Reasons Prompting the Adoption of Organic Fertilizers in Vegetable Production in Agotime-Ziope District, Ghana

Abstract

The objective of this research was to identify the reasons prompting the adoption of organic fertilizers in vegetable production and also to establish the factors that discourage organic fertilizer usage in vegetable production. Data from 50 purposively selected farmers based in Agotime-Ziope District was used. A binomial logistic regression analysis was fitted to a data of 50 farmers. Results show that five factors; X4 (Easy access), X5 (Less processing needed), X8 (More economical), X9 (Consumer preference of organic products), and X11 (Enhanced healthy ecosystem) were statistically significant in the prediction of the adoption of organic fertilizers with a predicted adoption rate of 93.64%. Furthermore, respondents were unanimous on “Doubtful efficacy”, “Health risk”, and “Labour intensive” as the factors that discourage organic fertilizer usage in vegetable production. It was therefore suggested that entrepreneurs and investors should be incentivized by Government through tax exceptions and subsidies among others things to put resources into setting up more more composting sites as composting help remove some portion of the constraints related with raw manure such as the need for drying which consumes time and increases opportunity cost. Finally, there is the need for consumer sensitization by nutritionists on the potential benefits of patronizing organically grown vegetables. This could expand the demand for organically grown vegetables and the willingness of consumers to pay premium price and hence stimulate organic production by farmers.