GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF THE REGION
Capital: Koforidua.
Location: Between longitude 0o 30” East and 1o 30” West and latitude 5o 30” North and 7 o 22”
north.
Boundaries: The Region is bordered on the north by Brong Ahafo Region, north – west by Ashanti
Region, east by Volta Region, south-east by Greater Accra Region, and south-west by Central Region.
DEMOGRAPHY
Total Population 2010 (based on 2000 census) – 2,420,925.
Total land area – 19,320 sq km
As percentage of total land area of Ghana – 8.1%
Population growth rate – 1.4%
Population density – 125.3 persons per sq km
PHYSICAL FEATURES
Climate:
Rainy seasons – major (March-July) and minor (September-November).
Dry season – (November – February) and is characterized by cold dry weather
Annual rainfall ranges between 1500 to 2000mm and 900 to 1300mm in the forest and savannah zones respectively.
Average rainy days ranges between 85 and 130 days
Table: ANNUAL AVERAGE RAINFALL/RAINDAYS FIGURES (mm) 2008/2009/2010
| Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Average rainfall
2008 |
4 | 36 | 105 | 117 | 171 | 178 | 134 | 133 | 98 | 134 | 43 | 55 |
| Average rainfall
2009 |
6 | 57 | 114 | 94 | 130 | 168 | 108 | 41 | 71 | 119 | 55 | 25 |
| Average rainfall
2010 |
32 | 53 | 95 | 122 | 108 | 156 | 102 | 82 | 147 | 147 | 72 | 24 |
| Average No of rain days 2008 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 5 |
| Average No of rain days 2009 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 4 |
| Average No of rain days 2010 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 3 |
HUMIDITY: Fairly moderate between 65-95%
TEMPERATURE: 22-330 C
TOPOGRAPHY: It is generally undulating with large stretches of flat land in the Afram Plains.
RELIEF: Highlands include Kwahu scarps (77.8m), Atiwa- Atweredu Range (720m) and Akuapem Range (450m).
MAJOR RIVERS & LAKE: Afram, Densu, Pra, Birim and Volta Lake.
MAJOR SOIL TYPES
The main soil type in all the districts, except Kwahu North (Afram Plains) is forest ochrosol and lithosol. Savanna ochrosol occurs mainly in Kwahu North and parts of Yilo-Krobo, Manya and Asuogyaman districts with patches of forest rubisol in the New Juaben and East Akim districts.
VEGETATION: Three main vegetation zones:-
(a) Semi-deciduous rain forest covering the southern and central portions of the
Region;
(b) Transitional savanna zone covering the northern parts behind the Kwahu
Scarp and;
(c) Coastal savanna covering the Eastern fringes behind the Akwapim Range.
Table: Forest Reserves
| DISTRICT | LOCATION OF FOREST RESERVE |
| Birim South | Pra Annan, Essen Epam, Esuboni and Oboyaw |
| Kwaebibirem | Esuensa, Aiyaola, Bediako, Mamang, Kajease |
| Atiwa | Atiwa Range |
| Kwahu North | Worobong South |
| Kwahu South | Worobong South |
| Akwapim South | Spawsu |
| Manya Krobo and Yilo | Yongwa |
| Asuogyaman | Yogaga and Aboben Hill |
LAND USE
TENURE SYSTEM: Stool, family ownership, lease hold and share cropping (Abunu & Abusa).
AGRICULTURAL LAND USE
Percentage distribution of size of farm holdings:
Less than 1.2ha – 77%
1.2ha to 2ha – 16%
more than 2ha – 7%
AVERAGE FARM SIZE FOR VARIOUS CROPS
The average farm sizes for selected staple crops:
Maize – 2.5 hectares
Yam – 2.5 “
Groundnut – 1.2 “
FARMING SYSTEM
Land rotation, sole cropping, inter-cropping, mixed cropping and mixed farming are practiced in the Region.
Shifting cultivation: – one year cropping and 2 to 3 years fallow period or crop rotation.
Intensive land use with high rate of both inorganic or organic fertilizers and backyard farming.
ANIMAL FARMING
(a) Poultry – Intensive and free range
(b) Livestock – Free range and semi-intensive
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
Six (6) municipal and 15 district assemblies. The region is politically headed by the Regional Minister who is assisted by a Deputy, Municipal and District chief executives.
Administratively the offices are headed by Regional, Municipal and District Coordinators.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has offices in all the districts and municipalities headed by Directors.
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
There are five (5) research institutions. These are Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI), Kusi,
Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), Tafo, University of Ghana Research station, Kpong, Plant Genetic Resource Research Institute (PGRRI), Bunso, and University of Ghana Research Institute, Okumanin.
NGOs OPERATING IN THE REGION
There are numerous NGOs in the region but the prominent ones include: World Vision International (WVI), Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA), and ACDI VOCI, Voluntary Service Organisation (VSO), Hunger Project, Heifer International, Advance and KROBODAN.
