NON-TRADITIONAL VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Despite several researches in Ghana's agricultural sector, little has been done on the investigation of non-traditional vegetable production, particularly with respect to its profitability. The study was conducted within the context of non-traditional agriculture and in particular, the profit maximization behaviour of smallholder vegetable farmers. The present study is about the assessment of the factors that influence the profitability of non-traditional vegetable crop production in the Northern Region of Ghana. Cross-sectional data were fitted into a Cobb-Douglas profit function and estimated by the maximum likelihood estimation method. The major finding is that the profitability level of vegetable production in the Northern Region is determined by fertilizer and insecticide use. It is recommended that mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that the supply of fertilizer and insecticides in the market are readily available and accessible by farmers.