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Between March 2020 and today, economies all over the world have derailed and most have fast been run aground with many reasons assigned to the economic crises around the world, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Climate Change effects, and currently the ongoing war in Eastern Europe (the Russia – Ukraine war). Ghana’s economy has not been an exception to these situations. This study considers the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ghana’s economy, using crop production in the Northern part of the country as a case study to evaluate to what extend the pandemic has affected the livelihoods of farmers particularly, and by extension the people of Ghana. The study used descriptive approach to analyze survey data gathered using primary data by the researcher as well as reviewing public documents (secondary data) to make judgements on the real impact on the economy, especially government policy response and its attendant consequences on crop production. The study reveals that livelihoods of the people have been affected in many ways including the unusual rise in prices of agricultural inputs, difficulties in accessing inputs due to supply chain disruptions, and challenges in accessing technical expertise from extension officers due to lockdown. This study also confirms that the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on crop production in Ghana is significant and recommends that government take domestic homegrown measures such as making agriculture and crop production in particular a topmost government priority and demonstrating this with real-time investment without delay. These situations eventually contribute to the current situation in the country where cost of living have risen sharply, driving many more people below the poverty line.

Declaration	i
Acknowledgement	ii
Dedication	iii
Abstract	iv
Table of Contents	v
List of Tables	ix
List of Appendices	ix
CHAPTER ONE	1
INTRODUCTION	1
 1.1	Background and motivation of the study	1
 1.2	Research objective	2
 1.3	Research questions	2
 1.4	Significance of the study	3
 1.5	Research methodology, data collection, and sampling	4
  1.5.1	Mixed Method Research (MMR)	4
  1.5.2	Sample population	4
  1.5.3	Sample size	4
CHAPTER TWO	6
LITERATURE REVIEW	6
 2.1	Introduction	6
 2.2	Historical overview of pandemics	7
 2.3	The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic.	8
 2.4	Containment measures and their impact on agriculture and food supply	9
 2.5	The effects of the covid-19 pandemic on smallholder cereal farmers in Ghana	13
CHAPTER THREE	15
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY	15
 3.1	Research Design	15
 3.2	Research Approach	15
 3.3	Population Size	16
 3.4	Sample Size Determination	17
 3.5	Data Source and Data Collection Instruments	17
 3.6	Data Analysis and Presentation	18
CHAPTER FOUR	19
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION	19
 4.1	Data Analysis Approach	19
 4.2	Survey Response Rate	19
 4.3	Demographic information of respondents	20
 4.4	Descriptive Analysis for Study Variables	24
  4.4.1	Farmers	244.4.1.1: Types of crops cultivated	24
   4.4.1.2: Commodity prices	25
   4.4.1.3: Economic conditions of farmers	27
   4.4.1.4: Food shortage	28
   4.4.1.5: Other challenges farmers encountered aside the COVID-19 pandemic	29
  4.4.2	Perceptions of Input Distributors on COVID-19 impact on their businesses	30
   4.4.2.1: Type of Inputs Sold by Respondents	30
   4.4.2.2: Perceptions of Input Distributors on COVID-19 effects on Crop Production	31
   4.4.2.3: Perceptions of input distributors on prices of inputs	33
   4.4.2.4: Other Challenges faced by Input Distributors due to the Pandemic	34
  4.4.3	Government Officials	34
   4.4.3.1: Perceptions of Government Officials on COVID-19 effects on Crop Production	34
   4.4.3.2: Other challenges reported by participants (Government Officials) of the study.	36
CHAPTER FIVE	37
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS	37
 5.1	Conclusions	37
 5.2	Recommendations	38
 5.3	Limitation of the study and implications for future research	39
REFERENCES	40