Abstract

A household survey was conducted in four villages in the Bolgatanga District of northern Ghana with the objective of identifying causes and effects of seasonal food shortages and coping strategies adopted by households to increase food availability. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from 200 households selected by the simple random technique and was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and probit model estimation. Findings of the study showed that effects of food shortages on households included difficulties in maintaining wards in schools and inability to register under the National Health Insurance Scheme as indicated by about 80.0% of the respondents. The chi-square analysis showed that household size and farm size were related to farm per capita output at 5 and 10% significant levels respectively. The probit analysis showed that education, farm size, income from off-farm activities, income from rearing and sale of livestock/poultry and receipt of remittances were the significant variables that determined household food availability at 5% significant level. The study recommends that efforts at reducing food insecurity among rural households should focus on increasing rural household income by engaging in off-farm income generating activities, literacy promotion, food supply and credit provision.

Key words: Bolgatanga municipality, coping strategies, food shortages, rural households.