Development of business capacity and organization of commercial business of farmer based organizations in the northern intervention zone in Ghana: A case study of nine-farmer based organizations

Abstract

The Agricultural Component of the Millennium Challenge Account Ghana Compact was to alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods of farmers through commercial development of farmer organizations in the intervention zones in Ghana. In Ghana, there were three intervention zones as Southern Horticultural Zone, Afram Basin Zone and Northern Horticultural Zone. Nine Farmer Based Organizations (FBO’s) of 450 farmers consisting of 65.1% males and 34.9% females in the West Mamprusi district of the Northern Horticultural Zone were trained by authors under the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) Agricultural Project. Farmers of the FBO’s were trained on nine modules on Business Capacity Building and five modules on Organization of Commercial Business over a period of six weeks. Age range of trainee farmers was 30-39 years for males representing 37.54% and 40-49 years f or females representing 29.94%. Educational level of trainee farmers was 9.90% males and 1.91% females who completed primary school. Trainee farmers who completed senior high school were 2.73% and 0.64% for males and females, respectively. There were no university graduates among the trainees of the nine farmer groups trained. Among the educated trainee farmers was 81.91% male illiterate and 91.72% il literate. Trainees’ farm size was 0.4-2.0 hectares representing 57.43% males and 66.45% females. Attendance of male trainees over the period of six weeks was 89.76% and 10.24% absentees, whereas attendance of females over the same period was 88.96% and 11.04% absentees. Nine Action Business Plans were developed for the nine FBO’s to access financial support from the MiDA participating financial institutions in the horticultural zone for the commercial development of farmers’ organ izations. This paper presents a case study analysis of Business Capacity Building and Organization of Commercial Business modules provided in the Northern Horticultural Zone to nine Farmer Based Organizations (FBO’s).