ASSESSMENT OF COMPETITIVENESS OF MAIZE PRODUCTION AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO FOOD SECURITY IN GHANA

B.Ed. Sarfo Kwaku Obeng

Master's thesis

Abstract:

ABSTRACTThe production of maize in Ghana is woefully inadequate to meets current domestic market demand. The motivation for ensuring food security in many developing economies depends primarily on enhanced agricultural productivity through efficient use of resources. This study applied the Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) ratio to assess the competitiveness of local maize production and its contribution to food security in Central Ghana (involving two regions: Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions). Scores related to some socio-economic factors of maize farmers were evaluated. A farm-level data size of 70, comprising of 50 maize farmers and 20 market/middlemen were sampled based on purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Respondents were interviewed using structured questionnaires to elicit all needed information. Findings from the research showed that the local maize production in the study area was not competitive and hence did not have the comparative advantage compared to other global producers in maize production. The DRC ratio of 3.46 implied that domestic resources usage was not efficient. The gross marketing margin along the maize supply chain at the farm gate and local market centres with the involvement of middlemen was 43.07 percent. Prioritising provision of linkage roads in rural areas to tackle inaccessibility would improve maize marketing and enhance the expansion of maize distribution across the country to guarantee food security. National policies should favour optimum allocation of productive resources by considering the drivers of competitiveness.

Keywords

Competitiveness, maize production, efficiency, domestic resource cost ratio, marketing margin, Ghana

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 24. 8. 2018

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 5. 6. 2018
• Supervisor: Miroslava Bavorová
• Reader: Zuzana Bednaříková, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / Tropical Crop Management and Ecology