Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts
Fertilizer use in Sub-Saharan Africa remains below recommended rates, contributing to low yields, and increasing poverty. Poor quality fertilizer – whether perceived or real – is often cited as a reason for low adoption rates. In Ghana, for example, there are widespread but often unsubstantiated cla...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Artículo preliminar |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
International Food Policy Research Institute
2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143345 |
| _version_ | 1855521925550309376 |
|---|---|
| author | Asante, Seth Simons, Andrew M. Andam, Kwaw S. Amprofi, Felicia Ansah Osei-Assibey, Ernest Iddrisu, Adisatu |
| author_browse | Amprofi, Felicia Ansah Andam, Kwaw S. Asante, Seth Iddrisu, Adisatu Osei-Assibey, Ernest Simons, Andrew M. |
| author_facet | Asante, Seth Simons, Andrew M. Andam, Kwaw S. Amprofi, Felicia Ansah Osei-Assibey, Ernest Iddrisu, Adisatu |
| author_sort | Asante, Seth |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Fertilizer use in Sub-Saharan Africa remains below recommended rates, contributing to low yields, and increasing poverty. Poor quality fertilizer – whether perceived or real – is often cited as a reason for low adoption rates. In Ghana, for example, there are widespread but often unsubstantiated claims of substandard fertilizers. This is a concern for farmers with limited purchasing power and without the means to independently substantiate the quality of agricultural inputs. This paper describes the agricultural input sector in Ghana, compares farmers’ perception of fertilizer quality with those of input dealers, and analyses chemical tests of fertilizers performed in a laboratory. The fertilizers were sampled from selected districts participating in the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, a large-scale farm input subsidy program. We find that input dealers and farmers are somewhat suspicious of the quality of commercially supplied and government subsidized fertilizers. However, the true quality measures based on laboratory testing of fertilizers sold in agricultural input shops were found to largely meet the labeled chemical composition. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace143345 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1433452025-11-06T05:53:06Z Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts Asante, Seth Simons, Andrew M. Andam, Kwaw S. Amprofi, Felicia Ansah Osei-Assibey, Ernest Iddrisu, Adisatu fertilizers agricultural production surveys capacity development quality farm inputs subsidies farmers' attitudes Fertilizer use in Sub-Saharan Africa remains below recommended rates, contributing to low yields, and increasing poverty. Poor quality fertilizer – whether perceived or real – is often cited as a reason for low adoption rates. In Ghana, for example, there are widespread but often unsubstantiated claims of substandard fertilizers. This is a concern for farmers with limited purchasing power and without the means to independently substantiate the quality of agricultural inputs. This paper describes the agricultural input sector in Ghana, compares farmers’ perception of fertilizer quality with those of input dealers, and analyses chemical tests of fertilizers performed in a laboratory. The fertilizers were sampled from selected districts participating in the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, a large-scale farm input subsidy program. We find that input dealers and farmers are somewhat suspicious of the quality of commercially supplied and government subsidized fertilizers. However, the true quality measures based on laboratory testing of fertilizers sold in agricultural input shops were found to largely meet the labeled chemical composition. 2021-12-22 2024-05-22T12:13:32Z 2024-05-22T12:13:32Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143345 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134353 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134458 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134432 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134481 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-022-01287-8 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Asante, Seth; Simons, Andrew M.; Andam, Kwaw S.; Amprofi, Felicia Ansah; Osei-Assibey, Ernest; and Iddrisu, Adisatu. 2021. Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts. GSSP Working Paper 61. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134895. |
| spellingShingle | fertilizers agricultural production surveys capacity development quality farm inputs subsidies farmers' attitudes Asante, Seth Simons, Andrew M. Andam, Kwaw S. Amprofi, Felicia Ansah Osei-Assibey, Ernest Iddrisu, Adisatu Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts |
| title | Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts |
| title_full | Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts |
| title_fullStr | Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts |
| title_short | Fertilizer quality assessment: Perception versus testing in selected Ghanaian districts |
| title_sort | fertilizer quality assessment perception versus testing in selected ghanaian districts |
| topic | fertilizers agricultural production surveys capacity development quality farm inputs subsidies farmers' attitudes |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143345 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT asanteseth fertilizerqualityassessmentperceptionversustestinginselectedghanaiandistricts AT simonsandrewm fertilizerqualityassessmentperceptionversustestinginselectedghanaiandistricts AT andamkwaws fertilizerqualityassessmentperceptionversustestinginselectedghanaiandistricts AT amprofifeliciaansah fertilizerqualityassessmentperceptionversustestinginselectedghanaiandistricts AT oseiassibeyernest fertilizerqualityassessmentperceptionversustestinginselectedghanaiandistricts AT iddrisuadisatu fertilizerqualityassessmentperceptionversustestinginselectedghanaiandistricts |