Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Fortifier Enriched Excreta Pellets for Agricultural Use in Ghana

Abstract

Given declining soil fertility and agricultural productivity in Sub Saharan Africa, depletion of naturally occurring source of nutrients, increased cost of fertilizer and increasing levels of poverty demand that, alternative and more sustainable solutions such as fortifier fertilizer be sought to enhance agricultural productivity.  However, information about farmer willingness to pay is not widely reported. This study explores farmers’ determinant of willingness to pay for enriched excreta pellets in Ghana in order to inform policymakers and industry participants of some of the implications in the market. Data was collected from 400 randomly sampled farming types were conducted in Northern and Ashanti regions using a written questionnaire and an iterative bidding game contingent valuation method. Applying the logit model, results show that, age, annual household income, head of household, current land holding, positive knowledge, attitude and perception (KAP) and negative KAP are strong predictors of willingness to pay (WTP) for fortified enriched pellets for the combined regions. The information in this study can be used by probable investors, producers and marketers of fortified enriched excreta pellets to develop formidable marketing strategies in their efforts to boost demand for fortified excreta pellets in the face of rising competition in the fertilizer market.

Keywords: Willingness to Pay, Fortified Enriched Pellets, Logit model, Contingent valuation, Ghana

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-14-08

Publication date:July 31^st 2019