Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study

Ghana is one of a few African countries where agricultural mechanization has recently undergone rapid development. Except for places in the forest zone where stumps are still an issue in fields, tractors used for plowing and maize shelling have been widely adopted even among small farmers. Medium- a...

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Main Authors: Diao, Xinshen, Agandin, John, Fang, Peixun, Justice, Scott E., Kufoalor, Doreen S., Takeshima, Hiroyuki
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147275
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author Diao, Xinshen
Agandin, John
Fang, Peixun
Justice, Scott E.
Kufoalor, Doreen S.
Takeshima, Hiroyuki
author_browse Agandin, John
Diao, Xinshen
Fang, Peixun
Justice, Scott E.
Kufoalor, Doreen S.
Takeshima, Hiroyuki
author_facet Diao, Xinshen
Agandin, John
Fang, Peixun
Justice, Scott E.
Kufoalor, Doreen S.
Takeshima, Hiroyuki
author_sort Diao, Xinshen
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Ghana is one of a few African countries where agricultural mechanization has recently undergone rapid development. Except for places in the forest zone where stumps are still an issue in fields, tractors used for plowing and maize shelling have been widely adopted even among small farmers. Medium- and large-scale farmers who own tractors provide the majority of mechanization services. Recognizing this fundamental fact is important for designing any effective mechanization policy, which should aim at the entire service market instead of targeting a selected group of service providers as beneficiaries. Tractor owners and operators are often discouraged from traveling long distances to plow only a few acres for individual small farmers, which becomes a considerable barrier for smallholders to access tractor services on time. This requires the government consider mechanisms to improve coordination among small farmers and to encourage Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) to facilitate such coordination. The use of harrowing or second-plowing has been shown as a productivity-enhancing farming practice but it is currently under-demanded by farmers. A pilot program to address the coordination failures and to nudge small farmers to adopt harrowing services together can be considered.
format Artículo preliminar
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institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
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spelling CGSpace1472752025-11-06T06:24:06Z Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study Diao, Xinshen Agandin, John Fang, Peixun Justice, Scott E. Kufoalor, Doreen S. Takeshima, Hiroyuki harrowing tractors market disruption agricultural mechanization agricultural development mechanization Ghana is one of a few African countries where agricultural mechanization has recently undergone rapid development. Except for places in the forest zone where stumps are still an issue in fields, tractors used for plowing and maize shelling have been widely adopted even among small farmers. Medium- and large-scale farmers who own tractors provide the majority of mechanization services. Recognizing this fundamental fact is important for designing any effective mechanization policy, which should aim at the entire service market instead of targeting a selected group of service providers as beneficiaries. Tractor owners and operators are often discouraged from traveling long distances to plow only a few acres for individual small farmers, which becomes a considerable barrier for smallholders to access tractor services on time. This requires the government consider mechanisms to improve coordination among small farmers and to encourage Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) to facilitate such coordination. The use of harrowing or second-plowing has been shown as a productivity-enhancing farming practice but it is currently under-demanded by farmers. A pilot program to address the coordination failures and to nudge small farmers to adopt harrowing services together can be considered. 2018-06-07 2024-06-21T09:12:49Z 2024-06-21T09:12:49Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147275 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Diao, Xinshen; Agandin, John; Fang, Peixun; Justice, Scott E.; Kufoalor, Doreen S.; and Takeshima, Hiroyuki. 2018. Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study. IFPRI Discussion Paper 1729. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147275
spellingShingle harrowing
tractors
market disruption
agricultural mechanization
agricultural development
mechanization
Diao, Xinshen
Agandin, John
Fang, Peixun
Justice, Scott E.
Kufoalor, Doreen S.
Takeshima, Hiroyuki
Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study
title Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study
title_full Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study
title_fullStr Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study
title_full_unstemmed Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study
title_short Agricultural mechanization in Ghana: Insights from a recent field study
title_sort agricultural mechanization in ghana insights from a recent field study
topic harrowing
tractors
market disruption
agricultural mechanization
agricultural development
mechanization
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147275
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AT agandinjohn agriculturalmechanizationinghanainsightsfromarecentfieldstudy
AT fangpeixun agriculturalmechanizationinghanainsightsfromarecentfieldstudy
AT justicescotte agriculturalmechanizationinghanainsightsfromarecentfieldstudy
AT kufoalordoreens agriculturalmechanizationinghanainsightsfromarecentfieldstudy
AT takeshimahiroyuki agriculturalmechanizationinghanainsightsfromarecentfieldstudy