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.

This study was designed to examine the factors influencing the movement or changing of herding routes among herders in the North – Eastern corridor of the Northern and Northeast Regions of Ghana. The study followed a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design and adopted the Poison and Negative Binomial regression Models. A total of 210 Fulani herders and seven community/opinion leaders from seven communities across four (4) districts were randomly selected for this study. Duration of a herder’s stay in a community (P≤.01), being given a range of land for kraaling or grazing (P≤.01), having access to education for children (P≤0.1), losing cattle before (P≤.01) and ever being harmed or witnessing same due to conflict (P≤.01) are important factors that prevent or reduce the number of times a herder changes location or route. On the other hand, factors including hired herding (P≤.01), years of education of a herder (P≤.05) and restriction or lack of grazing land for cattle (P≤.1) are some of the most compelling factors that lead to changes in location or herding routes of Fulani herders.  Fulani herders should be registered and integrated into the various communities whilst encouraging them to educate their children and have permanent living status.

This study used a Cobb-Douglas functional form of the stochastic production model to assess the technical efficiency of layer producers under commercial production system in the Mampong Municipality of Ghana. The study captures thirty (30) randomly selected layer poultry farms within the Asante Mampong enclave for the study. This study utilized the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) criteria to obtain farm specific technical efficiencies as well as their determinants of output and inefficiency. The study revealed that output was positively correlated to the number of birds, medication and quantity of water which all have significant coefficients at 5% and 10% levels of significance. The significant estimated gamma value of 0.99 implied that 99% of the total variation in layer output in the study area is due to the technical inefficiency. The study also showed that age, education, experience, extension contact, credit and type of poultry housing were related to socioeconomic characteristics influencing technical inefficiency. It is recommended for egg producers to observe the proper routine medication and add other supplementary drugs to boost the laying performance of their birds while intensifying stock size and increasing water usage to maximize production and close up the production gap. Poultry policies should consider motivating and increasing extension contact between extension agents and poultry farmers in the study area.Contribution/Originality: The paper's primary contribution is finding that it captures thirty randomly selected layer poultry farms within the Asante Mampong enclave for the study by utilizing the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) criteria to obtain farm specific technical efficiencies as well as their determinants of output and inefficiency in the context of this municipality of Ghana.