ISSN 2522-9400 European Modern Studies Journal Vol 7 No 1 available at www.journal-ems.com DOI: 10.59573/emsj.7(1).2023.28 303 European Modern Studies Journal, 2023, 7(1) Cost-Benefit Analysis of Citrus Production in the Eastern Region of Ghana: The Case of Okumaning and Nkwantanang in the Kwaebibirem District Joyce Abrafi Opoku [1]* , Seth Nyarko Asare [2] [1] Department of Crop Science, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana [2] Department of Agricultural Economy and Farm Management, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana Abstract. Citrus farming has not been as popular as cocoa and other traditional crops in Ghana. The University of Ghana Agricultural Research Station (UGARS) at Okumaning undertook a research into how citrus could be produced throughout the year and make the tree last longer. Why farmers cultivate citrus on small-scale basis and the impact of the results of the UGARS’ research findings on the citrus industry in Ghana is the basis for this study. Using a mixed method, the results revealed that the citrus industry has a very bright future since for every GHȻ1.00 invested, a return of GHȻ2.78 is obtained. Land acquisition in the study area is the challenge, coupled with the lack of credit. Farmers are unable to meet the collateral requirements of the banks and delay in loan approval also puts them off. As a result, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA-Ghana) and the University of Ghana, Legon signed an agreement to intercrop citrus with food crops on the farm of low-income earning farmers. The adoption of the ADRA-University of Ghana’s proposal by both part-time and full-time farmers in Ghana is a manifestation of the great impact the research findings of the UGARS, has on the country. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that citrus processing plant(s) be established to take care of the excess fruits that will arise as a result of the local supply outweighing local demand while alternative markets are sought outside the country. Also, the rigid procedure for loan application and approval, especially to farmers, should be reviewed to incorporate a little flexibility to help the farmers acquire credit to improve, expand and make their operations easier. Key words: citrus, return on investment, small-scale, payback period, “abunu” Introduction Agriculture, as a career, could be very rewarding most especially when one enters into agricultural investments as a full-time business. However, it is exposed to several hazards, being dependent on the weather, which in most cases, cannot be predicted accurately, especially in places such as Ghana. An attempt to go round this myriad of uncertainty and risk involve a large amount of initial capital for investment. Akyem Okumaning and Nkwantanang are two towns in the Kwaebibirem district of the Eastern region of Ghana, located near Kade, the district capital. They are about 134 kilometers and 127 kilometers respectively away from Accra, the national capital of Ghana. Several small- scale farmers are found in these towns and they cultivate a variety of crops among which are cassava, plantain, maize, cocoyam, citrus and cocoa. The rainfall pattern in the study is bi- modal, normally occurring between March and November with a mean of 1200 millimeters per annum. Temperatures range between 23˚C and 33˚C on the average. Farming is the major economic activity of this area and it contributes a sizeable percentage of household income. Hitherto, most of the farmers in the study area cultivated food crops only. Moreover, apart from a few farmers who owned the land on which they cultivate * Corresponding Author