Nexus Between Smallholder Irrigation Farming and Farmers’ Livelihood Outcomes in Ghana’s Guinea Savannah
Keywords:
Small-scale irrigation, poverty reduction, farmer livelihood, Wa West District
Abstract
The aim of the study was to relate small-scale irrigation farming and farmers’ livelihood outcomes using the poorest District in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The livelihood implications of rural farmers remain inconclusive across the literature. Mixed methods and primary data consisting of key informant interviews, household questionnaires and personal observation were used for the study. Data were obtained from 120 farmers drawn from 173 farming households living in four (4) small-scale irrigation dams’ communities. The results revealed a significant source of supplementary income and household food is provided by smallholder irrigation farming. The results further revealed that farmers employ a plethora of technologies including the use of mulch to stem soil moisture loss, livestock manure and chemical fertilizers to remedy soil productivity decline as well as hand-dug wells to supplement the reduction in irrigation water. However, the results revealed that irrigable land is not accessible to non-land owning ethnic groups. Access to irrigable land should be the number one consideration in siting irrigation facilities in Ghana.
References
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Mumin, A. Y. 2017.Small-Scale Irrigation, Farm Income and Access to Essential Services in the Busa Community of the Upper West Region of Ghana. Ghana Journal of Development Studies, 14, 10, 99-122.
Naaderi, J. K. and Dinye, R. G. 2017.Private Initiatives in Rural Irrigated Agriculture towards Sustainable Livelihoods in Nadowli-Kaleo District, Ghana. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 12, 46, 3315-30.
Namara, R. E., Horowitz, L., Kolavalli, S., Kranjac-Berisavljevic, G., Dawuni, B. N., Barry, B. and Giordano, M. 2010. Typology of Irrigation Systems in Ghana, (International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka).
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Neuman, W. L. 2014. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Qantitative Approaches, (Pearson New International Edition, Boston).
Peprah, K. 2018a. Agroclimatology of Africa with Special Reference to Ghana, (Woeli Publishing Services Accra).
Peprah, K. 2018b.Sustainable Tourism to Remedy Land Degradation in Ghana along the Black Volta River. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 20, 1, 196-211.
Peprah, K., Amoah, S. T. and Achana, G. T. W. 2015. The Reticulation Irrigation Scheme at Sankana, Upper West Region, Ghana: Current Usage, Rroductivity and Incomes. Ghana Journal of Geography, 7, 1, 25 - 46.
Peprah, K. and N-yelkabong, A. 2017.Confluence or Conflict Between Indigenous and Western Scientific Knowledge on Climate Change: The Case of Wa, Ghana. Ghana Social Science Journal, 14, 1, 50-76.
Pereira, L. S. 2005.Water and Agriculture: Facing Water Scarcity and Environmental Challenges. The CIGR Journal of Scientific Research and Development, VII, 1-26.
Phakathi, S. 2016. Small-scale Irrigation Water Use Productivity and Its Role in Diversifying Rural Livelihood Options: Case Studies from Ndumo B and Makhathini Irrigation Schemes, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa. Agricultural Economics, (Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal).
Rehman, A., Jingdong, L., Khtoon, R., Iqbal, M. S. and Hussain, I. 2016.Effect of Agricultural Growth on Poverty Reduction, Its Importance and Suggestions. Transylvanian Review, XXIV, 5, 449-54.
World Bank, 2018.Third Ghana Economic Update: Agriculture as an Engine of Growth and Jobs Creation (Washington, D.C: World Bank Group).
Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An Introductory Analysis, 2nd Edition, New York: Harper and Row.
Yang, H., Du, T., Qiu, R., Chen, J., Wang, F., Li, Y., Wang, C., Gao, L. and Kang, S. 2017.Improved Water Use Efficiency and Fruit Quality of Greenhouse Crops Under Regulated deficit Irrigation in Northwest China.Agricultural Wate Management, 179, 193-204.
Ziba, D. 2015.The Impact of Irrigation Schemes on Farmers’ Income and Livelihoods in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Agricultural Economics, (Kumasi, Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah University of science and Technology).
Agula, C., Akudugu, M. A., Mabe, F. N., Dittoh, S. and Nyamadi, B. V. 2016. Implication of Ecosystem-based Farm Management Practices for Rural Livelihoods in the Kassena-Nankana Area. 2016 Annual Interdisciplinary Conference (AIC), (Navrongo: University for Development Studies, Tamale-Ghana).
