Maize productivity amidst northern rural growth credit programme in Ghana

Abstract

The need to improve maize production and develop agriculture led to the design and implementation of many flagship programmes in Ghana. Among these programmes is the rural growth credit programme. This paper used current data (2021) from credit-constrained maize farmers in the rural growth credit programme to extend the propensity score matching method to the analysis of credit impacts on farm productivity. The study used a sample of 130 farmers, comprising 65 farmers as a treatment group and 65 farmers as a control group. The findings of this paper indicate that, credit-constrained farmers who have access to the rural growth credit relatively have more productivity than credit-constrained farmers who did not have access to the credit. The paper therefore conclude that, the rural growth credit intervention program did achieved its intended purpose in respect of improving farm productivity in Ghana. It could therefore be deduced that credit interventions programs do have a positive impact on farm productivity in Ghana.

Keywords

• Agriculture
• Credit
• Government programme
• Maize productivity