GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE iii

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE iv

 FOREWORD
The 2017/18 Ghana Census of Agriculture (GCA) is the fourth census of
agriculture carried out in the country. Earlier agricultural censuses were
conducted in 1950, 1970 and 1984/85. Unlike the previous censuses, the
2017/18 GCA was an electronic census that deployed tablets and the
Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) technique to collect nationwide
information on households and institutions engaged in agricultural activities.

The GCA w a s c o n d u c t e d t o provide benchmark data for planning and

monitoring the national development agenda-the Coordinated
Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies 2017-2024 and
the Medium-Term N a t i o n a l Development Policy Framework 2018-2021.
The census will help policymakers set targets to assess progress towards the
attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African
Union Agenda 2063. Additionally, the GCA will enhance the understanding
of the effectiveness of the various agricultural interventions and other
national policy initiatives, such as the "Planting for Food and Jobs" with its
five modules by government and development partners to improve the
livelihood of citizens and ensure food security for the country.

The census was a collaboration between the Ghana Statistical Service and
the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The data collection consisted of two
broad phases. Phase one- the Listing Phase -entailed listing of all
structures to identify all agricultural households and institutions. Phase two
consisted of the administration of the core and community modules, and
the collection of data on all agricultural households and institutions identified
in Phase one. Appropriate statistical procedures and controls were put in
place during the data collection to ensure that data from the census are of
high quality.

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE v

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture
(MoFA) acknowledge the invaluable contribution of institutions and
individuals to the successful implementation of the 2017118 Ghana Census
of Agriculture (GCA).

Special gratitude goes to the following: The Food and Agriculture

Organisation (FAO), the World Bank (WB), the Government of the
Netherlands, and the Department for International Development (DFID) of
the United Kingdom for financial and technical support. Further gratitude
goes to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Technical Support Services (METSS)
of USAID for logistical support. We further acknowledge the Vice-Chancellor
of the University of Ghana and the Institute of Statistical, Social and
Economic Research (ISSER) of the same University, and the Birth and Death
Registry for their material and technical support during the preparation and
implementation of the GCA.

We acknowledge with thanks the support of the Ministry of Finance; the

Ministry of Communications; the Ministry of Information; the Ministry of Fisheries
and Aquaculture Development; and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. In
addition, sincere thanks and acknowledgement are extended to the Ministry
of Local Government and Rural Development; the Ministry of Lands, Mines
and Natural Resources; the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social
Protection as well as the Regional and District Management Committees of
the GCA.

The Management of GSS is grateful for the exemplary and inspiring

leadership provided by the National Steering Committee and in particular
the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Honorable Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the
Chairman of the Steering Committee and his co-chair, Honorable Vincent
Sowah Odotei (MP) and Deputy Minister for Communications. The passion
and technical support provided by the GSS Board made an indelible impact
in ensuring the successful conduct of the GCA.

Finally, GSS is particularly grateful to Prof. Simon Mariwah whose reviews and
comments have contributed to enriching this report. We are indebted to all
who contributed in diverse ways to the successful implementation of the
Census, especially management of GSS, the data processing and analysis
team and report writers.

PROF. SAMUEL KOBINA ANNIM

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE vi

 TABLE OF CONTENT

FOREWORD ............................................................................................................... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................vi
LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... viii
ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................. ix
1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1
2.0 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS AND DATA SOURCES......................................... 3
2.1 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS.............................................................................. 3
2.2. DATA SOURCES .............................................................................................. 5
3.0 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE SELECTION OF CORRELATES OF ARABLE CROPS . 6
3.1 Sex .................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Age................................................................................................................... 6
3.3 Locality of Residence ..................................................................................... 6
3.4 Educational Attainment................................................................................. 6
3.5 Literacy status ................................................................................................. 7
3.6 Disability Status ................................................................................................ 7
3.7 Scale of Production ........................................................................................ 7
3.8 Land Tenure Arrangement ............................................................................ 8
3.9 Cropping System ............................................................................................ 8
4.0 KEY FINDINGS ...................................................................................................... 9
4.1 Patterns and correlates .............................................................................. 9
5.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................. 26
REFERENCES............................................................................................................. 27
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ........................................................................................... 28

