Ghana's tradition makers: changing patterns in food crops research, extension, and production
The personal fortunes of Kwaku Yamoah-Boampong, like the collective fortunes of his native Ghana, have been fickle to say the least-and the two appear to be intertwined. During the late 1970s, he tried to disentangle one from the other by emigrating to Nigeria. But whatever relief he and thousands of his countrymen found there from Ghana's economic troubles was relatively short-lived, and they returned en masse in 1983. Although the economy subsequently took a turn for the better, it was hardly prepared at that time for the precipitous arrival of nearly a million of its citizens. Like many other "returnees," Kwaku, a teacher by training, eventually turned to farming on land that had belonged to his parents in the village of AtrunsuTechiman in Brong Ahafo Region. The first year, 1984, was touch and go. Since Kwaku had no cash with which to get established and got no help from the banks, he had to borrow money privately at high interest rates. Good harvests in both the major and minor seasons, however, enabled him to pay off the loan, and put aside enough cash to cover the next season's production expenses. About the time Kwaku's personal economy began to improve, so did the nation's in response to an economic recovery program. Inflation dropped from 122% in 1983 to 23% in 1986, and gross domestic product grew at a rate of 5.3% in 1985 and 5.6% in 1986.
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| Format: | Article biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
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CIMMYT
1989
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| Subjects: | AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, CROP MANAGEMENT, CROPPING PATTERNS, FOOD PRODUCTION, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10883/3846 |
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