Determinants of fertilizer adoption among smallholder cocoa farmers in the Western Region of Ghana

The enhancement of agrarian productivity through the use of improved technologies such as fertilizer application is a critical avenue for increasing farm income, minimizing poverty, and tackling soil nutrient mining. This study has examined fertilizer adoption decisions using data collected from 226 smallholder cocoa farm households in the Western region of Ghana. The Heckman's two-stage model was employed to estimate the probability and the extent of fertilizer application in the Ghanaian cocoa farms. The result of the study indicated that the likelihood of fertilizer adoption was influenced by factors such as farmers’ engagement in off-farm economic activities, extension contacts, farm size, hired and family labour, and the value of productive farm assets. On the other hand, factors including household size, marital status, number of years working as a cocoa farmer (experience), support received from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), farm size, and family labour significantly influence the extent of fertilizer adoption. Therefore, improving extension services to farmers and encouraging the ownership of farm assets could be useful for fertilizer adoption.