Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Ghana
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam), the third most significant root and tuber crop globally, is crucial for improving livelihoods, health, and food security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its potential, sweet potato production in Ghana remains dominated by small-scale farmers, with...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Food & Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2415390 |
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| author | Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa Thomas Tuffour Bright Owusu Asante Richard Adabah Patrick Agoalikum |
| author_facet | Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa Thomas Tuffour Bright Owusu Asante Richard Adabah Patrick Agoalikum |
| author_sort | Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam), the third most significant root and tuber crop globally, is crucial for improving livelihoods, health, and food security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its potential, sweet potato production in Ghana remains dominated by small-scale farmers, with yields often falling below the expected average of 2 tons per hectare. This study investigates the determinants and extent of adoption of Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) varieties among smallholder farmers in the northeastern hills of Ghana. Utilizing cross-sectional data from 342 farmers across four districts in the Upper East and Northern regions, the Cragg double-hurdle model was used to analyze the factors influencing OFSP adoption. The results indicate that factors such as gender, family size, membership in Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), access to vines, training frequency, off-farm income, and farmers’ perceptions of early maturity and high yield potential significantly influence OFSP adoption. Furthermore, farm size, access to formal credit, market proximity, vine access, duration of OFSP consumption, regional differences, and yield levels were identified as key variables affecting the intensity of adoption. The study recommends that policymakers collaborate with banking and cooperative institutions to enhance access to vines and formal credit, thereby fostering higher adoption rates. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7677ec2a2c6943d0bd29f0ad2ade9eab |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2331-1932 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Food & Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-7677ec2a2c6943d0bd29f0ad2ade9eab2025-08-20T02:49:47ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Food & Agriculture2331-19322024-12-0110110.1080/23311932.2024.2415390Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in GhanaCamillus Abawiera Wongnaa0Thomas Tuffour1Bright Owusu Asante2Richard Adabah3Patrick Agoalikum4Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, University Post Office, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, University Post Office, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, University Post Office, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, University Post Office, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, University Post Office, Kumasi, GhanaSweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam), the third most significant root and tuber crop globally, is crucial for improving livelihoods, health, and food security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its potential, sweet potato production in Ghana remains dominated by small-scale farmers, with yields often falling below the expected average of 2 tons per hectare. This study investigates the determinants and extent of adoption of Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) varieties among smallholder farmers in the northeastern hills of Ghana. Utilizing cross-sectional data from 342 farmers across four districts in the Upper East and Northern regions, the Cragg double-hurdle model was used to analyze the factors influencing OFSP adoption. The results indicate that factors such as gender, family size, membership in Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), access to vines, training frequency, off-farm income, and farmers’ perceptions of early maturity and high yield potential significantly influence OFSP adoption. Furthermore, farm size, access to formal credit, market proximity, vine access, duration of OFSP consumption, regional differences, and yield levels were identified as key variables affecting the intensity of adoption. The study recommends that policymakers collaborate with banking and cooperative institutions to enhance access to vines and formal credit, thereby fostering higher adoption rates.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2415390Adoption determinantsCragg double-hurdlefood securityGhana agricultureorange-fleshed sweet potatoessmallholder farmers |
| spellingShingle | Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa Thomas Tuffour Bright Owusu Asante Richard Adabah Patrick Agoalikum Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Ghana Cogent Food & Agriculture Adoption determinants Cragg double-hurdle food security Ghana agriculture orange-fleshed sweet potatoes smallholder farmers |
| title | Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Ghana |
| title_full | Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Ghana |
| title_short | Unlocking the potential of biofortified crops: economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Ghana |
| title_sort | unlocking the potential of biofortified crops economic determinants of orange flesh sweet potato adoption among smallholder farmers in ghana |
| topic | Adoption determinants Cragg double-hurdle food security Ghana agriculture orange-fleshed sweet potatoes smallholder farmers |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2024.2415390 |
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