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE vii

 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by type of arable crop* and sex ........ 9
Figure 2: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by top 25 most cultivated crops ....... 10
Figure 3: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by type of locality and sex ................ 11
Figure 4: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by Age, and Region .......................... 12
Figure 6: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by literacy status, and region ........... 14
Figure 7: Arable crop holders 15 years or older with disability status and sex ............. 15
Figure 8: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by type disability, sex, and type of
region................................................................................................................................. 16
Figure 9: Land parcels for agriculture by type of cropping system and size (acres),
and by type of arable crop ............................................................................................. 17
Figure 10: Land parcels used in cultivating arable crop by type of land tenure
arrangement, and by sex of holder ................................................................................ 18
Figure 11: Number of institutions into Arable Crops Production by Region ................. 19
Figure 12: Institutions in arable crop cultivation by type of arable crop (percent) .... 20
Figure 13: Land parcels of arable crop institutions by size (acres) of parcel ............... 21
Figure 14: Quantity (mts) from arable crop institutions by scale of production and
type of arable crop,) and Region ................................................................................... 22
Figure 15: Arable crop institutions by type of arable crop and type of cropping
system. ............................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 16: Quantity (mts) of arable crop by scale of production and type of arable
crop ................................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 17: Arable crop institutions by type of arable crop, and by purpose for
production ........................................................................................................................ 25

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE viii

 ACRONYMS
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FASDEP Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy
FBS Food Balance Sheet
GCA Ghana Census of Agriculture
MoFA Ministry of Food and Agriculture
Mt Metric Tons
NDPC National Development Planning Commission

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE ix

 1.0 INTRODUCTION
Agriculture plays a vital role in Ghana’s economy and has a great impact on
poverty reduction. It is also critical for rural development and cultural values,
social stabilization, environmental sustainability and buffering economic
shocks. The sector, which currently provides employment for about 32%1 of the
total workforce in Ghana, is predominantly a smallholder activity. About 90%
of farm holdings are less than 2 hectares in size, although there are some
relatively large farms and plantations in arable crops production.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is deeply
involved in various aspects related to arable crops, as part of its broader
mission to eliminate hunger, improve nutrition, promote sustainable agriculture,
and ensure food security worldwide. FAO collects and maintains
comprehensive data on arable crop production, trade, consumption, and
other related statistics. This data is used to monitor global trends, identify
challenges, and inform policy decisions.

Arable crops are closely linked to several Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) due to their critical role played in ensuring food security, alleviating
poverty, and improving sustainable agricultural practices. Sustainable farming
practices associated with arable crops, such as agroforestry, cover cropping,
and crop rotation, can enhance soil health, sequester carbon, and mitigate
climate change impacts. Further, the cultivation of arable crops is connected
to land use and ecosystem health. Thus, implementing sustainable agricultural
practices helps prevent soil erosion, maintain biodiversity, and protect natural
habitats leading to increase productivity and sustainability of arable crop
production to provide nutritious food for the growing population. Arable crop
production supports rural livelihoods and creates employment opportunities for
millions of people worldwide, contributing to economic growth in many
regions.

The National Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP) is a

strategic framework developed by the government of Ghana to guide the
growth and development of the country's agricultural sector. FASDEP outlines
the priorities, goals, and strategies for achieving sustainable agricultural
development, improving food security, and enhancing the livelihoods of
farmers and rural communities. Among other objectives of FASDEP, it aims to
increase the productivity of agricultural activities, including arable crop

1 statsghana.gov.gh/gssmain/fileUpload/pressrelease/2021 PHC General Report Vol 3E_Economic Activity.pdf

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 1

 production, through the adoption of improved technologies, best practices,
and modern farming methods.