Table: Technical Staff strength of MOFA in Eastern Region (2010)
| CLASS | M | F | TOTAL | % FEMALE |
| Technical staff (AEAs) | 355 | 39 | 395 | 9.9 |
| Sub-Professional. Staff | 61 | 10 | 71 | 14.1 |
| Professional. Staff | 100 | 25 | 125 | 20.0 |
| TOTAL | 516 | 74 | 591 | 12.5 |
Table: BASIC AGRICULTURAL STATIS TICS-2010, EASTERN REGION
| DISTRICTS | % FARMING INTENSITY | TOTAL NO. OF HOUSE HOLDS | PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD HEADS | TOTAL FARM HOUSE HOLDS | HOUSE HOLD SIZE | HOLDERS LISTED | TOTAL No. OF HOLDERS IN VARIOUS AGE GROUPS | |||||||||
| MALE | FEMALE | TOTAL | MEAN | ≥19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60+ | |||||||
| TOTAL | MALE | FEMALE | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | TOTAL | ||||||||
| New Juaben | 66 | 16,970 | 79.3 | 20.7 | 11,240 | 67,880 | 4 | 15,522 | 11,704 | 3,818 | 310 | 3,584 | 4,292 | 4,349 | 2,036 | 951 |
| Fanteakwa | 100 | 11,072 | 85 | 15 | 11,072 | 44,288 | 4 | 24,003 | 13,472 | 10,531 | 670 | 4,801 | 5,687 | 6,098 | 4,044 | 2,703 |
| East Akim | 81.6 | 14,517 | 70 | 30 | 11,848 | 58,068 | 4 | 19,530 | 13,194 | 6,336 | 629 | 3,212 | 4,405 | 4,600 | 3,147 | 3,537 |
| Atiwa | 90.9 | 10,375 | 80.5 | 19.5 | 9,429 | 53,220 | 5 | 19,024 | 10,674 | 8,350 | 349 | 3,768 | 4,432 | 4,366 | 3,154 | 2,922 |
| Kwahu West | 72.8 | 16354 | 58.8 | 41.2 | 11900 | 70023 | 4 | 11,968 | 7,514 | 4,454 | 17 | 765 | 2,006 | 3,176 | 2,380 | 3,604 |
| Kwahu South | 90.3 | 27612 | 59.9 | 40.1 | 24941 | 120344 | 4 | 32806 | 19,674 | 13,132 | 515 | 6,003 | 7,816 | 7,448 | 6,419 | 5,121 |
| Kwahu North (Afram Plains) | 81 | 11909 | 78.4 | 21.6 | 9638 | 52910 | 4 | 15,267 | 8,848 | 6,419 | 198 | 2,884 | 4,701 | 4,088 | 3,279 | 119 |
| Suhum .K. Coaltar | 90 | 26,288 | 66 | 34 | 23,986 | 131,440 | 5 | 34,428 | 19,562 | 14,866 | 661 | 5,198 | 7,980 | 8,801 | 5,996 | 5,791 |
| West Akim | 86 | 24,783 | 78.2 | 21.8 | 21,313 | 123,915 | 5 | 28,266 | 19,164 | 9,102 | 298 | 4,898 | 6,003 | 6,742 | 5,749 | 4,576 |
| Kwaebibirem | 90 | 19,917 | 84 | 16 | 18,156 | 119,502 | 6 | 27,454 | 19,011 | 8,443 | 414 | 3,911 | 7,718 | 6,605 | 4,947 | 3,859 |
| Birim South/ Central | 93.1 | 28,308 | 64.9 | 35.1 | 26,365 | 100,869 | 4 | 36,951 | 19,340 | 17,611 | 67 | 5,059 | 9,950 | 8,643 | 6,499 | 6,734 |
| Birim North | 96 | 18,691 | 79 | 21 | 17,952 | 74,765 | 4 | 33,792 | 18,929 | 14,863 | 713 | 6,019 | 8,686 | 8,290 | 5,148 | 4,937 |
| Akuapem South | 91.2 | 19,522 | 72.4 | 27.6 | 17,797 | 88,612 | 5 | 22,236 | 15,602 | 6,634 | 294 | 2,999 | 6,076 | 5,998 | 4,292 | 3,567 |
| Akuapem North | 98.9 | 18,674 | 76.5 | 23.5 | 18,462 | 76,235 | 4 | 33,458 | 18,357 | 15,101 | 669 | 5,667 | 8,114 | 7,656 | 6,072 | 5,192 |
| Yilo Krobo | 76.7 | 18,589 | 80.7 | 19.3 | 14,265 | 77104 | 4 | 22,090 | 14,100 | 7,990 | 940 | 4,771 | 4,935 | 4,818 | 2,985 | 3,643 |
| Manya Krobo | 64.2 | 21646 | 74.7 | 25.3 | 13889 | 93224 | 4 | 24,797 | 14,465 | 10,332 | 0 | 2,473 | 7,114 | 5,657 | 5,047 | 4,133 |
| Asuogyaman | 90 | 8713 | 65.6 | 34.4 | 7850 | 43565 | 5 | 14,125 | 8,838 | 5,287 | 193 | 1,638 | 3,738 | 4,213 | 2,075 | 1,538 |
| Total | 1458.7 | 313,940 | 1254 | 446.1 | 270,103 | 1,395,964 | 75 | 415,717 | 252,448 | 163,269 | 6937 | 67,650 | 103,653 | 101,548 | 73,269 | 62,927 |
| Average | 85.80588 | 18467.1 | 73.76 | 26.241 | 15888.4 | 82115.53 | 4.412 | 24453.9 | 14850 | 9604.1 | 408.1 | 3979.4 | 6097.2 | 5973.4 | 4310 | 3702 |
Source: SRID MRACLS, 2010