ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Effect of the hunger project credit programme on productivity of smallholder maize farmers in the Kwahu West Municipality

This study examined the effect of the Hunger Project Credit Programme on the productivity of smallholder maize farmers in the Kwahu West Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana, using the endogenous switching regression model. Cross sectional data was collected for the 2014 cropping season from 170 maize farmers, 85 beneficiaries and 85 non-beneficiaries. The study further sought to find evidence on whether programme participation had effect on farm input utilization using the propensity score matching method. Special attention was also given to the efficient use of resources by beneficiary farmers. The constraints maize farmers faced in accessing credit from the Hunger Project was analysed using the Kendall’s coefficient of concordance to test the degree of agreement between the ranked constraints. The results of the study showed that gender, age, years of formal education, number of livestock owned by the farmer in tropical livestock unit, maize farming experience, previous year’s maize income, farmers’ perception of the lending procedures of the Hunger Project and farmers’ perception of the distance between residence and the epicenter (loan center) were the factors influencing farmers participation (access to credit) in the Hunger Project Credit Programme. The study also revealed that participation (access to credit) had a significant effect on farm input usage and farm productivity. However, both beneficiary and non-beneficiary farmers were not efficient in the use of resources. Time of loan delivery, not being given the full amount applied for and proximity to the epicenter (loan center) are the most critical problems farmers are facing in accessing credit from the Hunger Project. The study therefore recommends that the hunger project should design policies to encourage more Non-beneficiary maize farmers to take advantage of the credit programme to expand their input use and maximize their productivity. Extension education and training should be intensified to train maize farmers in the kwahu west municipality on the application of recommended rate of farm input to improve their resource use efficiency. Project implementers should as much as practicable address the constraints farmers face in participating or accessing credit from The Hunger Project through timely delivery of credit, increased access to credit and an increase in the amount of credit available to meet borrowers’ demand

Source: KNUST
Effect of the Naked Neck Gene (Na) on marketability, carcass traits, haematological and serum biochemical indices of cockerels

A research comprising of two phases; a survey and an experimental work was conducted: the survey comprised mainly of interviewing market women and supplying birds to them for sale in order to find answers to questions related to marketability or otherwise of the naked neck, frizzled- naked neck and normal feathered cockerels whiles the experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of the three genotypes namely: (i) NanaFf, (ii) Nanaff and (iii) nanaff on carcass characteristics, haematological/ serum biochemical parameters and marketability of cockerels. The birds used were the fourth generation (F4) offspring of crosses between local heterozygous naked neck (Nana) and heterozygous frizzled (Ff) males and hybrid commercial Lohmann females. Three hundred (300) eleven-week old crossbred cockerels (hundred each of the three genotypic groups) were randomly housed in fifteen (15) opensided deep litter pens with twenty (20) cockerels in each pen in a Completely Randomized Design for nine weeks and their haematological/ serum biochemical indices and carcass characteristics evaluated. The birds were provided with grower mash ad lib throughout the experimental period. Blood was taken from 3 birds from each genotypic group when the birds were 18 and 20 weeks old. At the end of the trial, 15 cockerels from each of the three genotypic groups were randomly selected and slaughtered to determine the carcass parameters. Burgers were prepared from the breast muscle of the carcass for sensory evaluation. The results from the survey indicated that majority (91.7%) of the respondents admitted they would readily accept to sell the naked neck cockerels. Also, at almost all the sales points the Nanaff was first to be sold out followed by the nanaff feathered with the NanaFf being the last both before and during the major seasons‟ sales. On the other hand, the results from the experiment indicated that except for total cholesterol, spleen and neck weight, there was no significant genotypic effect (p>0.05) on haematological, serum biochemical and carcass parameters measured. The nanaff genotype birds had significantly higher (p<0.05) cholesterol levels than both Nanaff and NanaFf genotype birds, both of which did not differ significantly. The Nanaff had significantly (p<0.05) higher spleen and neck weight than both the nanaff and NanaFf. The latter two did not differ significantly (p>0.05). Also, haematological and serum biochemical assays of all the birds were within normal range. The results from the sensory evaluation indicated that the burgers from nanaff and NanaFf birds had significantly (p<0.05) lower acceptability levels than those from the Nanaff birds. In conclusion, the naked neck gene had a positive effect on cockerel meat and cockerel marketability.

