Abstract:
Environmentally sustainable small-scale rice production mechanisation is a feasible intervention
to help enhance yields and reduce food insecurity. Using machinery for rice production can
help small farmers economically and promote sustainability through agroecological principles. The
study analyses machinery ownership models and suggests stakeholder interactions for sustainable
rice production. The study uses primary data from a field survey of 320 farmers within Asutsuare, a
rice production hub in Southern Ghana, and secondary data from various sources. Four different
ownership models have been proposed and evaluated. The cooperative-owned machinery (COM)
model, with a sharing of the initial investment capital outlay for the machinery acquisition, and
the individual ownership model, where the farmer owns and offers hiring services to other farmers
(the FOHM-2B and FOHM-2T models) were the most economically viable models. The study also
identifies necessary stakeholder engagement and pathways for affordable, sustainable, mechanised
small-scale rice production. The models and interactions can promote machinery ownership and
strengthen social connections in the community. This local knowledge base can help expand the
use of machinery within the community. These models and interactions can be replicated easily in
Sub-Saharan African farming communities with similar dynamics. This will improve mechanised
farming throughout the continent.
