Abstract:
Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana has introduced a number of
innovations to increase cocoa yield per hectare from 360 to 1,300 Kg but the
rate of adoption has been low. The objectives of the study were to determine
factors which influence adoption and to estimate the impact of adoption on
output. A sample of 600 cocoa farmers was selected through a multistage
sampling technique. An interview schedule was used to gather data. The
double hurdle model was used to estimate the determinants of adoption and
intensity of adoption whilst OLS was used to estimate the impact of adoption
on output.
Findings were that age of the farmer negatively affected adoption.
Household size, farm size, primary education, access to credit, hired labour.
non-hired labour, own labour, membership of association and frequency of
extension advice positively influenced adoption. The results further indicated
that all the variables had positive relationship with intensity of adoption. Also,
output of cocoa had positive relationship with household size, farm size.
middle school education, hired labour, membership of association, frequency
of extension advice, credit access and intensity of adoption.
Il is recommended that government should tackle the issue of land
ownership: COCOBOD should intensify provision of social interventions like
the housing scheme for cocoa farmers to make farming attractive to the youth.
intensify extension services, provide (raining and encourage them to join
requirements to access credit and the need to repay loans granted.
