Drivers and intensity of adoption of digital agricultural services by smallholder farmers in Ghana

The penetration of digital technologies to enhance market participation by farmers, and intensify farmers' access to support services such as finance, farm inputs, and agricultural production information is on the rise in developing countries. However, the drivers and intensity of the adoption of these technologies by Ghanaian farmers have received little attention in policy and academic circles. This study analyzed the factors that drive the adoption and intensity of adoption of digital agricultural solutions by smallholder farmers in the Bono East Region of Ghana. The study used a survey questionnaire to collect data from 1199 randomly selected smallholder farmers in 2023. The multivariate probit model and the Heckpoisson regression model were used to analyze the drivers of different digital agricultural solutions and the intensity of adoption of these solutions, respectively. The results show that there is a joint demand for technologies that enhance access to extension services and those that accelerate access to inputs. Market-oriented solutions and agricultural extension solutions exhibited a complementary relationship. In addition to selected socio-demographic factors, the study found that membership in farmer-based organizations, access to credit, and participation in agronomic training increased farmers' propensity to adopt different digital agricultural solutions and increased the number of solutions adopted by farmers. Receiving visits from extension officers reduced the likelihood and intensity of adopting digital agricultural solutions. The results suggest that government and development partners should enhance access to credit and promote capacity development programmes among farmers. This will capacitate them to adopt digital agricultural solutions.

Exploration of motorcyclists' red-light running and helmet use at signalized intersections in Ghana

OBJECTIVE

There is a dearth of empirical studies on motorcyclists' red-light running and helmet use at signalized intersections in low and middle-income countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Malaysia. This study seeks to fill the gap by looking at red-light running and helmet use at signalized intersections in the Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana. The study also identified potential areas of intervention to reduce the dangers posed by motorcyclists' red-light running in the Cape Coast Metropolis without the use of a helmet.

METHOD

A naturalistic exploratory un-obstructive observational approach was used in assessing this phenomenon. The relationship between motorcyclists' behaviors and motorcyclists' observed demographic characteristics, the locality of the intersection, time of the week and presence of pillion passengers were analyzed. Chi-Square test of independence was used to establish the statistically significant relationships between dependent and independent variables.

RESULTS

In all, 2,225 motorcyclists and 744 pillion passengers were observed. The results revealed that 33.1% of the motorcyclists ran a red light with 45.4% not using a helmet. Red-light running at signalized intersections was significantly linked to the locality of the intersection, time of the week, and helmet use. The helmet use was low and significantly associated with the presence of a pillion passenger and whether the pillion passenger used a helmet or not.

CONCLUSION

Red-light running is influenced by locality of intersection, time of the week and helmet use. Efforts to reduce red-light running and improve helmet use should involve road safety education, awareness creation, and enforcement of traffic laws by the officials of the National Road Safety Authority and Motor Transport and Traffic Department of the Ghana Police Service. City managers in other low and middle-income countries can use the findings in the study to inform policy.