Child Labour and Mechanisation
In Ghana, there are about 2.1 million children aged between 5-17 years who are engaged in child labour. The Agriculture sector employs 18.5% of these children in child labour (ILO and CEIS, 2017). In the rice value chain, children aged between 5-14 years normally work on family farm for free but children age between 15-17 years normally work on family farms for a pay. Child labour which exists in rice value chain is in the form of exposure to hazardous environment and children combining school work with strenuous farm work. Some examples and nature of child labour in the rice value chain are; Felling of trees and removal of stumps during land preparation of newly cultivated areas, contact with agrochemicals without appropriate personal protective equipment before, during and after spraying, carrying loads like fertilizer, seed (above 30kg) over long distances from home to farm, working for longer hours (>3 hours) on the farm.
In adequate access to agriculture mechanization, limited access to adult labour and poverty is one of the major causes of child labour in agriculture sector (ILO, 2017). However, agricultural mechanization influences demand and supply of farm labour and agricultural profitability (Schmitz and Moss, 2015). In short, agricultural mechanization is to reduce farm labor and improve the livelihood of farmers (FAO and UNIDO, 2008). Rice farming is labor intensive and majority of the rural poor farmers resort to their children to actively participate in farm work at the expense of their education and health in the future. A field survey conducted in rice growing areas of the Volta region of Ghana showed that family work on rice farms contributed 50% out of an average 84 mandays work on a hectare (Bockel et. al, 2020). Activities in the rice value chain where child labour is commonly seen are application of pesticides, removal of weeds, fertilizer application, scaring, carting, drying and milling. Appropriate mechanization in the rice sector of Ghana can greatly reduce labour by an average of 50% and targeted mechanization at activities which involve children have the potential of reducing child labour to a larger extent.
Activities and Recommended Mechanisation
- Application of pesticides: District agric directorates can deploy drones in spraying farm lands as lowlands and irrigation schemes for rice cultivation are usually connected and close to each other. There is evidence of demonstrations done on some rice farms in different areas of Ghana to show drone technology in spraying (VOA, 2019). Government can subsidize this package as part of it mass spraying exercise or subsidy policy to promote precision farming and reduction in child labour. Children don’t have to go and fetch water for pesticide application, mixing of pesticide and washing of spraying machine.
- Weeding: locally manufactured simple hand held rice weeding equipments which can be operated by women who usually undertake this activity. This equipment is suitable in rice fields that have been planted in rows. Majority of rice farmers know that row planting gives higher yields than broadcasting method of planting. However, this majority of rice farmers are unable to plant in rows due to limited labour and poverty. If simple rice planting machines can be added to the government subsidized mechanization package for agriculture machinery service providers, more farmers can begin to plant in rows.
- Fertilizer application: simple locally manufactured hand held fertilizer applicators must be promoted among rice farmers to encourage precision farming. This is suitable for rice farms planted in rows.
- Scaring: suitable fishing nets can be is use to cover rice farms and prevent birds from eating rice farms at the milking stage. Majority of farmers are not able to afford the cost of these nets as they are expensive. Government can add this to the subsidy programme or state owned financial service providers can offer flexible payment plan to rice farmers to be able to afford these nets. There is evidence of women rice farmers using bird netting to cover their rice fields to reduce child labour. (Cocoa Initiative, 2018 )
- Milling: State owned banks must offer reasonable payment plan to agro-processing companies to be able to buy basic equipments which reduces labour during rice milling. One of such machines is an elevator bucket which carries paddy rice from one point to another point in processing.
REFERENCES
Bockel, L., Gopal, P., Abedi, A., Aminou, A., & Ouedraogo, A. (2020). Rice Value Chain in Ghana
Prospective Analsis and Strategies for Sustainable & Pro-Poor Growth. Accra: FAO RAF Draft
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FAO and UNIDO. Agricultural mechanization in Africa. Time for action: planning investment for enhanced agricultural productivity. Rome: FAO; 2008.
Cocoa Inititiative. 2018. How rice cultivation has help reduce child labour in Ghana. Cocoa Initiative (online) cited 10th May, 2020. https://cocoainitiative.org/news-media-post/how-rice-cultivation-has-be…
VOA. 2019. Farmers in Ghana using drones for pest, disease surveillance (online) cited 10th May, 2020. https://www.voanews.com/episode/farmers-ghana-using-drones-pest-disease…
ILO. 2017. Child Labour in Agriculture (online) cited 10th May, 2020. https://www.ilo.org/ipec/areas/Agriculture/lang--en/index.htm
Schmitz A, Moss CB. Mechanized agriculture: machine adoption, farm size, and labor displacement. AgBioForum. 2015;18(3):278–96.
ILO and CEIS. 2017. Not Just Cocoa: Child Labour in the Agricultural Sector in Ghana (online) (cited 10th May, 2020. https://cocoainitiative.org/knowledge-centre-post/not-just-cocoa-child-…
Sra. Abena Abedi