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The presidential special initiative on cassava: a bane or blessing to Ghana's smallholder farmers

Ghana Journal of Development Studies

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Title The presidential special initiative on cassava: a bane or blessing to Ghana's smallholder farmers
 
Creator Tonah, Steve; Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
 
Subject


 
Description This paper analyses the Presidential Special Initiative on Cassava, a Ghanaian government initiative that seeks to increase substantially the nation's foreign exchange earnings through the transformation of stallholder production methods and the processing of cassava for export. Research work was carried out in the Gomoa and the Awutu-Effutu-Senya Districts in Ghana's Central Region. Eighty (80) farmers, as well as members of the farmers' association and the staff and management of the Ayensu Starch Company were interviewed. The fundamental method used was participant observation. This was complemented with interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions. The paper asserts that several bottlenecks are impeding attempts to increase smallholder cassava production. The morale of farmers is low and the starch factory is currently working well below its installed capacity. The paper questions the rationale behind successive governments' policy of radically transforming smallholder subsistence production and suggests the need for a gradual process through the formation of active out-grower cooperatives as well as the provision of extension support, credit and training to farmers. Ghana Journal of Development Studies Vol. 3(1) 2006: 66-84
 
Publisher Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, University for Development Studies, Ghana
 
Contributor
 
Date 2006-08-14
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article

 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjds/article/view/35034
10.4314/gjds.v3i1.35034
 
Source Ghana Journal of Development Studies; Vol 3, No 1 (2006); 66-84
0855-6768
 
Language eng
 
Relation https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjds/article/view/35034/24943
 
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Rights © 2018 The authors.The Ghana Journal of Development Studies is published twice a year (May & October) by the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies as a service to development related research.No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the written authorisation of the publisher and copyright owner.The content is licensed uder a CC-BY license.