Factors influencing the shift from cocoa to rubber production in Wasa Amenfi Central District in the Western region of Ghana

Abstract

Ghana's economy largely depends on proceeds from cocoa production and trade. However, one issue that has been hindering the cocoa sector in recent times is the case of cocoa farmers diverting to rubber production. Previous studies that worked on the issue of cocoa farm abandonment have concentrated on productivity challenges and poor price mechanisms without analysing the shift from cocoa production to the production of other crops as well as the factors influencing the shifts. This paper aims to examine the factors that influence the switch from cocoa to rubber production as well as the constraints in cocoa production using cross-sectional data from 360 cocoa farmers in Ghana. The logistic regression model and Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance were the methods of analysis. The results showed that farmers who switched from cocoa to rubber production were significantly motivated by attractive benefits in rubber production including high price for produce, ready market and the promise of perpetual farm income in their old age. Farmers' decisions to switch from cocoa to rubber production were influenced by the expected age of the rubber farm before harvest, the age of their cocoa farm, access to better seeds, financial facilities, and fertilizer usage. According to the farmers, the most severe constraint facing them is lack of policy issues, with a mean score of 9.48, while the least constraint is marketing constraints, with a mean score of 29.38. The research proposes that measures be put in place to make sure government policies are clearly communicated to the farmers, and that the government should set fair and justifiable prices for cocoa to sustain the incomes of farmers. Also, future studies should consider undertaking longitudinal researches to trace the variations in farmer behaviour and intensions overtime. • Policy challenges are the severest factors confronting the cocoa farmers in the study area. • Farmers are being influenced by socio-economic factors in shifting to the production of other crops. • The study demonstrates the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in understanding farmer's decisions. • Shifting from cocoa to rubber production in the Wassa Amenfi Central District is at a high level.