Estimating farmers' willingness to pay for improved irrigation: an economic study of the Bontanga Irrigation Scheme in northern Ghana
Date
2012
Authors
Alhassan, Mustapha, author
Frasier, Marshall, advisor
Loomis, John, advisor
Davies, Stephen, committee member
Andales, Allan, committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
This thesis estimates the willingness of farmers under the Bontanga Irrigation Scheme (BIS) in Northern Ghana to pay for improved irrigation services. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used in this study and farmers were randomly selected for interviewing based on the location of their farms (upstream, middle, and downstream) within the scheme. The payment card elicitation format was used and the data were analyzed using Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) procedure that is capable of accommodating the intervals in payment card data. The mean willingness to pay was found to be GHC 16.32 (US$ 8.50) per ha per year and the median was GHC 14.00 (US$ 7.29) per ha per year. Tobit regression model was also used to estimate the mean number of labor days farmers under the scheme would be willing to contribute to improve the project. The mean labor days was found to be 5.26 days per year and the median was 5.28 days per year.