INFLUENCE OF AGRICULTURAL TRADE LIBERALIZATION POLICIES ON POVERTY REDUCTION AMONG GHANAIAN RURAL SMALLHOLDER RICE FARMERS

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the influence of Agricultural trade liberalization policies on production and poverty
reduction among rural smallholder rice farmers in Ghana. The study areas were chosen due to the intense cultivation of rice
and the presence of a large number of smallholder farmers in those areas. Both cross-sectional and secondary data were used
in the study. One hundred (100) respondents were sampled from six (6) districts across the six agro-ecological zones in the
country using the simple random sampling technique across the study districts and structured questionnaire was administered
to them. Data analyses involved the use of multiple regression and logistic or logit regression. Descriptive statistics was also
employed to summarize the data. The study indicated that, government’s investment in the agricultural sector and the total
land area cultivated of rice significantly influence positively the gross output of rice production while total imports of rice significantly
influence negatively the gross output of rice. Again, provision of extension services, input services, market services,
and the size of land cultivated and import tariffs showed a higher likelihood of enhancing increase in rice production. Imports
of rice were likely to significantly and negatively reduce increase in rice production. The study also found that agricultural
trade liberalization policies have generally contributed to the increase in income levels of the farmers. The study concluded
that Agricultural trade liberalization policies adopted by Ghana in the early 1980s generally have had both positive and negative
effects on the production of rice over the years looking at the production trend of rice but has contributed to the increase
in incomes of the farmers hence contributed to poverty reduction.