Determinants of cost inefficiency in poultry production: evidence from small-scale broiler farms in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

This paper examines the extent of cost inefficiency at 120 small-scale broiler farms in the Ashanti Region of Ghana by the use of stochastic frontier cost function, which incorporates cost inefficiency effects. Furthermore, farm-specific determinants that help explain why cost inefficiencies are different across broiler farms are identified. The findings confirm the presence of cost inefficiencies in small-scale broiler production in the area studied. Specifically, the results suggest that the broiler farms in question have the potential to reduce their production costs by 13.6% by being more efficient in cost management. The findings further indicate that experience in broiler production, an increase in farm size, veterinary contacts, use of self-prepared quality broiler feed, and membership in the Poultry Farmers' Association (PFA) all help minimize cost inefficiency. On the other hand, the findings show that cost inefficiency appears to worsen with an increase in the market age of a farm's broiler birds.

Compliance with cocoa quality management practices in Ghana; To what extent are cocoa farmers complying?

Despite the fact that adhering to cocoa quality management practices (QMPs) is crucial to satisfy consumer food safety standards and receive premium cocoa pricing, evidence of cocoa farmers' compliance with these recommended QMPs is scanty in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent and antecedents of farmers' compliance with six QMPs including pest and disease, harvesting and pod storage, pod breaking and bean removal, fermentation, drying, and bagging and storage practices in Ghana. Data from 200 farmers was solicited and analyzed using a compliance index as well as a seemingly unrelated regression (SURE) model to account for cross-correlation effects among six recommended QMPs. The results show an overall index of 2.46, implying that the cocoa farmers moderately comply with the six QMPs. Specifically, compliance levels for fermentation (index = 2.90) and drying (index = 2.92) practices are high, while farmers showed low compliance with bagging and storage practices (index = 1.33). The SURE model exhibits heterogeneous covariates that influence farmers' compliance across the six QMPs. However, extension access, sex of the farmer, and to some extent awareness of quality management practices, as well as education, are significant determinants of compliance across all six quality management practices. These findings have implications for strengthening the Extension Services Division of COCOBOD and gender mainstreaming of cocoa quality improvement training to address the challenges of women cocoa farmers.

Modelling of vertical integration in commercial poultry production of Ghana: A count data model analysis.

Poultry production has significant potential to reduce protein deficiency, food insecurity and poverty in Ghana. However, limited vertical integration and high cost of production in the sector have stifled growth and exposed poultry farms in the country to many risks, leading to poor business performance. This study uses cross-sectional data from 102 commercial poultry farms to assess the determinants of vertical integration in the Ghanaian poultry industry by employing zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) and Zero-inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) models. The results show that one in every four poultry farms in the country are vertically integrated, either partially or fully. The ZINB model, which best fits the data, reveals that the degree of vertical integration in the poultry business is significantly influenced by a set of personal (education, occupation, and farming experience) and farm level (land tenure, flock size, production cost, and farm revenue) characteristics as well as institutional factors (credit access, extension access and membership of association). The paper discusses the implications of these findings and provides appropriate recommendations for strengthening the poultry industry in Ghana.