Further, the policy emphasizes the importance of sustainable agricultural

practices, including agroecology, crop rotation, and soil conservation, to
ensure the long-term viability of the sector and minimize environmental
impact. It also seeks to improve food security by increasing domestic food
production, reducing post-harvest losses, and enhancing access to nutritious
and diverse foods.

In addition, the government of Ghana has implemented fertilizer subsidy

programmes as part of its efforts to increase access to fertilizers for smallholder
farmers. These programmes aim to boost soil fertility and crop yields. Among
the modules of the programme are Food and Horticulture Crops. While the
food crops module aims to boost food productivity and production, and
reduce the importation of selected food commodities, the horticultural
module is to establish strong agribusiness in sub-sector to attract Ghanaian
youth.

Ghana achieved food self-sufficiency in all the major staple crops except rice
and millet in 2017. According to the PFJ operational performance,2018 about
150,000mt of main food items were exported to neighbouring countries,
namely Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger etc and over 794 ,944 jobs were created out
of 900,000 targets, and over 4.2 million MT of yield from seven crops were
recorded (PFJ, 2020)2.

As a follow up to the GCA report on arable crops, this brief examines the
patterns and correlates of arable crop holders as well as exploring the ways in
which the identified correlates could help address national policy agendas for
the arable crop sector.

2 Planting for Food & Jobs (mofa.gov.gh)

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 2.0 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS AND DATA SOURCES
2.1 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS

Agricultural activity: Agricultural activities include the cultivation of arable crops,

tree crops, forest trees and the rearing of livestock, aquaculture, and capture
fisheries.

Agricultural household: A household with at least one of its members engaged in an

agricultural activity.

Agricultural land: This is defined as the sum of arable land, land under permanent
crops and land under permanent pastures.

Agricultural institution: An institution engaged in an agricultural activity.

Arable crops: Crops that mature within a short period, usually less than one year.
Examples of arable crops are plantain, cocoyam, cassava, yam, etc.

Arable land: refers to all land generally under rotation whether it is under temporary
crops, left temporary fallow or used as temporary pastures.

Disability: refers to those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or

sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full
and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Field: A piece of land in a parcel separated from the rest of the parcels by easily
recognisable demarcation lines, such as paths, cadastral boundaries and/or
hedges. A field may consist of one or more plots.

Holder: Agricultural holder (Farm owner) is a person who takes the major decisions
regarding resource use and exercises management control over the holding.

Household: A person or group of persons who normally live together and are
catered for as one unit. Members of the household may or may not be related.

Institution: A non-household entity engaged in commercial or non-commercial

agricultural activities.

Land tenure: The relationship, whether legally or customarily defined, among

individuals or groups that define how access is granted to rights to use, control, and
transfer land, as well as associated responsibilities and restraints. (FAO).

Large-scale farming: Land area greater than or equal to 5 acres for arable crops and
greater than or equal to 10 acres for tree crops.

Leasehold: A piece of land that can be used for a limited period of time according
to the arrangement in the lease.

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 3

 Literacy: Ability to read and write in any language with understanding in any
language.

Locality: A distinct population cluster (also designated as inhabited place, populated

centre, settlement) which has a NAME or LOCALLY RECOGNISED STATUS. It includes
fishing hamlets, mining camps, ranches, farms, market towns, villages, towns, cities and
many other types of population clusters, which meet the above criteria.

Medium-scale farming: Land area greater than 2 acres but less than 5 acres for
arable crops and greater than 5 acres but less than 10 acres for tree crops

Mixed-cropping: The growing of two or more different crops on the same

parcel of land.

Mono-cropping: The cultivation of a single crop at a time on a

parcel of land.

Parcel of land: A piece of land under one land tenure arrangements, entirely
surrounded by features such as other land (not under the same land tenure
arrangement), water, road, or forest. A parcel may consist of one or more fields or
plots adjacent to each other.

