In Africa, the consumption of rice has been increasing rapidly in recent years, but the self-sufficiency ratio remains low. This paper attempted to investigate the profitability of rice and its limiting factor to expansion in the northern part of Ghana.
The results show that farmers were highly motivated to participate in rice production, as rice can be converted into money as a cash crop. However, several problems, including the shortage of fundsfor materials, charge for use of tractors, unreliable tractor operation, labor shortage, and conflicts with other plantations, were hindering rice development in the lowlands. A cost analysis showed that the cost of using tractors accounted for almost 60% of the total cash expenditure in rice production. Therefore, the invention of low-input cultivation technology in accordance with the local environment is required for the promotion of rice cultivation.