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

B.Sc. Samuel Ahado

Master's thesis

Abstract:

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 and the Input-Oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodologies to assess the competitiveness of local rice production and its contribution to food security in the Northern region of Ghana. Tobit regression was used to evaluate the variations in efficiency scores related to some socio-economic factors of rice farmers. A farm-level data size of 135, comprising of 108 rice farmers and 27 middlemen was obtained using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Respondents were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions to elicit all needed information. Data capturing and analysis was done using the econometric software STATA 12 and MaxDEA 7 basic, while DRC ratio and frequency tables and charts were done using Microsoft Excel. Findings from the research showed that the local rice production in the study area was not competitive and hence did not have the comparative advantage compared to other global producers in rice production. The DRC ratio of 1.35 implied that domestic resources were not used efficiently. However, efficient farmers were competitive with a DRC ratio of 0.91. The non-parametric DEA indicated inefficiency in rice production with a mean pure technical efficiency of 64 percent. The Tobit model identified farmers experience, farm size and family hands to be the main determinants of the variations in the technical efficiency of the smallholder rice farmers. The study further found that expansion of local rice production in the area is possible and market opportunities exist considering the average yield of 2.8tons/ha. The share of the marketing margin along the rice supply chain at the farm gate and local market centres with the involvement of middlemen was 11.37 percent. Prioritising provision of linkage roads in rural areas to tackle inaccessibility would improve rice marketing and enhance the expansion of rice distribution across the country to ensure food security. National policies should favour optimum allocation of productive resources by considering the drivers of competitiveness. Appropriate crop management practices for the area should be determined and provided to rice farmers efficiently to increase rice productivity.

Keywords

Competitiveness, rice production, efficiency, resource cost ratio, envelopment, Ghana

Jazyk práce: English

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 27. 4. 2017

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedúci: doc. Dr. RNDr. Tomáš Ratinger

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / odbor:
Tropical Agriculture / International Development and Agricultural Economics