Plot: The section of a parcel or field used for cultivating a specific crop or a mix
of crops.

Share-cropping: A system of land-use arrangement that functions in two main

prominent ways, namely, abunu and abusa. Abunu: the completed farmland is
physically divided into two with the tenant and the landlord taking equal shares of the
harvest or the cropped land. Abusa: the proceeds of the land are shared in the ratio
of 1:2 with the landlord taking one part and the tenant two-thirds.

Small-scale: Land area of sizes that are less than 2 acres for arable crops and less than
or equal to 5 acres for tree crops.

Squatting: The practice where a holder is using a parcel of private or public land
without any clear ownership and/or permission of the owner.

Trusteeship: A situation in which someone's land or property is managed by

another person or organisation on behalf of the owner.

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 4

 2.2. DATA SOURCES
The statistics presented in this report are generated from the 2017/2018 Ghana
Census of Agriculture Regional Thematic Table on Arable crops.

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 5

 3.0 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE SELECTION OF CORRELATES
OF ARABLE CROPS
3.1 Sex

Agriculture is generally classified as men’s activity. Besides, biologically and

physically, men have more strength relative to that of their female
counterparts which enable them to engage in more vigorous activities such as
farming than females. However, female farmers produce less than men not
because they are less efficient farmers, but because they lack equal access
to resources such as credit facilities, land, and other productive inputs.

3.2 Age

The point is often made that young people in Ghana are generally not
interested in farming (Solidaridad, 2020)3. The situation is attributed to a lack of
the enabling environment, including easy access to affordable credit, land
and other inputs that will make farming attractive and profitable to the youth.
It is estimated that over half of Ghanaian farmers are between 50 to 60 years
old. This report, therefore, presents yet another opportunity to examine how
the “age” factor interrelates specifically with arable crop holdings and would
help us understand whether those earlier assertions are equally hold for arable
crop farming. For sustainable arable crop farming, the youth must be very
much involved. All efforts must therefore be made to attract them if they are
not into it already.

3.3 Locality of Residence

Locality or place of residence has great influence on farming activities in

Ghana. Generally, farming activity is believed to be the preserve of the rural
folks. This confirms the fact that, agriculture provides employment opportunities
to most of the rural dwellers compared to their counterparts in the urban areas.

3.4 Educational Attainment

There is a negative correlation between the level of educational attainment

and agriculture activity. Once individuals acquire high level of education,
farming becomes less attractive hence the level of participation in agricultural

3https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/news/spotlighting-youth-in-agriculture-in-ghana/
Accessed on June 15, 2023

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 6

 activity consequently or invariably declines. Educational attainment provides
opportunity to learn, understand and adopt modern technological practices
to improve agricultural yields, land use and sound environmental practices for
the purposes of environmental conservation.

3.5 Literacy status

In times past, the discourse on literacy was mainly about language. In recent
times, however, several other dimensions of literacy have evolved, including
financial, digital, statistics, numeracy, and environmental literacy. Even though
it might make sense to assume that language literacy influences the other
dimensions of literacy, the question of how these dimensions are interrelated
has not been adequately addressed through empirical studies. The need to
examine if, for instance, language literacy has some effects on environmental
literacy and consequent actions such as tree crop farming would be of interest
to this study. The specific question to answer is, “Is one to expect many more
literates who have arable crop holdings than their illiterate counterparts,
possibly, because literates are more likely to understand the positive effects of
these arable crop holdings on the household, economy, environment, among
other benefits?

3.6 Disability Status

Persons with disabilities usually face challenges including discrimination,

stigmatization and even exclusion from life-sustaining opportunities in society,
rendering them very vulnerable. Unless the government makes targeted
policies to support people with disability, it will be difficult for them to
participate or compete effectively for the limited social and economic
opportunities Persons with disability are often disadvantaged in terms of
ownership and access to land and other properties; a challenge that could
limit their ability of engaging in arable crop farming in a way compared with
persons without disability.

