Farmers’ Perception on Irrigation Farming and the Factors Influencing Access to and Size of Irrigable lands in Northern Region, Ghana
Solace Kudadze, Adams Jongare Imoru, William Adzawla
Asian Food Science Journal · pp. 1–14 · Published 19 Apr 2019
10.9734/afsj/2019/v8i329994Abstract
Aim: The impacts of climate change and variability requires proactive and reactive adaptation. The high reliance of farmers on rainfed agriculture leads to their high vulnerability to climate change. As an agrarian economy, irrigation farming system is an essential proactive and/or reactive strategy for the increasing erratic rainfalls in Northern Ghana. This study analyzed the perceptions of smallholder farmers on irrigation farming and the factors that influence access to and size of irrigable lands among communities in the catchment of two irrigation dams. Study Design: The study adopted a multi-stage sampling procedure. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Northern Region of Ghana. The data for the study was collected in 2014. Methodology: Through a multi-stage sampling, a cross-sectional data was collected from 240 smallholder farmers. These included both irrigation farmers and non-irrigation farmers. The data was analyzed through switching regression and descriptive statistics. Results: The result revealed that water unavailability is not a major challenge to most irrigation farmers. The farmers engaged in irrigation vegetable farming mostly for cash purpose and also perceived a high demand for vegetables, especially in the dry season. From the farmers perception, group membership, distance to irrigable land, cost of irrigable land, leadership characteristics and nativity significantly influenced access to irrigable lands. From the econometric result, experience, farmer group, credit, extension, labour availability and age had significant influence on irrigation farming while education, experience, extension, sex and labour availability significantly influenced the acreage cultivated by the vegetable farmers. Conclusion: The study concluded that, while there is high market potential for irrigated produce, access to and the size of irrigable lands are significantly determined by a mixed of factors. Therefore, while farmers are encouraged to go into irrigation vegetable production, government’s policies such as ‘one village one dam’ should be effectively implemented to realize the needed results.
References (24)
- 1 Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Endogenous Switching Regression Models [DOI]
- 2 Smallholder farmers’ adaptation to climate change and determinants of their adaptation decisions in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia [DOI]
- 3 The effects of irrigation on poverty: a framework for analysis [DOI]
- 4 Determinants of smallholder farmers’ decision to adopt adaptation options to climate change and variability in the Muger Sub basin of the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia [DOI]
- 5 Customary tenure systems under siege: contemporary access to land in Northern Ghana [DOI]
- 6 Analysis of determinants of farm-level adaptation measures to climate change in Southern Africa [DOI]
- 7 Modelling and mapping the economic value of supplemental irrigation in a humid climate [DOI]
- 8 The impact of water-pricing policy on the demand for water resources by farmers in Ghana [DOI]
- 9 Traditional Food Crop Marketing in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does Gender Matter? [DOI]
- 10 Assessment of the contribution of irrigation to poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods [DOI]
- 11 The impact of smallholder irrigation on household welfare: The case of Tugela Ferry irrigation scheme in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa [DOI]
- 12 Determinants of farmers’ choice of coping and adaptation measures to the drought hazard in northwest Balochistan, Pakistan [DOI]
- 13 Does irrigation water matter for rural poverty alleviation? Evidence from South and South-East Asia [DOI]
- 14 Influencing Factors of the Adoption of Agricultural Irrigation Technologies and the Economic Returns: A Case Study in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand [DOI]
- 15 Non-farm work, food poverty, and nutrient availability in northern Ghana [DOI]
- 16 Factors Influencing the Choice of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Households: A Case of Mpolonjeni Area Development Programme (ADP) in Swaziland [DOI]
- 17 Irrigation access and per capita consumption expenditure in farm households: Evidence from Ghana [DOI]
- 18 Assessing yield, water productivity and farm economic returns of malt barley as influenced by the sowing dates and supplemental irrigation [DOI]
- 19 Creating wealth from groundwater for dollar-a-day farmers: Where the silent revolution and the four revolutions to end rural poverty meet [DOI]
- 20 Impact of climate change on maize production in Ghana. A review [DOI]
- 21 Factors Influencing Farmers Participation in Smallholder Irrigation Schemes: The Case of Ntfonjeni Rural Development Area
- 22 Assessment of a Smallscale Irrigation Scheme on Household Food Security and Leisure in Kokoligu; Ghana
- 23 Climate Adaptation in Agriculture through Technological Option: Determinants and Impact on Efficiency of Production [DOI]
- 24 Determinants of Yield Gap in Rain fed and Irrigated Rice Production: Evidence from Household Survey in Kwara State. [DOI]
Cited by 11
Md. Abu Shahen, Md. Nurul Momen · World Water Policy · 2025
Michael Kossivi Tamekloe, Adutwum Emmanuel Ampong, Edem Jerome Abiemo · International journal of agricultural extension and rural development studies · 2025
Wisdom Madede Nzima, Ryan H. L. Ip, M. Bhatti · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2024
Getasew Daru, Sinkie Alemu · Advances in Agriculture · 2024
Getasew Daru, Degsew Melak, W. Awoke · Cogent Economics & Finance · 2023
George Mgendi, Shi-Ping Mao, Fang-Bin Qiao · Social Science Research Network · 2022
L. D. Melomey, M. A. T. Ayenan, George Marechera · Sustainability · 2022
Junji Koide, S. Yokoyama, S. Hirouchi · 2021
Darko Opoku, von Abubakar, Sam-Amoah Kobina · Poljoprivredna tehnika · 2024
Related research
- Knowledge, Perception and Practice of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Pregnant Women Attending a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Sokoto, Nigeria — shares topic coverage
- Knowledge, Perception and Misconceptions on Family Planning among Women Living in an Urban Slum in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria — shares topic coverage
- User’s Perception and Satisfaction with Services Provided under National Health Insurance Scheme: A Case Study of Academic Staff of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto — shares topic coverage
- Perception, Awareness and Treatment Experiences about Onchocerciasis in a Rural Community in Cross River State, Nigeria: Implications for Control — shares topic coverage
- Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions about Mental Illness in Ekom Iman Community in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria — shares topic coverage
Article metrics
Real usage data collected on this platform.
0
Page views
0
PDF downloads
0
Outbound clicks
11
Citations
Views by country
Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".
No views recorded yet.
Traffic sources
Referring site, by host.
No traffic recorded yet.
Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.