Participation in Rural Non-Farm Economic Activities in Ghana
Stanley Kojo Dary, Naasegnibe Kuunibe

Abstract
Rural non-farm economic activities (NFEAs) are gaining prominence in most developing economies due to the increasing inability of the farm sector to support rural livelihoods. This study examines the types and determinants of participation in rural NFEAs in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study uses cross-sectional data from 172 households. Since participation in non-farm economic activities is dichotomous, the logit model, was employed in analysing the determinants of the probability of participation in non-farm economic activities. The study identified twenty nine (28) non-farm economic activities engaged in the study area which are mostly seasonal and ‘low return’ activities. Most socio-demographic factors were found to be significantly associated with the probability of participation in non-farm economic activities. It is recommended that any intervention aimed at bringing improvement in rural livelihoods through the rural non-farm sector should target these individual specific factors.

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