EFFECTS OF DECENTRALIZATION ON AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN EAST GONJA DISTRICT, NORTHERN REGION, GHANA

Abstract

Though the traditional role of the department of agriculture under the district assembly still focuses on agricultural development, resource flow, reporting structures and decision making processes has shifted from mainstream MoFA after the implementation of decentralization. Yet, very little is known about the extent to which this shift has contributed to agricultural development at the district level. This study therefore, examined the effects of decentralization of agricultural development in the East Gonja District. This was done by collecting both secondary and primary data. Primary data were collected from a sample of 180 stakeholders comprising 136 farmers and 44 other key stakeholders drawn from, DA, DoA, NGOs and Assembly members. Data was collected using questionnaire, interview guides and focus group discussions. The study revealed that age, education, sex and farming experience recorded significant coefficients of 0.239, 0.345, 0.301 and 0.112 respectively. This implies that age, education, sex and farming experience were the predictors of participation in agricultural development. Meanwhile, in contrast marital status recorded a negative standard coefficient figure of 0.121 which implied that marital status does not have any impact on participation in agricultural development. The results also revealed that the achievements of decentralization were abysmal with inadequate resource taking a central stage, whilst the constraints abound. On the reporting structure, there was poor communication resulting in tension among stakeholders in the agricultural sector and the DA; resulting in some negative impact on agricultural productivity. The reporting structures were ill equipped with the requisite knowledge of their new roles. Based on this, it is recommended that the assembly should ensure that the key stakeholders understand the new concept to be able to take up their new roles at the DA. There is also the need to identify avenues where internally generated funds could be generated to supplement the central government allocations.