CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Cassava is one of the most widely grown staple crops in Ghana. It is eaten fresh, and it is processed into products such as gari, kokonte and cassava dough, which supply both household food and income, especially for rural women. Cassava is tolerant of poor soils and irregular rainfall, which makes it an important food security crop for smallholders. Even so, farm-level productivity remains far below potential because of low use of improved varieties, pests and diseases, poor soil management and limited access to technical support.

Agricultural extension is meant to close this gap. In the cassava sector, extension helps farmers to obtain clean planting material of improved varieties, adopt recommended planting and weed control practices, and manage pests and diseases. Kondo et al. (2026), using a sample of 608 cassava-producing households in Ghana, found that adoption of improved cassava varieties had a positive impact on cassava yields, land productivity and household crop income, and that adopters were far more likely than non-adopters to have learned about the improved varieties through extension agents. The study also reported that the adoption rate of improved varieties was only about 25 per cent in the sample, which shows that much remains to be done. At a broader level, Anang et al. (2020) and Danso-Abbeam et al. (2018) found that extension services in northern Ghana are associated with higher adoption and with better farm productivity and income, although these studies concerned improved seed and maize rather than cassava.

The South Dayi District in the Volta Region has a strong link to cassava research and extension. According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (n.d.), cassava is a major crop in the district, and its production is supported by the Root and Tuber Improvement Project at the Kpeve Agricultural Station, which multiplies improved cassava planting materials for farmers. The District Agricultural Development Unit is the main facilitator of increased agricultural production and productivity in the district. Kpeve and its surrounding communities therefore have the advantage of being close to an agricultural station and to district extension staff.

It is not clear, however, how effective these extension services have been in improving cassava production among farmers in Kpeve and surrounding communities. This study examines that question.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Cassava farmers in Ghana continue to record yields far below what is achievable with improved varieties and good agronomic practices. In Kpeve and the surrounding communities, farmers have access to an agricultural station and to the District Agricultural Development Unit, yet it is not known how many farmers actually receive extension services, what kind of services they receive, and whether the services have raised their cassava output.

Without such evidence, it is difficult to judge whether the extension effort in the area is effective or which areas need improvement. This study therefore assesses the effectiveness of agricultural extension services in improving cassava production among farmers in Kpeve and surrounding communities, South Dayi District, Volta Region.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of agricultural extension services in improving cassava production among farmers in Kpeve and surrounding communities, South Dayi District, Volta Region. The specific objectives are to:

(1) describe the socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers in the study area;

(2) identify the extension services available to cassava farmers in the study area;

(3) determine the extent of farmers’ use of the extension services and of improved cassava practices;

(4) assess the effect of extension services on cassava production; and

(5) identify the constraints to the effective delivery and use of extension services in the study area.

1.4 Research Questions

(1) What are the socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers in the study area?

(2) What extension services are available to cassava farmers?

(3) To what extent do farmers use extension services and improved cassava practices?

(4) What is the effect of extension services on cassava production?

(5) What constraints affect the delivery and use of extension services?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will be tested at the 5% level of significance:

H01: Agricultural extension services have no significant effect on cassava production among farmers in the study area.

H02: There is no significant difference in cassava output between farmers who use extension services and those who do not.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings will help the South Dayi District Agricultural Development Unit, the Kpeve Agricultural Station and other extension providers to judge how effective their services are and where they should be improved. Cassava farmers will benefit from clearer recommendations on how to obtain and use extension support. District assemblies and policy makers can use the results in planning root and tuber programmes. The study also adds to the literature on extension and cassava production in the Volta Region.

1.7 Delimitation of the Study

The study is limited to cassava farmers in Kpeve and its surrounding communities in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region. It considers agricultural extension services as the independent variable and cassava production, measured mainly as output and yield per unit area, as the dependent variable.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The study covers one area, so its findings may not apply to all cassava farmers in the Volta Region. Many smallholders do not keep records, so figures on output and farm size will rely on recall and may contain errors. Cassava is harvested at different times, which makes yield estimates difficult. These limitations will be handled through careful questionnaire design, use of local units of measurement with conversion, and cross-checking of responses.

1.9 Definition of Terms

(1) Agricultural extension services: Advisory, training and demonstration activities that provide farmers with knowledge and technologies.

(2) Effectiveness: The extent to which extension services achieve their intended results, here improved cassava production.

(3) Cassava production: The quantity of cassava output obtained by a farmer, usually expressed in tonnes or yield per hectare.

(4) Improved cassava varieties: Varieties developed by research institutions that give higher yields or better resistance to pests and diseases than local varieties.

1.10 Organisation of the Study

The study is organised into five chapters. Chapter One presents the introduction, comprising the background, statement of the problem, objectives, research questions, hypotheses, significance, delimitation, limitations and definition of terms. Chapter Two reviews relevant theoretical, conceptual and empirical literature. Chapter Three describes the research methodology, including the study area, research design, population, sampling procedure, data collection instruments and methods of data analysis. Chapter Four presents and discusses the results, while Chapter Five gives the summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations.

References

Anang, B. T., Bäckman, S., & Sipiläinen, T. (2020). Adoption and income effects of agricultural extension in northern Ghana. Scientific African, 7, e00219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2019.e00219

Danso-Abbeam, G., Ehiakpor, D. S., & Aidoo, R. (2018). Agricultural extension and its effects on farm productivity and income: Insight from Northern Ghana. Agriculture & Food Security, 7, Article 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-018-0225-x

Kondo, K., Asante, B. O., et al. (2026). Improved cassava varieties and smallholder farmers’ productivity and welfare in Ghana: Insights from a robust impact estimator selection approach. Plant-Environment Interactions, 7. https://doi.org/10.1002/pei3.70186

Ministry of Food and Agriculture. (n.d.). South Dayi District. https://mofa.gov.gh/site/sports/district-directorates/volta-region/303-south-dayi