Limited access and use of climate information by small-scale sugarcane farmers in South Africa: A case study

Abstract

South Africa is continuously experiencing significant irregular climate attributable to both climate change and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Air temperature increases, sporadic precipitation patterns and increased frequency of extreme events are expected across the region. Agricultural production, either rainfed or irrigated will be affected by such changes. Small-scale farmers are disproportionately vulnerable owing to a series of factors constraining them from adaptation. Hence, a shift of the attention towards identifying adaptation strategies for small-scale farmers is necessary. This study assessed the use of climate information by small-scale sugarcane farmers to cope with and adapt to climate variability. The study employed a face-to-face interview following a questionnaire guide to collect data from sixty-six farmers in the Swayimana community, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Using descriptive analysis, the study analysed access and/ or lack of access to climate information, observed climate changes by the small-scale farmers and the perceived benefits of accessing and using climate information. The study results suggest that most sugarcane small-scale farmers do not access climate information. The inaccessibility of climate information sources and lack of capacity to respond to the provided information greatly hinders the access to and the use of climate information. These research findings provide evidence of the vulnerability differences across the farming group within the sugarcane industry in South Africa.

Keywords

• Adaptation and mitigation
• Climate variability climate information
• Seasonal climate forecast
• Small-scale farmers
• KwaZulu-Natal Midlands