Source: KNUST
The effect of the Public Procurement Act 663 on public contracts in the Birim North District Assembly

The aim of this project was to delve into the effect of the Ghanaian Public Procurement Act on Public Contracts in the Birim North District Assembly. Qualitative Survey Analysis was used to investigate why the need arose for the procurement law, its applicability to the local government sector and the challenges associated with it in the delivery of public contracts in the Birim North District. Possible ameliorations to the public procurement act to make it more sustainable, effective and beneficial to all stakeholders in the procurement process of the Birim North District Assembly. The qualitative analysis constituted interviews. The population for this study comprised of ten (10) District Assembly staff, twenty (20) contractors, fifteen (15) service providers and twenty (20) suppliers, staffs who were interviewed. Interviews were conducted on ten (10) staff of procurement unit and procurement related unit of the assembly, five (5) key staff each of the contractors, three (3) key staff each for consultants and suppliers. The respective response rate for the study population were fifty percent (70%) for key assembly staff, fifty percent (50%) contractors’ key staff, fifty percent (50%) consultants’ staff and sixty percent (60%) suppliers. The findings revealed that; in general, the public procurement act is beneficial to the district assembly and thus should be implemented more effectively in Ghana. The main challenges the district assembly is faced with were lack of funds for the timely delivery/execution of contracts, and bureaucracy in the procurement process. During the interview, it was noted that due to lack of funds for prompt delivery of projects and bureaucracy in the procurement procedure; the law has not been efficiently, and effectively implemented. Recommendations were made to tackle the challenges the assembly faced in procurement and contract management. The Local Government Service should endeavor to link contract management to the Act cohesively, for the timely delivery of contracts/projects. The assembly must also establish an independent procurement and project management team, to be manned by qualified personnel with the requisite knowledge, training and competence in procurement project management

Source: KNUST
Effect of the Public Procurement Act 2003, (Act 663) on the Use of Non-Traditional Works Procurement Systems by MMDAs in Ghana.

There are two main key terms in construction procurement: procurement systems and procurement methods. The methods embraced by the Act are International Competitive Tendering, National Competitive Tendering, Restricted Tendering, Price Quotation etc. Based on the type of project and certain characteristics, the procurement system of the project need to be considered. The most suitable procurement system selection is critical for both the client and other project participants as it is an essential factor that significantly affects the success of the project. The selection and use of a particular system are dictated by factors such as size, complexity facility and time-scale of the project, etc. There are currently changing client demands (cost, quality and time, etc.) in the construction industry. Traditional procurement system has however failed to meet these requirements. This provides as an opportunity to consider non-traditional procurement systems as an alternative. It is also not yet established if the Public Procurement Act 2003, Act 663 has some influence on this pattern of choice. Hence this study synthesizes the role played by the PPA 2003, Act 663 in the non-utilisation of the non-traditional procurement systems by Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies in Ghana. The objectives of the study among others included identifying the processes and procedures adopted by MMDAs in the selection of construction procurement systems, identify any specific clauses in the PPA 2003, Act 663 which consider the selection of works procurement systems by public procurement entities and factors militating against the choice of non-traditional procurement systems by MMDAs for public works. The main tool for the collection of data was questionnaires. The target population for the data collection included architects, quantity surveyors, engineers and procurement officers in the Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies in Ashanti region. Census sampling technique was employed in the identification and selection of the public entities. Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20 was employed to analyse data obtained. Mean score rankings was adopted to analyse data on the role of PPA 2003, Act 663 and factors militating against the choice of non-traditional procurement systems. The results indicate that the PPA 2003, Act 663 plays an important role in the non-utilisation of traditional procurement systems. One of the main recommendations of this research is for public procurement entities to have a formalised and rationaled procurement system selection structure to assist them in taking procurement decisions.

Source: KNUST
The effect of the students loan scheme on access to higher education in Ghana: a case of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi

Many factors have been accounted for the rising cost of tertiary education financing in Ghana. These factors have affected the accessibility of tertiary education. A solution to the financial austerity in tertiary education is cost sharing which is seen to improve accessibility mostly to the minority who cannot pay for the high fees charged for tertiary education. The major cost sharing policy in Ghana is carried out by the Students' Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) which replaced the previous one operated by SSNIT. The study sought to ascertain whether the SLTF has helped improve access to tertiary education in Ghana using Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as a case study. Using a systematic random sampling method, 285 students already on the SLTF were sampled and questionnaires were administered to them. Using descriptive statistics to analyze the data, the study revealed that the SLTF has improved access to tertiary education in Ghana. The study further revealed the SLTF is managed well to meet its purpose of enhancing accessibility. The study also found that the amount paid as loan per academic year to students is not enough to meet all the needs of the students. Despite methodological and generality limitations, the findings of the study provided important findings relevant to improving the SLTF in Ghana. As such the study recommended that the loan amount be increased and loans paid on time to help students on the scheme.

Source: KNUST
Effect of the Weather on Ku Band Digital Satellite Television System in Kumasi (A case study of KNUST Campus)

Good signal reception depends on a reliable communication link. But as the signal travels through the communication link, several factors affect the quality of the signal at the receiver. One of these factors is the weather. Propagation measurements at frequencies above 10 GHz have been carried out fairly extensively in the temperate region where most of the developed countries are located...

