SMALLHOLDER RICE AND VEGETABLE FARMERS’ CONSTRAINTS TO ADOPT SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION IN SOUTH TONGU DISTRICT, GHANA

Michael Kossivi Tamekloe and Kenichi Matsui

International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research, 2024, vol. 10, issue 04

Abstract: Past studies agree that small-scale irrigation can be accessible in remote regions and significantly improve smallholder farmers’ agricultural productivity, food security, income growth, and poverty alleviation. However, many of Africa’s smallholder farmers do not appear to be enjoying the expected benefits of irrigation for some reason. This study aimed to investigate the constraints faced by smallholder farmers when adopting small-scale irrigation for crops production with the focus on highly irrigable fertile areas of Ghana. A structured questionnaire survey was administered from September to November 2020 among 120 smallholder farmers in six irrigation communities to better understand their perspective about challenges of small-scale irrigation adoption. We found that despite good irrigation source availability and District policy to make more arable lands available for irrigation farmers, the respondents had relied mainly on rainfall. These smallholder farmers faced the following major constraints: a lack of credit access (100%), erratic rainfall (76%), limited water supply (54%), and unreliable water distribution (53%). They had also experienced such physical constraints as flooding (77%), droughts (93%), and a lack of technical expertise (65%). They showed good interests in adopting irrigation practices with the expectation of higher farm productivity. For this investment, land ownership, age and income were key for their decision-making.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ijaeri:345053

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.345053

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