Potential and constraints of agricultural mechanisation in Ghana–a review

Scientific Research Publishing Inc

2012

English

As part of government’s effort to meet the UN Millennium Development goal of eradicating hunger and extreme poverty by the year 2015, there has been the need to modernise agriculture in order to achieve sustainable economic growth. In Sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana for that matter, the focus gradually is being shifted to mechanised agriculture which is necessary if food security in our part of the world is to be achieved. Without effective mechanisation, Ghana’s food and agricultural sector will not make the expected economic impact. The purpose of this study is to review constraints to agricultural mechanisation and suggest possible ways to help in the adoption of effective mechanisation schemes in Ghana. The major constraints to mechanisation are lack of skilled labour to operate such machinery, small farm sizes, unfavourable government policies and high cost of farm machinery. After realizing the enormous importance of mechanisation to the country’s agricultural growth, the way forward will be the framing of suitable policies such as land tenure, encouraging cooperative management and custom hiring of machinery, imparting training to the farmers regarding such investment and encouraging standard service inputs.

Amponsah, S. K., Oteng-Darko, P., & Kumi, F. (2012). Potential and constraints of agricultural mechanisation in Ghana–a review. International Agricultural Engineering Journal, 21(2), 38-43.