Source: KNUST
Effect of three organic plant powder extracts on storability and quality of maize grains

An experiment was conducted at the laboratory of Mampong College of Teacher Education, Mampong, Ashanti Region to assess the effect of three organic plant powders on the storability and quality of maize grains. Three organic powders of neem seeds, orange peels, lemongrass, and a control with six dosages namely 5g, 10g, 15g, 20g, 25g, and 30g, were used as treatments. The design used was a 4x6 factorial in Complete Randomized Design with three replicates. Parameters studied included weevil survival, weevil mortality, grain damage and weight loss. The results from the study showed that the highest percentage weevil mortality was recorded for Neem, followed by lemongrass, citrus and control with means of 8.78 (76.38), 8.61 (73.7) and 2.14 (3.99), respectively. High dosages of the plant powder (15g and above) was effective in reducing the weevil population for all treatments except control. Neem seed powder at 10g was very effective in elimination the weevil population. The lowest percentage survived weevils of 3.11 (11.43) was recorded for neem powder at 30g and the highest percentage survived weevils was recorded for control with a mean of 5.26 (96.01). The lowest percentage damage of 1 (0) was recorded for neem powder at 30g and the highest percentage damage was recorded for control with a mean of 1.77 (2.13). Finally on weight loss of the stored grain, The mean percentage weight loss was highest for control (8.4), followed by citrus (6.74), lemongrass (5.7) and neem (3.64). Treating maize grains with organic plant extract would be useful in storing of maize.

Source: KNUST
Effect of three plant extracts on sprouting. decay and water activity of flour of two cultivatars of Frafra potatoes (Solenostemon rotundifolius)

This study was carried out from 2nd November, 2012 to 22nd March 2013 at the Department of Horticulture, KNUST. The research work sought to evaluate the effect of three plant extracts on sprouting, decay and water activity of two cultivars of frafra potatoes (Solenostemon rotundifolius)...

Source: KNUST
Effect of three pre-drying treatments and two drying methods on the quality of scotch bonnet (capsicum chinense) grown in the Tolon/Kumbungu District of Northern Ghana

This study was conducted to assess the effects of different pre-drying treatments (raw steaming, blanching in water and blanching in water containing vegetable oil) and drying methods (sun and solar drying) on the physical and chemical attributes of scotch bonnet (Capsicum chinense). The study revealed that blanching technology followed by the two drying methods influenced proximate composition of pepper in varying levels.. The control sample dried under sun contained the following: 50.63% moisture, 5.45mg/100Vitamin C,14.37% proteins, 4.43% fat, 13.93% Ash, 30.45% crude fiber and 22.47% Nitrogen Free Extract. Pepper blanched in water alone and dried under sun contained the following: 12.85% moisture, 4.93mg/100 Vitamin C, 13.73% protein, 3.17% fat, 12.17% Ash, 23.85% crude fibre and 33.93% Nittrogen Free Extract. Blanched pepper in water containing oil and dried under sun contained the following: 6.08% moisture, 6.08mg/100 Vitamin C, 10.97% protein, 15.03% fat, 6.03% Ash, 20.62% crude fibre and 33.50% Nitrogen Free Extract. The control sample dried in solar contained the following: 34.55% moisture, 4.63mg/100 Vitamin C, 13.43% protein, 2.87% fat, 13.87% Ash, 25.44% crude fibre and 29.74% Nitrogen Free Extract. Pepper blanched in water alone and dried in solar contained the following: 12.69% moisture, 4.07mg/100 Vitamin C,11.98% protein, 3.17% fat, 16.17% Ash, 23.50% crude fibre and 32.03% Nitrogen Free Extract. The pepper sample blanched in water containing oil and dried in solar contained the following: 6.98% moisture, 4.83mg/100 Vitamin C, 11.15% protein, 12.27% fat, 5.77% Ash, 20.36% crude fibre and 35.30% Nitrogen Free Extract. This study revealed that blanching in water with oil and drying scotch bonnet (Capsicum chinense) resulted in good moisture content for storage and maintenance of its nutritional level.

Source: KNUST
Effect of Tillage Practices on Soil Fertility: a case study of the West Mamprusi District of Northern Region