3.7 Scale of Production

The production capacity of arable crop can differ from small, medium to large
scale depending on the size of the crop holding. Before one engages in
production, one is required to make an initial capital outlay in the form of land,
labour and machinery. How large or small the size of this initial outlay will
determine whether the holder can either be in a large, medium or small-scale

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 7

 production. Large scale production requires a large capital outlay and the
availability and access to capital, especially land for agriculture, is often
identified as a major limiting factor for investment in many parts of this country.
Persons or institutions that have access to capital are more likely to have arable
crop plantations that are into large scale production.

3.8 Land Tenure Arrangement

The type of tenure arrangement through which one gains access to land may
inform the decision on what the land is used for. Some tenurial arrangements
may be more favourable for long term investment than others. For instance, it
may be deemed riskier to use land accessed through trusteeship, renting, and
squatting for arable crops though require a short-time investment, compared
to freehold, inheritance and others. An assessment of the various tenurial
arrangements will help determine which form of arrangements are suitable
and commonly used for arable crops.

3.9 Cropping System

Mono cropping and mixed cropping are the main cropping systems used
under arable crop cultivation. Arable crops draw soil nutrients at different levels
of the soil depending on their root systems. Information on the cropping system
provides a useful guide on the optimum combination of arable crops,
especially in the case of mixed arable cropping to inform the right
combination of arable types to maximize benefits on crop lands and crop
yields.

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 4.0 KEY FINDINGS
4.1 Patterns and correlates

More than seven out of ten male holders (73.2%) predominate in

the cultivation of arable crops. Majority of arable crop holders
(58.8%) are males, while females (20.6%) are into the cultivation of
starchy staples. This is followed by pulses and legumes.

Figure 1: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by type of arable crop* and
sex

120.0

100.0

26.8
80.0
20.6
60.0

40.0
73.2
58.8
20.0 3.3 1.2 1.5

8.5 3.4
- 1.8 0.1
0.3 0.1
0.2 0.0
0.1

Male Female

*A holder may be engaged in more than one agriculture activity.

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 9

 The most cultivated crop by arable crop holders is maize. This is
followed by cassava and plantain.

Figure 2: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by top 25 most cultivated

crops

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 10

 Majority of arable crop holders are males, irrespective of locality.

Figure 3: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by type of locality and sex

Total Urban Rural

Total 28.4 28.9 28.2
71.6 71.1 71.8
Upper West 18.0 18.0 17.8
82.0 82.0 82.2
Upper East 24.4 24.4 32.2
75.6 75.6 67.8
11.2 11.2 13.0
North East 87.0
88.8 88.8
10.2 10.2 16.9
Savannah 83.1
89.8 89.8
9.1
18.3
Northern 9.1 81.7
90.9 90.9 25.0
Oti 21.3 21.3 75.0
78.7 78.7 22.6
Bono East 25.8 25.8 77.4
74.2 74.2 30.5
Bono 40.5 40.5 69.5
59.5 59.5 27.9
38.0 38.0 72.1
Ahafo
62.0 62.0 26.5
36.8 36.8 73.5
Western North 35.0
63.2 63.2
65.0
Ashanti 38.1 38.1
61.9 61.9 27.9
72.1
Eastern 30.9 30.9 37.7
69.1 69.1 62.3
Volta 29.3 29.3 25.8
70.7 70.7 74.2
Greater Accra 24.5 24.5 35.8
75.5 75.5 64.2
Central 34.7 34.7 38.3
65.3 65.3 61.7
Western 39.3 39.3 - 50.0 100.0
60.7 60.7
- 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 - 50.0 100.0 Fem…
Male

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 11

 Majority of arable crop holders are in the 36-59 years age group. The
proportions are similar for all types of arable crops either in the
urban or rural areas across the sixteen (16) Regions.

