loans to women (EM); 1 st Magister Court in Builsa (EM); Council (DA) offices built (EM); Start of mobile outreach clinics by the Government Clinic (officials; later addition) 1979 First Secondary (Senior High) School (EM, MM); expanded in 1994 (officials; later addition) 1979/1980 Many boreholes constructed in Builsa District (EM); Presby Station closed down temporarily (because of mismanagement) (EM).

www.start.org www.start.org This assessment report presents the ndings of a knowledge assessment ... more www.start.org www.start.org This assessment report presents the ndings of a knowledge assessment on urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) for the city of Tamale, Ghana, that was conducted in 2012. The assessment examines the state of UPA in the city through the lens of intensifying urban pressures and increasing climate risks with the objective of identifying how these and other drivers potentially interact to aaect the long-term sustainability of UPA, and what response options are needed to address existing and emerging challenges. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit services without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Na...

Parasite Epidemiology and Control

Malaria contributes substantially to the poor health situation in the northern region of Ghana, e... more Malaria contributes substantially to the poor health situation in the northern region of Ghana, especially in the Bole district. This paper is an outcome of a study, which assessed the factors that influenced the vulnerability of farming households to malaria, as well as the economic burden of the malaria prevalence in the Bole District, Ghana. The multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the determinants of household's vulnerability to malaria, and to examine the relationship between the non-parametric dependent variable and dichotomous independent variables. The outcome of the study revealed an increase in malaria cases during the rainy season. Total direct cost of malaria care, number of people comprising the farming household, support for malaria prevention, information on mosquito breeding and development , and absenteeism from farm emerged as the main factors, which influenced the house-holds' vulnerability to malaria. Direct and indirect costs of malaria treatment have negatively affected the households' budget. In addition, malaria treatment cost represented a substantial portion of poor farming household income. The direct cost was estimated to GH₵ 4059, and the indirect cost was estimated to GH₵ 4654. It was recommended to the government of Ghana to expand the National Malaria Control Program to the household level and make National Health Insurance Scheme more efficient.

Ghana Journal of Development Studies

This study investigated farmers willingness to pay (WTP) for private irrigation in Nandom distric... more This study investigated farmers willingness to pay (WTP) for private irrigation in Nandom district, Ghana. The study randomly sampled 236 farmers and analyzed data using descriptive statistics and ordered logit regression model. Results revealed that 94.5 percent of the farmers were WTP for private irrigation services with a mean of 35.83 cedis. Farmers' WTP is determined by income, age, farm size, engagement in an off-farm occupation, labour hours invested in farm operation, yield losses experienced from drought, anticipated yield gain from the use of irrigation, engagement in dry season gardening and access to extension services. It was concluded that the establishment of private irrigation schemes is a feasible venture and should be considered as a policy option for improved supply of agricultural water. To sustain farmers' WTP for private irrigation service, the creation of off-farm ventures is recommended as it serves as alternative income sources to finance farm operations.