Boserupian Pressure and Agricultural Mechanization in

뀀ഀȠ Abstract:뀀ഀȠ The adoption of machinery in agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa has been far behind the level of mechanization found in Asia and Latin America. However, recent survey data has revealed high levels of machinery use in localized areas of cereal-production in northern Ghana. A survey conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, in partnership with the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute, found that in some areas over 80 percent of farmers were using machinery for at least one operation. This paper considers the theoretical drivers of agricultural intensification, as outlined by Boserup, Pingali, and Binswanger, and the extent to which they are able to explain the spatial variation in machinery use found in northern Ghana. Population pressure, market access, and agro-ecological conditions are considered as key drivers that cause farmers to find ways to increase productivity and adopt new technologies. Combining survey data with geo-spatial datasets, the empirical analysis finds that population growth and travel time to local urban centre explain a significant and large proportion of the variation in machinery use by farmers.