Contribution of donkeys to household food security: a case study in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana

Abstract

The survey was done to assess the contribution of donkeys to the food security needs of owners in Bawku Municipality. Formal questionnaire and informal interviews were used to elicit information from 100 purposively sampled donkey owners. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were used to analyze the data. The donkey was a source of employment particularly for the youth and femaleheaded households in the transportation of goods. It also made a direct positive contribution to food security of many female-headed as well as low income households. Increasing net income from the donkey however resulted in a reduction in the expenditure made on food by most male-headed households while increasing the percentage of income saved. Government and NGOs, as a strategy to alleviate poverty may consider providing a donkey and cart to poor farming households and femaleheaded households in places with similar characteristics like Bawku and its environs.

Keywords: Donkeys, food security, income, households