Figure 4: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by Age, and Region

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 12

 About 47.5 percent of arable crop holders have never attended. The
proportion of those who have never attended school is highest in Northern
(84.4%) and lowest in Eastern region (22.6%).
Majority of the arable crop holders are in the 36-59 years age group for all the
Figure 5: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by educational attainment
and type of locality

Total 47.5 41.1 7.2 0.53.7

Upper West 73.6 16.5 5.40.34.2

Upper East 74.6 15.9 5.20.33.9

North East 80.2 9.8 6.1 0.43.6

Savannah 82.8 10.2 2.8

3.80.3

Northern 84.4 8.1 2.5

4.70.3

Oti 53.3 34.4 8.5 0.53.3

Bono East 49.3 39.1 7.3 0.53.9

Bono 36.2 49.4 9.9 0.54.0

Ahafo 27.8 56.7 10.7 0.74.0

Western North 29.9 55.1 10.6 0.73.7

Ashanti 27.0 62.1 6.9 0.53.5

Eastern 22.6 65.8 7.7 0.53.4

Volta 23.3 60.1 10.5 0.95.2

Greater Accra 24.7 50.8 15.6 1.2 7.6

Central 29.4 60.2 3.2

6.8 0.4

Western 29.9 56.9 9.0 0.53.7

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Never attended Basic education Sec.vocational Post-secondary/Diploma Tertiary

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 13

 More than half (51.0%) of Arable crop holders are non-literate. The proportion
of arable crop holders who are non-literate is higher in North East (74.5%),
Northern (71.6%) and Upper East (70.4%) regions.
Figure 6: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by literacy status, and region

120.0

100.0

25.5
28.4 29.6
31.5 31.6
80.0 41.2
47.8 49.0
52.9 55.1 53.9
57.7 59.5 58.2
67.1
Percent

75.1
60.0 81.5

40.0
74.5
71.6 70.4
68.5 68.4
58.8
52.2 51.0
47.1 44.9 46.1
20.0 42.3 40.5 41.8
32.9
24.9
18.5

None(not Literate) Literate

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 14

 Female holders of arable crop have more disability compared to
their male counterpart.
Figure 7: Arable crop holders 15 years or older with disability status and sex

With Disability 1.0 0.9 1.3

Without Disability 99.0 99.1 98.7

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Both Sexes Male Female

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 15

 Of all the different forms of disabilities among arable crop holders,
sight difficulties are more prevalent among males across the
different types of disability.
Figure 8: Arable crop holders 15 years or older by type disability, sex, and
type of region

speech, 10.6
physical, 8.5

hearing, 17.6

sight, 63.3

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 16

 Majority of arable crop holders who practise mixed-cropping used parcels that
are less than 2 acres, likewise holders who practise mono-cropping. On
average, 69.3 percent of holders cultivating arable crops and practising
mono-cropping have parcels of land that are less than or equal to 2 acres in
size while 21.9 percent cultivate on parcels greater than 2 acres but less than
5 acres in size. Only 2.7 percent of holders cultivate on parcels that are greater
than 10 acres.

Figure 9: Land parcels for agriculture by type of cropping system and size
(acres), and by type of arable crop

