International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 10 (2), pp. 001-010, February, 2022. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Economic Analysis of Rubber Agroforestry Systems in Ghana

Tetteh E. N^1,2, Nunoo I.², Fromm I.³, Abunyewa A².,Tuffuor H².,Twum-Ampofo K^2., Berchie J. N¹., Logah V.,² Yeboah S¹., Melenya C.²_, Partey S. T⁴ and Barnes V. R².

¹CSIR- Crops Research Institute.

²Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

³Bern University of Applied Sciences.

⁴United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 

Accepted 18 January, 2022 

Abstract 

Even though rubber contributes significantly to Ghana’s economy, smallholder rubber farmers’ inability to wait for 6 years to see the benefits constrains establishment and expansion. To lessen the waiting time to the benefits, an option exists to intercrop rubber with food crops.  Cost benefits analysis of rubber and plantain intercropping system under different treatments on two experimental plots were carried out. The treatments were sole crop plantain (P) and three intercropping of one (PR), two (PPR) and three (PPPR) rows of plantain each between two rows of rubber to assess the most viable. Discounted Cost/Benefit analysis was used to determine the viability at 25% interest rate. All the systems were found to be profitable. The highest return of GHȻ40, 331 (USD 9,379)/ha from plantain over the period of two years was realized from the PPPR cropping system. Additionally, varying the price of plantain, discount rate and the total cost of production, the systems were all profitable. The PPPR was the most profitable with the highest income to smallholder farmers. Extension education by the government through the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) and support to rubber farmers to access credit can help in farmers’ adoption of rubber agroforestry system.

Keywords: Rubber, plantain, profitability, agroforestry, Ghana.