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Abstract
This paper examines the determinants of rice-cultivation adoption in inland-valley bottom areas
in Ghana. In West African countries, surging import of rice has shown farmers a new and
potentially huge income source. Around the second largest urban area in Ghana, Kumsi, there
are inland-valley bottoms which are suitable for rain-fed rice cultivation. The puzzle is that not
much part of these inland-valley bottoms has been utilized for rice production. In 2001, in four
villages around Kumasi, we conducted a detailed household survey both on lowland-rice and
upland-maize farmers. We found that the profit from lowland-rice cultivation was significantly
lower than that from upland-maize farming. This paper also examines our predictions made
from the profit comparisons in 2001 survey by the results of rice-farmer census conducted in
2011 in the same four villages.