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This study investigates implications of crop and income diversifications on consumption expenditure (welfare) of rice-producing households in Ghana. It further compares diversification by three rice production systems: two-season rain-fed, two-season irrigated and one-season rain-fed rice production.

Primary data were sourced from 225 rice farmers. Margalef index and three-stage least-squares were employed.

Majority of rice-farming households in Ghana diversify livelihoods. The extent of livelihood diversification differs among two-season rain-fed, two-season irrigated and one-season rain-fed rice-producing households. Credit, distance to district capitals, production purpose and number of farming seasons influence crop and income diversifications, and consumption expenditure of rice-producing households. While crop diversification reduces consumption expenditure, income diversification increases it. Crop and income diversifications positively influence each other. Consumption expenditure reduces crop diversification but increases income diversification.

Policy should be directed towards the promotion of more livelihood activities to boost rice farmers' welfare. There should be awareness creation and training programmes to enable rice farmers realize different economic activities within and outside the agricultural value chain.

Crop and income diversifications were measured as continuous response variables, unlike previous studies that used a binary response variable. The authors established a synergy among crop and income diversifications, and consumption expenditure (welfare). The authors further compared crop and income diversifications by three rice production systems: two-season rain-fed, two-season irrigated and one-season rain-fed rice production systems.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the profitability of rice production for irrigated and rain-fed farmers; determine the factors that influence farmers' decision to participate in irrigation and the impact of irrigation on rice farmers' profitability in northern Ghana.

Using cross-sectional data collected from 543 rice farmers in northern Ghana, the study employed both non-parametric (cost benefit analysis) and parametric (endogenous switching regression) approaches to analyse the data.

The empirical results reveal a significant difference between the profits of irrigated (GHS 2442.30) and rain-fed farmers (GHS 576.20), as well as the cost-benefit ratios between irrigators (2.53) and rain-fed farmers (1.37). Also, participation in irrigation was found to be influenced by relatively small farm size and off-farm income; while profitability was influenced by membership in a farmer-based organization, access to agricultural extension services and perception of decreasing rainfall intensity. Irrigation also had a positive significant net impact on profitability of rice production.

The results provide justification for development partners and the government of Ghana through the “one-village-one-dam” policy, to invest in irrigation in northern Ghana in order to improve household welfare as well as build resilience for sustainable production systems.

This study is the first of its kind to provide a robust analysis of the difference in profits of rain-fed and irrigated rice farmers while estimating the determinants of Ghanaian farmers' choice of either of the regimes within a bias-corrected framework.

Inadequate finance is considered a major factor limiting the growth of small-scale women-owned farm enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa. Women empowerment programs such as table banking (TB) and women enterprise fund were initiated in an attempt to curb the credit gap affecting women in agribusiness. This paper determines the factors influencing the extent of credit access among women farm-entrepreneurs who are either members or nonmembers of TB groups in Kenya.

The study was conducted in Kericho County using a sample of 384 respondents. Factor analysis was used to generate three indicators of entrepreneurial orientation which were included as explanatory variables in the regressions. Double hurdle econometric model was employed to analyze the factors influencing the decisions on credit uptake and amount of borrowed loan. Separate models were estimated for members and nonmembers of TB groups since they differed in volume and source of loan accessed.

Results reveal that age of the woman and innovativeness negatively influenced credit access, whereas education level, participation in off-farm activities, number of farm enterprises, perception on interest rate, extension contacts and financial knowledge positively influenced the decision to access credit. On the other hand, participation in off-farm activities, risk-taking behavior, total land size, extension access and financial knowledge were statistically significant with positive correlation on the amount of loan borrowed. Significant factors differ between members and nonmembers of TB groups implying divergence in underlying credit access challenges once one has joined such groups.

The study did not consider supply-side factors affecting the amount of loan accessed by women farm-entrepreneurs.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the pioneer studies using the double hurdle model to analyze factors influencing the extent of credit access specifically among women farm-entrepreneurs and carrying out the analysis by membership in TB groups.