Underlying Constructs of Farmers’ Perceptions towards Bt Cotton Among Former Cotton Farmers in Northern Ghana: Empirical Application of Q Methodology

Abstract

It is often argued that learning from best examples in the neighbouring Burkina Faso and elsewhere, Ghana can succeed in revamping the collapsing cotton industry by introducing Bt cotton to farmers. This paper therefore presents a survey findings on farmers' views and perceptions towards the possible introduction of Bt cotton. A stratified random sampling techniques was applied in selecting 254 farmers from the four cotton producing zones in northern Ghana and Q methodology adopted in collecting narratives and perceptions towards Bt cotton. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was applied in extracting the underlying constructs from farmers' narratives on Bt cotton. The extraction method was guided by Kaiser's Eigenvalue-greater-than-one rule follow by Parallel analysis method of Monte Carlo and Scree test techniques. Results of the PCA identified five broad issues representing farmers' views about the introduction of Bt cotton. The broad issues explaining farmers' views and perception towards Bt cotton are ‘contractual issues with cotton companies', ‘issues relating to problems and challenges in cotton farming', ‘issues relating to farmers desire to go back to cotton farming', ‘positive views on Bt cotton' and ‘some reservations on Bt cotton'. This paper therefore recommends that for government and other stakeholders to succeed in revamping the cotton industry, there is the need for farmers' concerns on contractual issues to be addressed and for more information on Bt cotton to be provided to resolve the reservation farmers have about Bt cotton.