MONO-CROPPING MI XE D - CRO PPI NG

<=2 >2 - <= 5 >5 - <=10 10+ <=2 >2 - <= 5 >5 - <=10 10+

Total
69.3 21.9 6.02.7 69.0 22.1 6.7 2.2

Upper West
76.2 18.1 3.9
1.8 61.1 30.8 5.9 2.3

Upper East
85.2 12.01.3
1.5 80.5 16.9 1.9 0.7

North East
52.2 34.0 11.3 2.6 28.4 43.0 22.8 5.8

Savannah
46.5 32.6 11.3 9.5 39.7 36.7 16.4 7.2

Northern
48.9 36.9 10.6 3.6 38.0 40.9 16.3 4.8

Oti
74.0 19.0 4.42.6 53.5 35.3 9.2 2.0

Bono East
57.5 29.9 9.2 3.4 47.7 35.7 12.8 3.7

Bono
60.4 27.4 8.7 3.5 57.0 29.2 10.2 3.5

Ah a f o
62.8 27.2 7.52.4 61.3 27.3 8.9 2.5

Western North
69.9 20.7 7.32.1 71.8 20.3 6.2 1.7

As h a n ti
61.4 26.3 8.9 3.4 71.2 20.8 6.0 2.0

Eastern
78.2 14.7 4.22.9 80.1 15.2 3.2 1.4

Volta
83.1 12.8 2.9
1.3 73.4 21.0 4.2 1.4

Gr e a te r Ac c r a
72.6 18.5 4.64.3 65.6 23.6 7.2 3.6

Central
92.7 5.2
1.0
1.1 93.5 4.9
1.1 0.5

Western
95.3 2.8
0.7
1.1 89.4 7.02.5 1.1

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 17

 About three-quarters (73.5%) of land parcels used for cultivation of arable
crops are owned by males, mainly through freehold (36.0%) and trusteeship
(17.8%).

Figure 10: Land parcels used in cultivating arable crop by type of land tenure arrangement,
and by sex of holder

Both sexes Male Female

Other 0.2 0.1 0.0

Share-cropping 2.5 1.6 0.9

Trusteeship 25.0 17.8 7.2

Land Tenure Arrangement

Inheritance 2.3 1.5 0.8

Renting 7.2 5.6 1.7

Leasehold 10.4 7.8 2.6

Squatting 4.5 3.1 1.4

Own/free Holding 47.9 36.0 11.9

Both sexes 100.0 73.5 26.5

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Percent

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 18

 A total of 17,541 agricultural institutions are cultivating arable crops, with the
Ashanti and Eastern regions dominating. Institutions may have more than one
holding and may be engaged in multiple cropping.

Figure 11: Number of institutions into Arable Crops Production by Region

North East 166

Savannah 287

Bono 389

Bono East 432

Oti 548

Western North 626

Northern 692

Ahafo 720

Upper West 828

Upper East 966

Western 984

Central 1,321

Greater Accra 1,367

Volta 1,699

Eastern 3,164

Ashanti 3,352

Total 17,541

- 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 19

 More than four-fifths (81. 9% ) of agricultural institutions which are into arable
crops are cultivating starchy staples (81.9%). This is followed distantly by non-
vegetable crops (6.7%) and pulse/legume crops (6.4%).
Figure 12: Institutions in arable crop cultivation by type of arable crop
(percent)

Non-vegetable crops,
6.7

Pulse/legume crops,
6.4

Starchy staple crops,

81.9
Herbs/spices/condime
nt, 3.3

Horticultural crops,
1.1

Industrial crops, 0.3

Leafy vegetable crops,

0.3

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 20

 Overall, more than 18,000 land parcels are used by agricultural
institutions engaged in arable crop cultivation. The land sizes used
are less than 5 acres, with majority using less than 2 acres (70.7%)
of land. Only 708 (3.9%)of parcels used are 10 acres or larger.

Figure 13: Land parcels of arable crop institutions by size (acres) of parcel

10+, 3.9
5 = <10, 6.4

18,074
2 = <5, 18.9

<2, 70.7

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 Starchy staples (89.6%) are the main type of crops produced by institutions on
small-scale. Similarly, among institutions which produced on medium-scale,
starchy staples constituted 86.2 percent of their total production.
Figure 14: Quantity (mts) from arable crop institutions by scale of production
and type of arable crop,) and Region

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 More than half of the institutions that cultivate arable crops uses
mono-cropping (85.6%) and mixed-cropping (85%) system of
production, mainly focused on starchy staples.
By region, Upper East (95.9%) and Ashanti (93.8%) regions have the
highest proportions of institutions into mono and mixed cropping
system respectively.
Figure 15: Arable crop institutions by type of arable crop and type of cropping system.

