MEDIUM SCALE AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF RURAL LANDS IN THE UPPER-EAST REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

This research examines medium-scale agricultural investment and the associated commercialization of rural lands, changes local land tenure regimes and in prospects for smallholder farm expansion in the Kassena-Nakana Municipal and Bulsa- North districts of the Upper East Region of Ghana. The study employed a qualitative approach involving interviews, with investors, earth priests, and farmers. Key informant interviews with agricultural officials and traditional authorities were also conducted. Content analysis and interpretation were used to analyze the data. To broaden the analysis, land acquisition and registration data were obtained from Districts and Regional Land Commission offices. Information collected from the land registries included land sizes and number of acquisitions registered. The study found that, all the medium-scale investors were commercial mango farmers, with acquisitions in excess of 50 hectares. Many of the investments were facilitated by easy access to government grants and credits, and the willingness of earth priests to part with fertile land, mostly in close proximity to shallow groundwater sources. Lands mostly acquired by investors were either pre-owned, cultivated and fallowed land or lands not used for farming. Key feature of the investments was the establishment of mango plantations and the construction of simple irrigation infrastructure like mechanised boreholes. The study also found that the land acquisition had considerable impact on local land tenure regimes. Bushland, formerly managed by earth priests, became privatised, leading to conflicts over the control and benefits from these transactions. This further accelerated the commercialization of internal land relations within the investment communities. In the process, local smallholders also lost access to land formerly used for rain-fed bush farming, hunting and gathering, and as dry-season pasture. This negatively affected their diversified rural livelihoods. However, despite grievances and complains, the locally perceived legitimacy of land transactions authorised by traditional authorities, as well as the menial employment opportunities created by commercial farmers has so far worked to limit internal discontent and resistance to the investments.