Food security is the basis for human survival. This however, depends on sustainable agriculture. Sustainability hinges on the efficient and judicious use of land and soil resources. This study conducted in the West Mamprusi district of the Northern Region of Ghana, sought to assess the effect of tillage practices on the fertility of the soil. The tillage practices assessed were 1. Tractor plough topsoil (TpT) 2. Tractor plough subsoil (TpS) 3. Bullock plough topsoil (BpT) 4. Bullock plough subsoil (BpS) 5. Hands hoeing topsoil (HpT) 6. Hands hoeing subsoil (HpS) 7. Zero tillage topsoil (ZpT) 8. Zero tillage subsoil (ZpS) 9. Fallow land topsoil (FlT) and 10. Fallow land subsoil. The study consisted of two components namely: a survey conducted in ten communities with twelve questionnaires in each community and soil nutrient analysis. Soil samples were collected in three locations at two depths (0-15cm as topsoil and 15-30cm for subsoil). ANOVA was used to analyse the results using the GENSTAT statistical package whilst treatment means were compared using Duncan‟s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at P=0.05. Results from the survey indicated that 80 % of the respondents did not know of the effects of their tillage practices on soil fertility whilst 70.8 % of them had the opinion that use of agrochemicals had the greatest impact on soil fertility. 76.7 % of them indicated their awareness on organic farming or sustainable agriculture. On the maintenance of soil fertility, 44 %, 33 % and 23 % of them indicated avoidance of deforestation and use of fallow system, avoidance of extensive use of agrochemicals and use of crop residues and avoidance of farming near water bodies and the practice of crop rotation as the way forward for maintaining soil fertility respectively. There were significant differences (P<0.05) with regards to total exchangeable bases and effective cation exchange capacity between fallow land topsoil (FlT) and the rest of the tillage practices with the former showing superiority. Yield of maize per acre also indicated a significant difference between hands hoed and zero tillage with zero tillage being superior. However, bulk density, organic matter, total nitrogen and available phosphorus did not show any significant differences among and between the tillage practices (P> 0.05). The results indicated that the soil texture of the area was generally sandy loam to loamy sand with sand, silt and clay content ranging from 29.2-83.4 %, 4.6- 62.8 % and 4.0- 12.0 % respectively depicting the generally low magnitudes of soil fertility parameters. The manner in which soils are managed has a major impact on agricultural productivity. In order to be sustainable, development interventions must not only be economically sustainable but also socially acceptable and environmentally sound. Therefore, strategies to feed the ever growing population in the country have to seek a sustainable solution that would not mine the soil of its nutrients; and that would better address soil fertility management.

Source: KNUST
Effect Of Total Quality Management On Firm Performance: The Moderating Role Of Competitive Intensity.

The main objective of the study is to examine the relationship between total quality management, competitive intensity and firm performance. The resource-based theory which is a management model for identifying strategic resources that a company can use to gain a sustainable competitive advantage and contingency theory, which indicates that any firm has a variety of strategic options that it can use to build a long-term competitive edge are used in this study. The study used a descriptive research design. The targeted population for the study comprises registered SMEs in Tamale which is the capital city of the Northern region of Ghana. The sample size for this study is based on the “rule of five”, therefore the sample size for this study was 250. The study is using a non-probability sampling method called the purposive sampling technique. Bearing in mind the analysis mission, information is obtained directly from primary sources. A closed-ended questionnaire with 44 questions is the instrument being used to collect the data. Cronbach's alpha is used in SPSS to determine the validity of the research instrument. The rate of recurrence, percentages, means and standard deviations are included. The study used regression and correlation analysis in testing the significance of the variables to the dependent variable at a 95% confidence level. The study found that TQM has a positive and significant influence on the firm performance. It was also revealed that competitive intensity has a negative and significant influence on firm performance. Therefore the study concluded that TQM has a positive relationship with firm performance and this relationship negatively influences competitive intensity. It is recommended that businesses make sure that their employees obtain the appropriate quality training and support ongoing improvement under the direction of senior management.

Source: KNUST
The effect of traditional processing methods on the nutritional quality of bush meat

Bushmeat has been the main supply of protein in most developing countries. In Ghana about 75% of the population depends on bushmeat as their source of animal protein. However, meat, an essential nutrient commodity, is perishable. Differe t methods have been used to address the above problem, one of which is the traditional processing method. For this method the respondent processors interviewed indicated that the main objective of the traditional processing method is to remove as much water as possible and to obtain pleasant aroma and taste. On the other h d, a food scientist looks at the prevention of invisible physicochemical reaction such as rancidity, Milliard reaction as well as the deposit of bacteriostatic and fungistatic chemicals on the meat. Moreover, cured heat-smoked processes can e used to effectively prevent denaturation of protein and loss of essential nutrients. In this work, the effect of traditional processing methods on nutritional qualities of bus meat was determined in the laboratory. Also a scientifically accepted processing method to maintain nutritional quality of bushmeat was established. The parameters studied under the effect of traditional processing on nutritional qualities were cru e protein, crude fat, moisture, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron and calcium contents. Statistical analysis indicated that at 5% significant level there were significant differences between these parameters in the controlled processed and additionally processed bushmeat. There was reduction in moisture and fat content but t ere was an increase in protein content of bushmeat. In the case of mineral retention , iron was relatively retained indicating that bushmeat could serve as a good source f iron for blood formation and precursor elements for biochemical reactions, hence it s good for human consumption to solve dietary deficiency problems especially iron.

Source: KNUST