Akudugu, M. A., Nyamadi, B. V. and Dittoh, S. 2016. Transforming Smallholder Agriculture in Africa through Irrigation: An Assessment of Irrigation Impact Pathways in Ghana. 5th International Conference of the Association of Agricultural Economists on the Sustainable Development Goals, (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Association of Agricultural Economists).
Apam, L. S. 2012. An Assessment of the Impact of Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes on Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction in the Upper East Region, Development Policy and Planning, (Kumasi, Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah University of science and Technology).
Appiah-Nkansah, N. B. 2009. Problem Structure Analysis of Irrigation Systems in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Journal of Development in Sustainable Agriculture, 4, 93-105.
Apuri, I., Peprah ,K. and Achana, G. T. W. 2018. Climate Change Adaptation through Agroforestry: The Case of Kassena Nankana West District, Ghana. Environmental Development, online
Ayele, G. K., Nicholson, C. F., Collick, A., Tilahun, S. A. and Steenhuis, T. S. 2013. Impact of Small-scale Irrigation Schemes on Household Income and the Likelihood of Poverty in the Lake Tana basin of Ethiopia, in W. Mekuria (ed.), Rainwater Management for Resilient Livelihoods in Ethiopia: Proceedings of the Nile Basin Development Challenge Science Meeting, (Nairobi, Kenya: International Livestock Research Institute. ).
Azam-Ali, S. 2007. Agricultural Diversification: The Potential for Underutilized Crops in Africa’s Changing Climates, Biol. Forum, 100, 27-38.
Benin, S., Johnson, M., Jimah, K., Taabazuing, J., Tanga, A., Abokyi, E., Nasser, G., Ahorbo, G. and Owusu, V. 2012. Evaluation of Four Special Initiatives of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Government of Ghana, (Accra: Government of Ghana).
Chiwaya, W. G. 2013. Contribution of Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes to the Livelihood of Rural Households: The Case of Lumuma Irrigation Scheme in Ilosa District; Morogoro Region. Economics, (Morogoro, Tanzania: Mzumbe University).
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approach 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Dittoh, S., Bhattarai, M. and Akuriba, M. 2013. Micro Irrigation-Based Vegetable Farming for Income, Employment and Food Security in West Africa, in M. A. Hanjra (ed.), Global Food Security, (New York: NOVA Science Publishers).
FAO, 2017. The Future of Food and Agriculture: Trends and Challenges. (Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations).
FAO, 2019. Coping with Water Scarcity in Agriculture: A Global Framework for Action in a Changing Climate, (Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations).
Ghana Statistical Service, 2014a. 2010 Population and Housing Census District Analytical Report Wa West District, (Accra, Ghana: Ghana Statistical Service).
Ghana Statistical Service, 2014b. Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 6 (GLSS6). (Accra, Ghana: Ghana Statistical Service).
Hai-dong, L., Ji-quan, X. and Dong-wei, G. 2017. Efficacy of Planting Date Adjustment as a Cultivation Strategy to Cope with Drought Stress and Increase Rainfed Maize Yield and Water-Use Efficiency, Agricultural Wate Management, 179, 227-35.
Kang, S., Hao, X., Du, T., Tong, L., Su, X., Lu, H., Li, X., Huo, Z., Li, S. and Ding, R. 2017. Improving Agricultural Water Productivity to Ensure Food Security in China Under Changing Environment: From Research to Practice. Agricultural Wate Management, 179, 5-17.
Kidane, D., Mekonnen, A. and Teketay, D. 2014. Contributions of Tendaho Irrigation Project to the Improvement of Livelihood of Agro Pastoralists in the Lower Awash Basin, Northeastern Ethiopia', Ethiop. J. Res. Innov. Foresight, 6, 1-19.
Kpieta, A. B., Owusu-Sekyere, E. and Bonye, S. Z. 2013. Reaping the Benefits of Small-Scale Irrigation Dams in North-Western Ghana: Experiences from Three Districts in the Upper West Region. Research Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Management, 2, 7, xx.
Liu, H., Wang, X., Zhang, X., Zhang, L., Li, Y. and Huang, G. 2017. Eval.uation on the Responses of Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth, Yield and Water Use Efficiency to Drip Irrigation Water Under Mulch Condition in the Hetao Irrigation District of China. Agricultural Wate Management, 179, 144-57.
Mendes, D. M., Paglietti, L., Jackson, D. and Altozano, A. G. 2014. Ghana: Irrigation Market Brief, FAO Investiment Centre: Country Highlights, (Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization).