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 Starchy staples are the most produced crops by institutions on small
(89.6%), medium (86.2%) and large (43.1%) scales. The highest
proportion of small-scale production of starchy staples is in Western
North (99.9%) region with similar patterns across the regions except
Upper West and Greater Accra regions which recorded less than
80%. The least, is recorded in North East.

Figure 16: Quantity (mts) of arable crop by scale of production and type of arable crop

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 24

 The main purpose for cultivating starchy staples by agricultural
institutions is sales only (89.6%) while 65.4 percent cultivate arable
crops for sales with minor consumption.

Figure 17: Arable crop institutions by type of arable crop, and by purpose for
production

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 5.0 CONCLUSIONS
From the key findings, the cultivation of arable crops is one of the most
Agricultural activities in Ghana at both the households and institutions. Arable
crops cultivation is dominated by males, and out of the total of 1,736,440
holders who cultivated one or more arable crops, 71.6 percent are males and
28.4 percent are females. Majority of arable crop holders are into the
cultivation of starchy staples, and this is followed by pulses and legumes. The
most cultivated crop by arable crop holders is maize. This is followed by
cassava and plantain.

This is because of the favourable Ghana's diverse climate and soil conditions
which, support the cultivation of various arable crops. In this light, it is
recommended that farmers should consider factors such as soil type, rainfall
patterns, and market demand when selecting crops to grow to improve upon
their income. Additionally, since agriculture is a significant component of the
economy and livelihoods, adopting sustainable agricultural practices will be
essential to ensure food security, environmental sustainability, and resilience to
climate change. Thus, sustainable agricultural practices should be adopted to
ensure long-term productivity and environmental conservation.

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 26

 REFERENCES

1. MoFA (2007). Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II). Ministry
of Food and Agriculture, Accra, Ghana.

2. MoFA (2019). Catalogue of Crop Varieties Released & Registered In Ghana.

Directorate of Crop Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
https://nastag.org/docx/resources/2019%20NATIONAL%20CROP%20VARIETY%20CATALOGUE.pdf

3. MoFA (2021). Ministry Of Food and Agriculture: Investment Guide For

The Agriculture Sector in Ghana.

4. NDPC (2017). National Development planning Commission (NDPC): Ghana

Medium-Term National Development Plan Framework: An Agenda for jobs-
creating Prosperity and Equal Opportunities for all (2022-2021).

5. SRID-MoFA (2021). Statistics Research, and Information Directorate of Ministry of

Food and Agriculture: Facts & Figures: Agriculture In Ghana.

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 27

 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
Name Email Institution Role

[email protected] Ghana Government Statistician

Prof. Samuel Kobina
Statistical
Annim
Service

[email protected] Ghana Deputy Government

Dr. Faustina
Statistical Statistician
Frempong-Ainguah
Service

[email protected] University of Reviewer

Prof. Simon Mariwah
Cape Coast

[email protected] Ghana Director, Economic Statistics

Mr. Edward Asuo
Statistical Directorate
Afram
Service

[email protected] Ghana Head, Agriculture &

Dr. Bernice Serwah
Statistical Environment Statistics; and
Ofosu-Baadu
Service Reviewer

Mr. Sidney Nii Oko Deputy Supervisor

[email protected]
Bampoe Addo Director

SRID - MOFA

Mr. Elliot Ansah [email protected] Ghana Report writer

Statistical
Service

Mr. Patrick [email protected] / Ghana Report writer

Adzorvor/Mr. Francis [email protected] Statistical
Bright Mensah Service

Mr. Isaac Dadson/Mr. [email protected] / Ghana Report writer

Anthony Krakah [email protected] Statistical
Service

Mrs. Vivian Ashantey [email protected] Ghana Typesetter

Statistical
Service

Mr. Selaseh Akaho [email protected] Ghana Data Visualization

Statistical
Service

Mr. Felix Adjei [email protected] Ghana Graphic design

Statistical
Service

GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE 28

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