The Impact Of Education On Productivity In The Commercial Poultry Industry In The Greater Accra Region (Ghana)

ABSTRACT

This study examines the impact of education on productivity (output) in the commercial poultry industry. Studies have focused on the role of production inputs including the human capital on agricultural productivity, with little emphasis on commercial poultry production. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 60 production managers of the commercial poultry enterprises in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana for the production period of 1999. The levels of education of the production managers of the enterprises were factored into the Cobb-Douglas Production Function together with other explanatory variables of day-old-chicks, purchased variable inputs, capital, feed consumed, influence of ownership to the enterprise, the enterprise as full-time employment (job) of the managers, extension visits and experience. The estimate of the impact of education on productivity (output) in the commercial poultry industry in the study is positive and markedly higher at the secondary and tertiary levels with estimated coefficients of 2.4 and 1.5 respectively. The computed percentage in productivity (output) due to tertiary education relative to the lower (secondary) education is 10 percent Tertiary education coefficient is significant at 10%, while secondary education coefficient is statistically insignificant. The interactive term of basic educational level of primary/middle/JSS, experience and extension education is positive, but statistically insignificant. Both capital (0.40) and labour (0.80) as other explanatory variables are positive and statistically significant at 0.05% and 0.01% respectively. Financing for the commercial poultry enterprise and other government policies such as high interest rates, high cost of inputs and uncontrolled liberalisation of the import of frozen poultry products are identified from the study as some of the main constraints to increased output and growth in the industry. Most of the operators are also under-utilising their installed capacities and are producing only when demand for the product is high. It is recommended among others that, the level and quality of human capital (education and experience), be developed through improving quality of education, provision of in-service training and short courses to improve on the innovative, technical and management efficiency, together with an enabling economic environment, to encourage domestic investment in the quest to achieve self-sufficiency in meat production. Poultry managers with technical and management expertise can utilize available and transferable technology to permit efficiency in supplying good quality and inexpensive products to increase their sales. This can help them to compete with imported poultry products that have flooded the domestic market. There should be quality and quantity differentiation of poultry products for different segments of the domestic market.