Bismark Dwumfour-Asare ¹, Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko ², Abu Adams ¹

Affiliations
1 Departments of Environmental Health and Sanitation Education, College of Agriculture Education, University of Education, Winneba, Asante-Mampong, GH
2 Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GH

Abstract

Objectives: Farmland tenure and water sources are increasingly challenging among urban vegetable farmers. The pertaining situation and wastewater reuse potential are assessed in one of well-known vegetable producing centers in Ghana. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Data was collected using structured interviews and observations in a farm-based survey with 50 selected farmers (i.e. 30% of estimated farmers) between February and March 2015. Data analyses employed descriptive statistics, one-sample t-test and Chi square goodness-of-fit test at 5% significance level. Findings: Few farmers (12%, n=6) own their farmlands, and 36% (n=18) were renting at a median cost of GHS 87.5 per acre/year (GHS 77.3±35.6), which is costlier than the expected. Sizes of farmlands were mostly 1 – 2 acres (82%, n=41, p=0.064), smaller than expected although statistically insignificant. Most farmers planted vegetables all seasons (both dry and wet) (88%, n=44), and 1 – 2 different vegetables are planted on-plot at a time by most farmers as well (86%, n=43). Farmers mostly depended on direct rains (rain fed irrigation) and rain-dependent water sources (94% to 95%). Meanwhile, awareness and willingness to practice wastewater irrigation is low, 20% (n=10) and 4% (n=2) respectively. Some cost analyses and means of family livelihood are discussed in the paper. Application/ Improvements: Vegetable farmland tenure arrangements are not the best but make farmers insecure and incur high rent. Farmers’ livelihoods are prone to rainwater source overdependence. Wastewater reuse potential must be explored.

Keywords

Farmland Tenure, Ghana, Vegetable Farmers, Wastewater Reuse, Water Sources

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