Open AccessEnhancing Market Orientation of Cocoa Farmers through Farmer Business Schools: The Ghana Cocobod Experience
Author(s) -
Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum,
Ernest Laryea Okorley,
Joseph Tufuor Kwarteng,
John-Eudes Andivi Bakang,
Fred Nimoh
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
asian journal of agriculture and rural development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2304-1455
pISSN - 2224-4433
DOI - 10.18488/journal.ajard.2021.111.129.138
Subject(s) - market orientation , marketing , business , market intelligence , agricultural science , environmental science
The study sought to ascertain how the Farmer Business School (FBS) introduced in 2012 by the Ghana Cocoa Board as an extension approach makes the Ghanaian cocoa farmer more business and entrepreneurially minded. The research methods included using the descriptive survey and multi-stage sampling techniques to cover the six cocoa regions and 600 cocoa farmers. The 600 cocoa farmers selected were made up of 230 non-participants and 370 participants of the FBS. In terms of competency, the results showed that FBS participants had greater knowledge, a more positive attitude, and better skills than non-participants. In terms of market orientation, FBS participants were more competitor oriented, had less intelligence generation, were less market responsive, had less intelligence dissemination, had more customer emphasis, and had more interfunctional coordination than non-participants. The market orientation of cocoa farmers can be enhanced by provision of relevant practical experience for attitudinal change.