Mengistie, D. and Kidane, D. 2016.Assessment of the Impact of Small-Scale Irrigation on Household Livelihood Improvement at Gubalafto District, North Wollo Ethiopia. Agriculture, 6, 27, 1-22.
Mnyenyelwa, M. A. 2008. Traditional Irrigation Systems and Livelihoods of Smallholder Farmers in Same District, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Agricultural Economics, (Morogoro Tanzania: Sokoine University of Agricultural Economics).
MoFA, 2011.Agriculture in Ghana Facts and Figures 2010', SRID, (Accra: Ministry of Food and Agriculture).
Mozumdar, L. 2012.Agricultural Productivity and Food Security in the Developing World', The Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Economics, XXXV, 1 & 2, 53-69.
Mumin, A. Y. 2017.Small-Scale Irrigation, Farm Income and Access to Essential Services in the Busa Community of the Upper West Region of Ghana. Ghana Journal of Development Studies, 14, 10, 99-122.
Naaderi, J. K. and Dinye, R. G. 2017.Private Initiatives in Rural Irrigated Agriculture towards Sustainable Livelihoods in Nadowli-Kaleo District, Ghana. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 12, 46, 3315-30.
Namara, R. E., Horowitz, L., Kolavalli, S., Kranjac-Berisavljevic, G., Dawuni, B. N., Barry, B. and Giordano, M. 2010. Typology of Irrigation Systems in Ghana, (International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka).
Namara, R. E., Horowitz, L., Nyamadi, B. and Barry, B. 2011.Irrigation Development in Ghana: Past Experiences, Emerging Opportunities, and Future Directions, Ghana Strategy Support Program Working Paper, (Washington, D. C.: International Food Policy Research Institute), 1-50.
Neuman, W. L. 2014. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Qantitative Approaches, (Pearson New International Edition, Boston).
Peprah, K. 2018a. Agroclimatology of Africa with Special Reference to Ghana, (Woeli Publishing Services Accra).
Peprah, K. 2018b.Sustainable Tourism to Remedy Land Degradation in Ghana along the Black Volta River. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 20, 1, 196-211.
Peprah, K., Amoah, S. T. and Achana, G. T. W. 2015. The Reticulation Irrigation Scheme at Sankana, Upper West Region, Ghana: Current Usage, Rroductivity and Incomes. Ghana Journal of Geography, 7, 1, 25 - 46.
Peprah, K. and N-yelkabong, A. 2017.Confluence or Conflict Between Indigenous and Western Scientific Knowledge on Climate Change: The Case of Wa, Ghana. Ghana Social Science Journal, 14, 1, 50-76.
Pereira, L. S. 2005.Water and Agriculture: Facing Water Scarcity and Environmental Challenges. The CIGR Journal of Scientific Research and Development, VII, 1-26.
Phakathi, S. 2016. Small-scale Irrigation Water Use Productivity and Its Role in Diversifying Rural Livelihood Options: Case Studies from Ndumo B and Makhathini Irrigation Schemes, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa. Agricultural Economics, (Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal).
Rehman, A., Jingdong, L., Khtoon, R., Iqbal, M. S. and Hussain, I. 2016.Effect of Agricultural Growth on Poverty Reduction, Its Importance and Suggestions. Transylvanian Review, XXIV, 5, 449-54.
World Bank, 2018.Third Ghana Economic Update: Agriculture as an Engine of Growth and Jobs Creation (Washington, D.C: World Bank Group).
Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An Introductory Analysis, 2nd Edition, New York: Harper and Row.
Yang, H., Du, T., Qiu, R., Chen, J., Wang, F., Li, Y., Wang, C., Gao, L. and Kang, S. 2017.Improved Water Use Efficiency and Fruit Quality of Greenhouse Crops Under Regulated deficit Irrigation in Northwest China.Agricultural Wate Management, 179, 193-204.
Ziba, D. 2015.The Impact of Irrigation Schemes on Farmers’ Income and Livelihoods in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Agricultural Economics, (Kumasi, Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah University of science and Technology).
Published
2021-02-04
How to Cite
Baddianaah, I., Peprah, K., & Yembilah, N. (2021, February 4). Nexus Between Smallholder Irrigation Farming and Farmers’ Livelihood Outcomes in Ghana’s Guinea Savannah. International Journal of Irrigation and Agricultural Development (IJIRAD), 4(1), 221-233. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47762/2020.964x.81
Section
Irrigation Science, Engineering and Development
