RURAL ROAD ACCESSIBILITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN GHANA

The question of the impact of road investment on socioeconomic development of rural areas is of interest to developing regions. In Ghana, a study was made to assess the impact of rural accessibility on agriculture as well as the development of social infrastructure. By using a cross-sectional framework rather than a historical analysis, data were collected from 33 villages in the Ashanti region. Accessibility, defined as the cost of moving a head load of produces from each village to Kumasi (the regional capital), was compared with a number of parameters that describe agricultural development. In addition, the location and development of social infrastructure and the tripmaking and in-migration of farmers and their household members were examined. The analysis indicated that the range of accessibility considered had little impact on agricultural activity. Considering that increased agricultural production following new investment is dependent on improved farm-gate prices, a minimum degree of vehicle access to inaccessible areas is essential to ensure the realization of significant increases in farm-gate prices. Providing vehicle access to inaccessible areas would then have a far greater impact on income to farmers than improving short lengths of feeder road. Generally, better accessibility resulted in increased tripmaking and the general social development of rural communities, a factor that is relevant in decisionmaking for rural road investment in the relatively more populated rural areas in developing countries. (Author)