No abstract

This study employed the input-oriented DEA approach with variable returns to scale assumption to assess the technical, scale, allocative and economic efficiencies of 124 randomly selected tomato farmers under irrigation in the Upper East Region using data of the 2017/2018 production season. The mean technical efficiency and scale efficiency were 97.1 and 97% respectively with many farmers experiencing increasing returns to scale. The mean allocative and economic efficiencies were 42.1 and 41.5% respectively. Farmer's age, tomato land size, fuel quantity, fertilizer quantity and chemical quantity (herbicide and pesticide) were all significant determinants of technical efficiency scores whereas extension visit, tomato land size and chemical quantity significantly influenced both allocative and economic efficiencies. It is recommended that agro-inputs and fuel usage for tomato farmers under irrigation in the dry season be increased to improve technical efficiency. It is also recommended that extension education to farmers on effective inputs allocation and cost minimization strategies be intensified.

This study was designed to estimate and explain the technical efficiency variations among carrot farmers in the Ashanti-Mampong Municipality of Ghana. This was motivated by great potential but lower yields in carrots production of the municipality, being one of the leading carrots producing districts in Ghana. A multistage sampling technique made up of purposive and simple random sampling techniques were employed for the study. Determinants and level of technical efficiency among carrot farmers in the municipality were estimated using the stochastic frontier model. The mean technical efficiency was 76.5% with a potential productivity gap of 23.5% in the short run without any additional inputs. Labour and fuel used in irrigation significantly and positively influenced output levels of carrot. Socioeconomic characteristics of farmers such as farm size, access to credit, household labour, age and years of education were all significant determinants of technical inefficiency. It is recommended that agro-inputs and fuel usage for carrot farmers under irrigation in the dry season be increased to improve technical efficiency. It is also recommended that extension education to farmers on effective input allocation be intensified.

Growing demand for automobiles has logically led to the generation of huge quantities of used Lead-Acid Battery (LAB) which are usually found stockpiling in and around car-repair shops all over Ghana. The reclamation and recycling of spent LABs in the country is mainly unregulated and informal and therefore not done in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. This paper estimates artisans' willingness to pay (WTP) for the safe collection and recycling of used lead-acid batteries (LABs) with data collected through the contingent valuation method (CVM) from 102 artisans in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Artisans' WTP and its determinants were estimated using Bayesian estimation of the interval data regression model. An estimated mean WTP of GH¢16.06 (US$3.87) was obtained for the safe removal and recycling of any one (1) spent LAB. Important artisan characteristics influencing willingness to pay positively are age and monthly income whereas experience influences willingness-to-pay negatively. Training received, awareness of risk of LABs to personal health, wearing of protective clothing, and other safety measures are significant awareness, knowledge and safety factors affecting WTP in a positive way. Sensitization on the health and environmental effects of LABs as well as the importance of taking safety measures should be given to artisans and should be mainly targeted at younger artisans.