International Journal of Pure & Applied Bioscience (IJPAB)
Year : 2017, Volume : 5, Issue : 6
First page : (824) Last page : (837)
Article doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.2841

Artificial Neural Network Assessment of the Impact of Trade Liberalisation and its Related Policies on Innovation Adoption in Ghana

Seidu¹ M., Sanjay^2*, Yankyera³ K. O., Seidu⁴ A., and Frimpong⁵ F. K.
^1,2Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agricultural,
Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, Haryana, India
^3,5Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension;
⁴College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
*Corresponding Author E-mail: sanjaybhyan@gmail.com
Received: 12.04.2017  |  Revised: 19.05.2017   |  Accepted: 23.05.2017  

 ABSTRACT

Trade liberalisation and its related policies affect yam producers both positively and negatively by either bringing opportunities such as better innovations or disengaging them from their competitive position and/or laying them off from production. Using a cluster analysis (Artificial Neural Network Assessment) and cross sectional data on 510 yam farm households in Kpandai district of Ghana; the paper estimated the effects of trade liberalisation and its related policies on yam innovation in yam production and the categories of farm households that are directly affected by the impact of open trade. The results of the cluster analysis revealed that among innovation adopters, trade liberalisation, and its related policies had positive and greatest impact on cluster 2 followed by cluster 4. Moreover, the impact felt has made farm households being average adopters of yam production innovations. The study therefore recommended that policies should be focused on increasing farm household population in cluster 2 and 4 especially the former in order to increase the likelihood of innovation adoption by farmers. Moreover, in order to further increase the impact positively on the levels of innovation adoption the various categories of farm households should be important in policy drawing and implementation process.

Key words: Trade Liberalisation, Related Policies, Cluster Analysis, Innovations, Households

Full Text : PDF; Journal doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782

Cite this article: Seidu, M., Sanjay, Yankyera,  K.O., Seidu, A., and Frimpong, F.K., Artificial Neural Network Assessment of the Impact of Trade Liberalisation and its Related Policies on Innovation Adoption in Ghana, Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 5(6): 824-837 (2017). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.2841